Description
This homemade Marinara sauce is my absolute favorite. It’s healthy, easy to make using pantry ingredients, and it tastes a million times better than store-bought. You’ll love this classic Italian Marinara.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 celery rib, finely diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced or shredded
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 28–ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand or with an immersion blender (I like San Marzano tomatoes)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and sauté until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are soft, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, dried oregano, salt, dried basil (if you’re not using fresh basil), and a pinch of red pepper flakes if using, and let cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the bay leaf, and balsamic vinegar. Let the sauce simmer uncovered over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should thicken and reduce in volume slightly.
- Remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the sauce to a blender in batches and puree until smooth. If you prefer a chunkier texture, then don’t puree the sauce.
- Stir in the chopped fresh basil and butter. Serve with your favorite pasta or recipe. Enjoy!
Notes
- Keep it vegan: Leave out the butter.
- Nutrition estimate is a rough calculation based on 4 servings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 259g
- Calories: 124
- Sugar: 6.97g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 8.79g
- Saturated Fat: 2.62g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.83g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 4.8g
- Protein: 2.17g
- Cholesterol: 10mg