Cooking a flavorful and authentic fresh marinara sauce from scratch is a culinary journey that brings together the vibrant essence of Italian cuisine. Whether you're seeking a rich, flavorful sauce to accompany your favorite pasta dishes or a versatile sauce to elevate any meal, mastering the art of fresh marinara sauce is a worthwhile endeavor. This guide will take you through the essential steps, from selecting the freshest ingredients to simmering the sauce to perfection, ensuring that you create a homemade marinara sauce that captivates your taste buds and leaves you craving for more. Along the way, you'll discover the secrets to balancing acidity, sweetness, and savory notes, creating a sauce that is both vibrant and harmonious.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
FRESH TOMATO MARINARA SAUCE
A rich, flavorful sauce that is healthy. Great for use in pasta, lasagna, and other casseroles. My favorite way to eat it is to pour over raw zucchini 'pasta' for an extra-fresh and tasty meal that's very healthy, too! A great recipe for using up extra-ripe tomatoes from your garden. Double the batch and freeze half; it freezes well.
Provided by KerriWarmus
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato Marinara
Time 1h25m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes; add tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring the liquid from the tomatoes to a boil, reduce to medium-low, and simmer mixture until tomatoes are softened, about 30 minutes.
- Stir red wine, honey, basil, oregano, marjoram, salt, black pepper, fennel seed, and crushed red pepper into the tomato mixture; bring again to a simmer and cook until herbs have flavored the sauce, about 30 minutes more.
- Stir balsamic vinegar into the sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 146.9 calories, Carbohydrate 16.5 g, Fat 7.4 g, Fiber 3.7 g, Protein 2.7 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Sodium 402.9 mg, Sugar 10.5 g
FRESH TOMATO MARINARA SAUCE
I had a lot of tomatoes this year and after trying other marinara sauces, I came up with this one. We like a little spicy. You can also use canned tomatoes for this recipe. Try this sauce with Recipe #23713--it's wonderful.
Provided by Potluck
Categories Sauces
Time 2h
Yield 4 20 oz containers
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Peel tomatoes and process smooth.
- Sauté garlic in large pot in olive oil.
- Add all other ingredients and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.
- This recipe is approx yield of 80 oz.
- If canning use canning salt otherwise this freezes nicely. I store in 20 oz containers.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 389.6, Fat 15.5, SaturatedFat 2.2, Sodium 2556.4, Carbohydrate 55.4, Fiber 12.3, Sugar 37.9, Protein 10.8
HOMEMADE ROASTED GARLIC AND FRESH BASIL MARINARA SAUCE
Loaded with savory herbs, simmered with both fresh and dried basil, fresh tomatoes, and a super-flavorful roasted garlic puree.
Provided by Chef Pisces
Categories Sauces
Time 2m
Yield 1 1, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Start with the onions and saute them in 3 tblsp olive oil on a medium heat till translucent, then add the fresh basil and turn down the heat while continuing to stir. Keep cooking the fresh basil to bring out the flavor, but still stirring the onions in the same pan. The basil leaves should be wilted and soft, but not burned. Then, add 3 oz of chicken stock and simmer till most of the liquid has burned off. Set aside.
- Using a food mill (which can be purchased at specialty kitchen supply stores) separate the seeds and skin from the fresh tomatoes, then with a wooden spoon, stir in all of the dry spices. Then, stir in the onions, olive oil, stewed tomatoes, and fresh Basil mixture. You want to marinate all of this in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. The acids will be infused with the herbs the longer it sits in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, start in on the garlic.
- Peel off the top layers from the garlic cloves and wrap each one in foil, place in a roasting pan. Roast the garlic under the broiler or a 425F oven for 20 minute Let cool and then unwrap. In a bowl, mash down the garlic with a fork, or potato masher, till it forms a paste, then in a blender with 1 cup of chicken stock, puree the roasted garlic paste till it liquifies. You are now ready to season the Marinara with garlic puree while it cooks.
- Take the marinated tomatoes and seasonings from the refrigerator and place in a large stock pot or sauce pan. Simmer on a low heat, stirring and gradually adding the red wine vinegar, tomato juice, and remainder of the chicken stock, add in the garlic puree and keep simmering till it comes to a slight boil. After the first boil, is when you add in the flour depending on how thick you want the consistency to be. This Marinara usually simmers 45min to 1 hour, but you can also use a crock pot on low to keep it going longer, if desired. Stir in cracked black pepper to taste.
SHRIMP IN FRESH TOMATO MARINARA SAUCE
This is a to die for dish that is really quick to make. Use only the freshest tomatoes you can find as well as fresh herbs. Serve over linguini or angel hair pasta.
Provided by Marie
Categories Very Low Carbs
Time 40m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- On medium high heat in skillet, add olive oil and when hot, add shrimp and saute quickly for 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Add basil and parsley and saute for another minute.
- Remove shrimp from pan and add tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for 10 to 15 minutes on low.
- Return shrimp to pan for approximately 1 minute to heat through.
- Stir in additional fresh basil, if desired.
FRESH MARINARA SAUCE
My family loves this zesty meatless sauce served over bow tie pasta. When tomatoes and carrots are ripe and plentiful, I double the recipe and store it in the freezer for future use.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h40m
Yield 7 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a Dutch oven, saute the carrots, onions and garlic in oil until tender. Add tomatoes and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until thickened and reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Serve with pasta.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 400 calories, Fat 12g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 558mg sodium, Carbohydrate 65g carbohydrate (0 sugars, Fiber 7g fiber), Protein 11g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
FRESH TOMATO MARINARA SAUCE
I get so many compliments on this recipe every time I make it. This is a slightly spicy yet sweet basil marinara sauce. I am vegan but occasionally I make a special pot for my husband who loves it when I add a ground link of Spicy Italian Sausage to simmer in the sauce and serve it with sausage on the side.
Provided by lyssalynne
Categories Sauces
Time 1h30m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Wash all ingredients very well. Start with tomatoes and water over low heat in medium pot. Slowly stir in each ingredient and continue cooking and stirring for about 1/2 hour to an hour (at least, the longer/the better). If you can, refrigerate and reheat. I don't know why, but it taste better.
- Great Additions: Artichoke Hearts, mushrooms, chopped onion, etc are just a few great additions you can add to this recipe! I have tried all of these just based on what I have in the kitchen at the time, and it always comes out great!
- Note: This recipe is so versatile. Serve over pasta, I prefer linguini), vegetables, or even toasted crostini bread with a bit of mozzeralla on top. It can also be served cold over sliced toasted Italian bread as a bruschetta -- mmm.
- Tip: I worked in a family owned Italian restaurant in high-school. They said to stir continually and never let the sauce boil. I try every time but have yet to succeed.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 190.3, Fat 1.2, SaturatedFat 0.3, Sodium 170.1, Carbohydrate 45.2, Fiber 6.9, Sugar 37.3, Protein 4.6
Tips:
- Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best flavor. If you can't find fresh tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes, but be sure to drain them well and rinse them before using.
- Don't overcrowd the pot when you're cooking the tomatoes. This will prevent them from cooking evenly.
- Simmer the sauce for at least 30 minutes, or longer if you have time. This will help to develop the flavor of the sauce.
- Add fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, and thyme, to the sauce for extra flavor.
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve the sauce over your favorite pasta, or use it as a dipping sauce for bread or vegetables.
Conclusion:
Marinara sauce is a versatile and delicious sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes. It's a great way to use up fresh tomatoes, and it's also a good way to add flavor to your favorite pasta dishes. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make a delicious marinara sauce that your whole family will love.
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