Best Marinara Sauce Recipes

MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.

CLASSIC MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Pour tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Reserve.
• In a large skillet (do not use a deep pot) over medium heat, heat the oil. When it is hot, add garlic.
• As soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. Add whole chile or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using) and salt. Stir.
• Place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (like a flower). Let it wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (If using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, adding more salt and oregano as needed.) Discard basil and chile (if using).

MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

BEST MARINARA SAUCE YET

Steps:

• In a food processor place Italian tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
• In a large skillet over medium heat saute the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce and white wine.
• Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

RAO'S MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the salt pork. Sauté until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard salt pork. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté just until softened. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Add the basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute more.
• Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, veal and pork. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley and minced garlic, then salt and pepper as desired. Add the bread crumbs and mix well. Slowly add up to 2 cups water, 1/2 cup at a time, until the mixture is moist; all the water may not be needed. Shape into 1 1/2 -inch meatballs.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and sauté until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then discard the garlic. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, add meatballs and fry until undersides are brown and slightly crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain, then add to the marinara sauce. Mix gently and serve.

FRESH TOMATO MARINARA SAUCE

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.

THE BEST MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add tomatoes, water and 1/2 cup basil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until tomatoes are completely broken down and soft, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally., Press tomato mixture through a food mill into a large bowl; discard skins and seeds. Return tomato mixture to stockpot; add 1/2 cup of remaining basil, oregano and remaining garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until thickened, 3-1/2 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and remaining 1/4 cup of basil; season with salt and pepper. , Add 1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice to each of 3 hot 1-1/2-pint jars. Ladle hot mixture into jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight., Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 40 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

SPAGHETTI WITH SPICY SCALLOP MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, parmesan rind, 1/2 cup water and half of the basil. Bring the sauce to a boil, then stir and reduce the heat to medium low; simmer 15 minutes. Season with salt.
• Increase the heat under the sauce to medium high, add the scallops and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque, about 5 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind, add the remaining basil and season with salt and more red pepper flakes.
• Drain the pasta and add to the skillet with the sauce; toss. Divide the pasta among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with more basil.

RAO'S MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove tomatoes from can and place in a large bowl, reserving juices. Crush tomatoes using your hands; remove and discard the hard core from stem end, and any skin and tough membrane; set aside.
• Place oil in a large, nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, and cook until soft and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until softened, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and reserved juices; season with salt. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 hour.
• Stir in basil, if using, oregano, and season with pepper; continue cooking 1 minute more. Remove from heat and serve.

EASY MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion, green bell pepper, and garlic until onion is translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add brown sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, oregano, basil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until brown sugar dissolves and seasoning is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and white wine into the seasoned onion mixture; bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have blended, at least 30 minutes.

SIMPLE ITALIAN MEATBALLS IN MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Blend ketchup and milk together in a bowl. Mix in beef, egg, bread crumbs, and Greek seasoning to combine.
• Heat marinara sauce to a simmer in a 2-quart pot over low heat.
• Roll beef mixture with your hands to form meatballs. Drop into the simmering sauce. Add sugar and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring gently and regularly, until meatballs are no longer pink and sauce is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a hot pan over medium-high heat and throw in the garlic and chopped onions and give them a stir.
• Now add the wine (or chicken broth), whisking to deglaze the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the liquid reduces by half.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Toward the end of the cooking process, chop up your fresh parsley and basil and add it to the sauce to taste, stirring to combine.

CLASSIC MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until it just turns golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, basil, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

CHUNKY MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 2 to 4 minutes until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.
• Mix in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until flavors are blended, stirring frequently.

STUFFED MANICOTTI WITH FRESH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the crepes (crespelle):
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Gradually whisk in the flour and salt until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour until slightly thickened.
• Spray an 8-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Place the pan over medium heat. With a small ladle, pour about 3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan. Turn the pan at a 45 degree angle to coat the pan evenly so the batter forms a perfect circle. Cook the crepe only until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Turn the crepe over with a spatula and cook the other side only until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Slide the crepe onto a 12-inch platter and continue the process with the remaining batter. Stack the crepes between waxed paper so they don't stick. You can prepare these crepes a day in advance covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. No need to reheat the crepes before filling and baking.
• Make the ricotta filling:
• In a large bowl, add all the ingredients for the ricotta filling. With a large wooden spoon or spatula, stir all the ingredients until well blended. Store covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can make this filling the day before.
• Make the marinara sauce:
• In a large heavy nonreactive saucepan with a lid, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant but NOT browned. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan and crush further with a potato masher. Simmer 30 minutes, slightly covered, on medium-low heat, stirring every so often.
• Add the parsley, basil leaves and salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for another 10 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced. Taste and re-season as necessary.
• Put it all together:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with 1 cup of the prepared marinara sauce.
• Spoon 3 tablespoons of the prepared ricotta filling 1 inch from the edge of a crepe. Roll evenly into a log, keeping the filling even as you roll. Repeat with the remaining crepes. Place manicotti seam side down and side by side in the sauced baking pan.
• Spoon 1 to 2 cups of sauce over the top of the manicotti. Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.
• Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes until the topping is golden brown and sides are bubbling. Let rest about 15 minutes before serving to firm up the manicotti filling.

BUCA DI BEPPO MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• In 3 quart sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
• Add onion and garlic and cook until golden brown.
• Add tomatoes and salt.
• Bring to boil, then cook over low heat for 30 minutes stirring often.
• Turn off heat and add basil.

CHICKEN & PASTA WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• In large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it is hot but not smoking.
• Add the garlic and onions; sauté until golden-- about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add spices and chicken chunks; cook through--about 10 minutes.
• Add stewed Italian style tomatoes to chicken/Marinara sauce.
• Simmer while cooking pasta according to package directions.
• Toss Marinara sauce gently with cooked pasta; serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

EASY MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is tender.
• Stir all remaining ingredients in with onion mixture; heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Carefully puree hot sauce in in a food processor or blender; serve hot over cooked pasta and top with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• In a food processor, blend together tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
• Saute the onions and then add to the tomatoes sauce. Then add the white wine.
• Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

RAO'S MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove tomatoes from can and place in a large bowl, reserving juices. Crush tomatoes using your hands; remove and discard the hard core from stem end, and any skin and tough membrance, set aside.
• Place oil in a large, nonreactive saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, and cook until soft and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until softened, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and reserved juices, season with sale, increase heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 hour.
• Stir in basil, if using, oregano, and season with pepper, continue cooking 1 minute more. Remove from heat and serve.