Marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes (step by step photos & a recipe video).
Are you looking for the best homemade sauce that goes well with your pasta or pizza? Then this recipe is just for you.
Making your own marinara is super satisfying 🙂 You have full control over the ingredients and can customize the flavors as you like (Increase sweetness, tanginess or spices)
Classic marinara sauce is always made with canned tomatoes. In this recipe post, I am sharing the recipe to make homemade marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes.
You can easily prepare it at home. Homemade marinara sauce is healthy & tasty compared to jarred sauces.
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What is a marinara sauce?
The term “marinara” is originated from the Italian phrase “alla marinara” which means ‘sailor-style’. This sauce is widely used in Italian-American cuisine.
Marinara sauce is prepared with tomatoes, garlic, onions & herbs. Basically, it is a simple tomato sauce with some extraordinary flavors.
Classic marinara sauce is chunky in texture. But if you like to have a smooth marinara sauce then blend it. You can pair up this sauce with any pasta.
What is the marinara sauce used for?
- Pasta sauce - Mostly marinara is paired up with pasta. You can pair it up easily with any type of pasta.
- Pizza sauce
- Dipping sauce - for crispy potato nuggets, potato cheese sticks, etc.
- Dishes - Meatballs in marinara sauce, chicken in marinara sauce, shakshuka, etc.
Which tomatoes are the best for marinara sauce?
- Roma (or San Marzano) or plum tomatoes are the best choices.
- You can also use any variety of fresh tomatoes to make this sauce. Better to pick big ripe tomatoes that have more flesh & low water content.
How to make marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes
Preparations:
Blanch the tomatoes:
- Remove the stem & leaves from the tomatoes. Rinse off the dirt.
- Make a cross shape with a knife on the base of the tomatoes. It helps to peel off the tomato skin easily later. Keep it aside(pic 1).
- Heat 6 cups of water in a heavy bottom pan over high heat.
- When the water comes to a boil, add tomatoes (pic 2).
- Cook for 5 minutes (pic 3).
- Drain water (pic 4).
- Immediately put the tomatoes in cold water for 5 minutes. It loosens the skin of the tomatoes for easy peeling (pic 5).
- Peel the skin, cut it into half, cut the stem area off the top of the tomatoes, remove seeds & cut into big chunks (pic 6 & 7).
- Keep ¼ cup of chopped tomatoes aside (pic 8).
- Puree the rest of the tomatoes in a blender. Keep it aside (pic 9 & 10)
Finely chop the onion & garlic. Keep it aside.
Making the marinara sauce
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium flame.
- Add onions & sauté until translucent (pic 1).
- Next, add the garlic cloves & saute it for 2 minutes (pic 2).
- Stir in the tomato puree & tomato chunks (pic 3).
- Bring it to a boil (pic 4).
- Add salt, ground black pepper, oregano, red chili flakes & sugar. Mix it well (pic 5).
- Keep the heat on low & let the sauce simmer for about 30-35 minutes (pic 6).
- When the sauce is reduced & reaches the desired consistency, check the seasoning.
- Add salt or sugar, if required. Add basil leaves & mix (pic 7).
- Cook for 5 minutes & switch off the heat.
- Marinara sauce is ready (pic 8).
Cooking Tips
- Use finely chopped onion & garlic. It blends well with the flavor of tomato sauce.
- I have used a combination of tomato puree & chopped tomatoes. Chopped tomatoes give it a chunky texture. But if you prefer smooth texture then use only pureed tomatoes.
- The quality of tomatoes affects the taste & texture of the sauce. Always pick us fresh tomatoes that are ripe.
- Tomatoes are acidic. To cut down the acidity, you can add sugar to it. The quantity of sugar depends on the acidity of tomatoes. You have to increase the quantity if tomatoes are sour & reduce if they are sweet.
- If you do not want to add sugar then add carrots to it. Carrots also add sweetness to the sauce.
- Cooking the tomato sauce is easy but simmering it, takes time. Simmering the tomato sauce with herbs brings out the best flavors. Do not hurry up cooking on high heat.
- Keep checking the tomato sauce while simmering it. Stir it as required.
- You can double the quantity for future use.
Storage suggestions
- Let the sauce cool completely. Store the sauce in the fridge in an airtight container. It stays good for 4-5 days.
- You can freeze the sauce in small portions in an airtight container. Stays good for 2 months.
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Recipe card
Recipe Card
Fresh tomato marinara sauce | Homemade marinara sauce recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg tomato
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion or 1 small onion, chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon sugar (check notes) or use a small carrot
Instructions
Preparations:
Blanch the tomatoes:
- Remove the stem & leaves from the tomatoes. Rinse off the dirt.
- Make a cross shape with a knife on the base of the tomatoes.
- Heat 6 cups of water in a heavy bottom pan over high heat.
- When the water comes to a boil, add tomatoes.
- Cook for 5 minutes. Drain water & immediately put the tomatoes in cold water.
- Peel the skin, cut it into half, cut the stem area off the top of the tomatoes, remove seeds & cut into big chunks.
- Keep ¼ cup of chopped tomatoes aside. Puree the rest of the tomatoes in a blender. Keep it aside.
- Finely chop the onion & garlic. Keep it aside.
Making the marinara sauce.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium flame.
- Add onions & sauté until translucent.
- Next, add the garlic cloves & saute it for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato puree & tomato chunks.
- Bring it to a boil.
- Add salt, ground black pepper, oregano, red chili flakes & sugar. Mix it well.
- Keep the heat on low & let the sauce simmer for about 30-35 minutes.
- When the sauce is reduced & reaches the desired consistency, check the seasoning.
- Add salt or sugar, if required. Add basil leaves & mix.
- Cook for 5 minutes & switch off the heat.
- Marinara sauce is ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- You can use the sauce for making pasta & pizza.
- For making pizza thicken the sauce & use it.
- Simmer the tomatoes rather than cooking it on high heat. Simmering the tomatoes with herbs & seasoning brings out the best flavors in them.
- You can replace sugar with carrots for sweetness. Add grated carrots while adding the tomato puree & cook.
- The quantity of sugar depends on the acidity of tomatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Preeti
This easy marinara sauce recipe is ready in under 30 minutes, uses simple ingredients, gives you complete control over spices, making it a versatile sauce you can use on pasta, pizza, or in lasagna, and it tastes so much better than store-bought because it has no added preservatives or chemicals. Try it, you will love it.