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Homemade marinara sauce is quick and easy, so no need to be intimidated. It can’t be served over pasta or incorporated into my special, healthy Turkey Lasagna!
Contents
What's So Special?
There aren’t a lot of ingredients in this simple recipe, but I do add some unexpected things. Carrots add some nutrition and fiber but also cut the acidity of the tomato. Additionally, we like to kick things up with some cayenne pepper, but this is optional.
Making the Sauce Ahead
Even though this recipe is quick and easy, I like to make a double batch to freeze half. Then, the 30-minute sauce becomes a 5-minute sauce!
There is no reason to occupy space in the freezer with canned tomatoes. I have a large freezer in the garage, but still, it is unnecessary. So, I follow the recipe with double the ingredients through step #3. Next, I take half of the spice and vegetable mixture, put it into a half-quart deli container, and put it in the freezer. Always date and label everything that goes into the freezer. I use colored masking tape and a Sharpie pen, which works well.
When you are ready to make sauce, you can pull the starter from the freezer and jump right to step #4!
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Marinara Sauce
Simple homemade red sauce with fresh ingredients tastes better than anything in a jar.
Ingredients
SPICE MIXTURE
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 tsp basil, dried
2 teaspoon, parsley, dried
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, dried
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
SAUCE
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 cans crushed tomatoes, 28 oz
Instructions
- Combine the spice mixture in a small bowl.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the onions first, then the garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then saute until translucent.
- Add the spices and carrots and cook for another few minutes to combine the flavors. At this point, you can freeze the mixture for future use. It takes much less real estate if you freeze the ‘starter’ before adding the canned tomatoes!
- Add the canned tomatoes and simmer for an hour, or add frozen ‘starter’ to a crockpot with the tomatoes and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving
Notes
Make Ahead: Complete steps #1-3, then freeze the vegetable mixture for future use. When you are ready to complete the sauce, remove the marinara starter from the freezer and complete the recipe. Thawing is not necessary just heat the starter with the tomatoes to merge the flavors.
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