Description
Absolutely delicious tomato, garlic and basil flavor in a quick and easy one-pot, 30 minute marinara sauce. You control the ingredients, so your family not only gets the best taste, but the highest quality and nutrition. Use as an ingredient in your favorite recipes, as a stand-alone sauce for pasta dishes and a dip for pizza rolls and grilled cheese! You control the consistency, hearty or thin, just by how much liquid you cook out. And the flavor is unmatched!
Ingredients
- 2 (28 oz) cans of whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, [or 3 (18.3 oz.) jars Jovial brand whole peeled tomatoes], with their liquid
- 1/3 cup avocado oil (or extra virgin olive oil, if you prefer)
- 4 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon dried basil
- crushed red pepper, (chili flakes) to taste
- salt, to taste
- optional: 1/4 to 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the avocado (or olive) oil over medium heat. I prefer avocado oil because it is flavor-neutral. Choose a high-quality olive oil if using one, as it definitely will impact flavor.
- Add the garlic and cook (still over medium heat) until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- Carefully add the tomatoes and their liquid. I crush the whole tomatoes with my hands or a fork after they’ve been added to the pot.
- Bring everything to a boil and season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Continue cooking 20 – 25 minutes or so. You can break up the tomatoes even further as the sauce cooks. You want it to end up chunky and thick.
- Stir in the basil and cook for an additional 5 minutes. If you crush the basil between your hands as you add it, you release all the oils which carry more flavor. It will definitely enhance your finished sauce.
- Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. This is also the time to decide if you want to add red pepper flakes and how acidic your tomatoes are. If the sauce doesn’t taste acidic do not add sugar. If the acidity seems to strong, add sugar 1/4 teaspoon at a time to balance the sweetness and acid of your sauce. Cook for at least one minute between each addition and taste, again. Never use more than 1 teaspoon, total.
Notes
Home Marinara Sauce freezes well. To freeze it, cool the marinara sauce completely before beginning to prep it for storage. Label zip-top freezer bags with the name and date. I measure two cups into each zip-top freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible as you seal the bag. Lay the bags flat in the freezer until they are solid. Then you will be able to stand them on end, like files in a file cabinet, to save storage space.
You can also freeze marinara sauce in pint or quart jars. You MUST be sure the marinara sauce is completely cooled. Fill the jars, leaving a 1-inch head space. Freeze the jars without their lids at first. This will allow for any expansion of the sauce while freezing and keep the jars from bursting. Once the sauce is frozen, screw the lids on.
Marinara sauce should last 3-6 months in the freezer if stored properly.
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: Sauce, Vegetable, Dip
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian-American