What is Marinara Sauce?
Marinara sauce is a tomato-based sauce that originated in Naples, Italy. The name “marinara” is derived from the Italian word for “mariner” and is connected to the sauce’s popularity among sailors and fishermen.

Unlike some other Italian sauces, marinara has no cream, milk, or cheese added. It gets its rich flavor from tomatoes, garlic, onions, herbs, olive oil or wine. Traditional marinara sauce also has a bit of a thin, brothy consistency compared to a thick, heavy pasta sauce.

Key Ingredients for Marinara Sauce
When making marinara sauce at home, start with high quality ingredients for the best flavor. Here are some key items to have on hand:

– Canned tomatoes: Whole, crushed, diced or puréed tomatoes are ideal. Seek out cans with no extra ingredients or seasonings added. San Marzano tomatoes from Italy are considered the gold standard.

– Extra virgin olive oil: Look for a full-bodied olive oil. The flavor of the oil comes through in the sauce.

– Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a punch of flavor not found with jarred chopped garlic or garlic powder.

– Onions: Yellow or red onions both work well.

– Fresh herbs: Basil, oregano, thyme, parsley and bay leaves are traditional.

– Spices and seasonings: Incorporate oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt and sugar to taste.

– Wine or broth: For deeper flavor, use chicken or vegetable broth, red or white wine.

Simple Marinara Sauce Recipe
Homemade marinara sauce comes together in just 30 minutes. It makes enough sauce for 1 pound of pasta, with some leftover to freeze.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small diced onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1⁄4 cup water or broth
3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomatoes, water/broth, basil, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes until desired consistency.
Remove from heat. Add Parmesan cheese if desired.
Use with pasta, chicken parmesan or freeze for later.

Marinara Sauce Variations

Once you have a simple marinara sauce recipe down, experiment by adding your own flair and additional ingredients. Ideas include:

* Meat marinara: Sauté Italian sausage, ground beef or meatballs to make a meaty marinara sauce for pasta or subs.
* Wine marinara: Deglaze the pan with 1⁄2 cup red wine before adding tomatoes and broth.
* Vegetable marinara: Add sautéed mushrooms, peppers, carrots, zucchini or spinach.
* Cheese marinara: Stir in shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone or ricotta salata.
* Herb marinara: Play around with rosemary, sage or cilantro instead of just basil.
* Spicy marinara: Up the crushed red pepper flakes or add chili powder or red pepper slices.

How to Make Marinara Sauce From Scratch

Want an incredibly fresh, flavorful marinara sauce using whole tomatoes and herbs from the garden? Making marinara completely from scratch maximizes control over ingredients while also tapping into the nostalgic tradition of canning sauce at the end of summer.

While it takes more active time than just opening a jar of tomatoes, the hands-on process is fairly straightforward:

Ingredients:

– 3 pounds ripe tomatoes
– 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
– 4 garlic cloves
– 1 small yellow onion
– 1⁄2 cup packed torn basil leaves
– 2 tablespoons chopped oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried)
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
– 2 bay leaves

Instructions:

1. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use a paring knife to cut out the tomato cores. Score an “X” in the bottom of the tomatoes and working in batches, boil for 60 seconds. Transfer tomatoes to the ice bath. The skin will slip right off.

2. Chop the peeled tomatoes and strain out excess seeds and juices over a fine mesh strainer. Repeat process until you have 4 cups of chopped tomatoes.

3. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

4. Add in tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Increase heat and bring to a simmer.

5. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally, breaking up tomatoes to desired consistency.

6. Adjust seasoning as needed. Remove bay leaves before serving. Store cooled sauce in airtight containers for up to 1 week or freeze for later use.

Tips for Making the Best Marinara Sauce
– Start with top quality ingredients for maximum flavor impact. Tomatoes should smell earthy and sweet.

– Don’t skip the step of simmering the sauce for 15-30 minutes. This concentrates the flavors and develops better texture.

– Add a splash of wine, broth or water to thin out thicker sauces. The consistency should lightly coat the back of a spoon.

– Resist the urge to season before tasting at the end. Tomato-based sauces need higher levels of seasoning than you may think.

With a simple yet adaptable base recipe, you can whip up the perfect marinara sauce to use right away or stash in the freezer. Each batch will taste fresher and more vibrant than store-bought sauce.

The post Marinara Sauce appeared first on Soya Hungry.

This week I was sent a pound of tomatillos in my rescued produce box and immediately knew it had to become salsa verde. This recipe takes very little time, even less effort, a smidge of waiting time and then will be gone same day if your house is anything like mine. Seriously, it was gone the day after I made it.

• 1 lb tomatillos, husked and washed
• 1 medium white onion, halvevd
• 2 jalapenos, halved with ribs and seeds removed
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, thicker stems removed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 tsp salt

• Move a rack in the oven up to the top shelf. Toss tomatillos, onion and jalapenos in oil and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 20 minutes, flipping half-way through.
• In a blender or food processor, add all of the ingredients, including the juices the tomatillos expel during the cooking process. Blend until desired consistancy. Taste for salt and adjust.

Tomatillos should change color and char a bit. Keep an eye on the oven to ensure a slight char, not a full burn. Taste for salt! You’ll probably end up using more than you think you’ll need. If the salsa is too thick for your liking, add small amounts of water while you blend to thin it out. Don’t add too much or you’ll weaken the flavor of the salsa. This can be eaten straight from the blender but does get better with age in your fridge. I will usually make this in the morning and eat it with dinner. It will thicken a bit in the fridge so bear that in mind. I like a thick salsa so I don’t thin mine but to each their own.

The post Salsa Verde appeared first on Soya Hungry.

Jump to Recipe

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This recipe comes together in minutes in your food processor or high-powered blender. This is the one I use that I bought 7 years ago and it’s still going strong. I’ve never needed to sharpen an attachment, it’s all dishwasher safe, and I use it at least once a week. Seriously, it’s so worth the investment. I cut my veggies down a bit before blending just to make it a little easier on my food processor and to make everything fit a little easier.

It’s important that this is stored in glass. Because of the flavors in this sofrito, it will leach into plastic. This will not only give you smelly tupperware, it’ll also dilute the flavors in the sofrito. I keep mine in a cleaned out salsa jar and it fits perfectly.

Besides my refried beans, this sofrito is also the star of my vegan picadillo. No matter what you put this in, prepare to have the most mouthwatering smelling house on your block. Apologies in advance if neighbors show up with empty plates and desperate looks.

• 1/2 large red bell pepper
• 1/2 large green bell pepper
• 1/2 medium onion
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1-2 roma tomato, depending on size
• salt and pepper

• Roughly chop both peppers, onion and tomato.
• Add all ingredients to blender or food processor. Blend until homogenous.

Because of the flavors, only store in glass. They will leech into plastic. This will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks if in an airtight container but can be frozen for up to a year.

The post Spanish Sofrito – Homemade in 10 Minutes appeared first on Soya Hungry.

Having a bangin’ marinara sauce up your sleeve will always take your plain pasta dish to the next level. This sauce comes together with a little time, almost no effort, and will impress anyone you feed it to.

I prefer this sauce to be on the chunky side but if you like a smoother sauce blend it all up once it’s done simmering. This is a super easy make-ahead that will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 28 oz can San Marzano peeled tomatoes
• 1 handful basil leaves, torn

• Heat oil in a large, high rimmed pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft (4-5 minutes).
• Add entire can of tomatoes to pan and season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and gently smash tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
• Add basil to sauce and recover for 5 additional minutes.
• Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

The post Easy Tomato Sauce appeared first on Soya Hungry.