Marinara is a red sauce consisting of olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs. Onions might sometimes get added to the combination of these ingredients, and marinara might be transformed into another sauce such as arrabbiata or puttanesca with the addition of different ingredients.
Due to its simplicity, marinara acts as a versatile base for many Italian dishes. It originated in Naples in southern Italy, its name derived from the Italian word for sailors (marinai). Some say it was named after the sailors because it’s ingredients didn’t spoil easily, and the sauce could be prepared quickly, in about the same time it took pasta to cook, so the two made a flavorful and cheap meal for sailors on their voyages.
By the early 1900s, marinara became a classic in the United States of America as well, due to a large number of Italian immigrants. Today, it is commonly served hot with pasta such as ziti, linguini, or spaghetti.
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Authentic Marinara Recipe
Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes1
hour753
kcalIt’s a simple vegan and pure vegetarian sauce that you can serve with bucatini, spaghetti and ricotta meatballs, clams and mussels frutti di mare, shrimp, chicken parmesan, ricotta gnocchi, peppercorn steak, fried mushrooms, eggplant, ravioli, this incredible vegan lasagna or whatever your favorite pasta is. Perfect for dipping your cheese sticks or garlic knots.
Also Read: Beetroot Falafel Recipe
Ingredients
2 X 28 oz cans San Marzano Tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion -diced
8 cloves garlic -minced
1 leaf bay
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves – sliced or torn
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or light olive oil)
1 pinch sea salt (or to your taste)
Directions
- Heat a heavy bottom large pot on medium low flame. Add a lug of olive oil and the diced onion with a pinch of sea salt. Cook for about 10 minutes until traslucent taking good care not to burn it.
- Heat a heavy bottom large pot on medium low flame. Add a lug of olive oil and the diced onion with a pinch of sea salt. Cook for about 10 minutes until traslucent taking good care not to burn it.
- Use your hands and crush the tomatoes as you add them to the pot with the onion and garlic. Rustic chunks are what we are after.
- Add the bay leaf and the 4 sprigs of basil then bring everything to a gentle simmer. Partially cover with a lid and cook down until reduced and thick to your liking (about an hour or so). Stir a few times making sure the sugars from the tomatoes don’t stick to the bottom.
- After the sauce has reduced season to taste with the sea salt. Discard the bay leaf and basil sprigs.
- Finish with a drizzle of fine cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and the reserved fresh basil. Serve with your favorite pasta to transfer to jars and refrigerate up to one week.
Notes
- How to Thicken Marinara sauce? – Continue cooking on low flame until most of the water evaporated and the sauce /gravy has thickened to your liking. Careful not to let those sugars burn though so stir often.
