I know it’s easy to buy a jar of marinara, but hear me out on this. Once you try making your own Homemade Marinara and incorporate it in your favorite pasta dishes, believe me you’ll love setting a pot to cook every few sundays or so!!
I tend to make a pot of this marinara sauce every few weeks or so. I love using it to make spaghetti and meatballs, or for my beef lasagna. I even use it for homemade pizza. It’s kind of a base sauce!! Sometimes my kids would just spoon it over pasta and add parmesan on top.
Whichever way you decide to use it, it’s so convenient to have some containers with this homemade marinara ready to use anytime you need a quick pasta dinner!
My obsession with homemade marinara started in the early months of 2020 when we all baked bread, cooked pasta and indulged in wine to make the stress go away. I had already planted tomatoes that year (Florida season starts early), so it just felt natural to make my own marinara too. Hello sourdough bread dipped in marinara:))).
Sugar or No Sugar?
Let’s get this question out of the way first. You can’t scroll by social media or not see some funny meme of comment about sugar or no sugar in marinara sauce. Is it traditional or not etc etc.
Traditional marinara sauce cooked with ripe real San Marzano tomatoes does not have sugar added in the recipe!! The tomatoes are sweet and perfect on their own to achieve that simple balance once cooked.
However, if you’re using store bought tomatoes, canned tomatoes or even tomatoes you grew in your own garden, chances are the sauce might be a bit acidic. The way most homecooks have found to balance that acidity is to add a pinch of sugar up to a tablespoon for a large pot.
The idea is not to make the sauce sweet but instead to lower acidity!! Another way to achieve lower acidity is to simmer the marinara longer!
Ingredients
The recipe itself is very simple, not many ingredients. Sometimes I do adjust few things around but I highly recommend you cook your favorite version of this sauce few times, until you get the taste down. Then modify as needed:))).
- ripe tomatoes or canned San Marzano tomatoes
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- bay leaves
- basil
- oregano
- sea salt and black pepper
- sugar (optional)
Let’s Marinara!!
I live in Florida and obviously have no access to fresh San Marzano tomatoes. So my choice is to use fresh, ripe tomatoes on the vine or canned San Marzano tomatoes. No judgment from me, feel free to use whichever is easier for you.
If using fresh tomatoes, pick tomatoes that are ripe, juicy and full of flavor. Score, blanch the tomatoes and peel them.
If using canned tomatoes, I tend to default to (affiliate) Cento Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes.
Saute diced onions and minced garlic in olive oil. Add crushed tomatoes once onions are translucent. Blend with an immersion blender.
Add the seasonings when sauce boils, mix and lower heat to simmer. Let the sauce cook by stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes. Check for taste and if needed here add the sugar to balance the acidity.
Let the sauce cool down!
I sometimes store it in sterilized jars but in the refrigerator and will make 2 meals out of the sauce within one week, so in that case I don’t can the jars.
Storing Instructions
This recipe is enough to use for a spaghetting meatball recipe for 6 as well as for a beef lasagna 9×13 tray, so I can get few meals. If you want to have more sauce available on hand, double up the recipe.
These are my storing instructions:
- Refrigerate up to 1 week – store in airtight containers after sauce has cooled down.
- Freeze up to 3 months – store in freeze safe containers or bags after sauce has cooled down. Don’t fill all the way to the top to allow for some expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator than heat as needed.
- Canning – for long term storage use sterilized jars and follow proper canning techniques.
Pro-Tip: Label all your containers with name of recipe and date!!
Homemade Marinara
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
Ingredients
- 56 ozs Canned Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes or about 24 fresh tomatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 8 leaves fresh basil add more leaves for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar optional
Instructions
- If using fresh tomatoes, wash them, let them air dry then score them in the bottom in a cross or X sign. Boil them for about 30-45 seconds. Using a slotted spoon remove tomatoes from boiling water and place them in an ice bath. Once they're cool to the touch, you can peel away their skin. Set them aside.
- Chop onion and mince garlic. Chop fresh basil leaves.
- Add olive oil in a large pot, heat up in medium heat until oil is shimmery. Add chopped onions and minced garlic to pot. Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally until onions are translucent.
- Add peeled tomatoes (either fresh or from cans). Using an immersion blender blend everything together. Add few tablespoons of water if needed.
- Once the sauce starts to boil add chopped basil, bay leaves, oregano, sea salt and black pepper. Mix and lower heat to simmer! Cover the pot partially.
- Let simmer for 45 minutes. Check for taste and consistency. This is where I adjust for more salt or add sugar if needed (remember sugar is optional).
- Store in airtight containers or jars as needed or use for pastas, lasagnas, pizzas or as a base sauce for any other recipe. Enjoy!
Notes
- Prep time can vary depending if you are using fresh, ripe tomatoes or if you are using canned peeled San Marzano tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, I’d add 30-40 minutes to prep time.
- 1 can of Cento Peeled San Marzano tomatoes is about 10-12 tomatoes so since I use 2 cans for this marinara sauce, if you are using fresh tomatoes, use anywhere from 20-24 tomatoes.
- Please adjust sea salt, black pepper and oregano to taste. I often eyeball these ingredients as I mix the sauce.
- I occasionally add a splash of red wine to the sauce as it starts to simmer. (optional).
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
If you would like to save this recipe for later, please pin one of the pictures from this post to your boards in Pinterest. It’ll make retrieving this recipe in the future a lot easier.
Let me know in comments if you have any questions and thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog!! It means a lot to me and my family!
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