There’s nothing inherently wrong with marinara sauce from a jar – some brands are better than others, and experimentation will lead you to one you like. I almost always have a jar in the pantry for emergencies, but when I’m making a special dish – one in which the quality of every ingredient really matters – I make my own.
Making marinara sauce from scratch is easier than you think, especially if you use canned tomatoes*. Just a quick chop of aromatics and herbs, and 45 minutes of mostly-unattended simmering on the stove, and you’ll end up with a thick, herb-flecked sauce with a fresh flavor that blows the jarred stuff away.
I also add a small amount of sugar to my sauce. Adding sugar to tomato sauce is controversial: many home cooks, and some jarred brands like Rao’s, pride themselves on using no added sugar. But I find a small amount of sugar is essential to cut the sourness of the tomatoes. Clemenza in The Godfather agrees with me but you can decide for yourself – taste the sauce without it, and then add a little bit if you find it tastes a bit flat, or just “off”.
Making marinara sauce ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Marinara sauce keeps for weeks in the refrigerator and months in the freezer, so it’s ideal for making ahead.
- If you have a small amount of marinara left over after making pasta or another dish, stir it into a vegetable-based soup, spoon it over vegetables, slather it on ciabatta then top it with a slab of mozzarella and run it under the broiler for a quick pizza-like snack, dip a grilled cheese into it, dollop it onto meatballs or chunks of sausage for a sandwich. The possibilities are pretty much endless.
*In late summer when the plum tomato plants in my garden are in overdrive, I make sauce from my own tomatoes, and it’s a bit of an undertaking – but rewarding. To make sauce from fresh tomatoes: Cut plum tomatoes (such as San Marzano or Roma varieties) in half lengthwise and put them in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over low heat, and cover. Cook the tomatoes with the cover on until they fall apart and start swimming in a thin bath of their juices – how long this will take depends on the juiciness of the tomatoes, and the quantity you’re cooking. Once the tomatoes have broken down, process them through a food mill, catching the juice and pulp in a large bowl and discarding the skins. Return the puree to the pot, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium and cook it at a high simmer, uncovered, until the puree thickens to your desired consistency. Stir occasionally to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Again, the time it takes for this depends on the tomatoes, and how thick you like it, but plan on an hour or so. It takes an astounding quantity of tomatoes to make the equivalent of a 28-ounce can of thick puree – you’ll need approximately 4 pounds of tomatoes to make the quantity of sauce in this recipe.
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 or 4 medium cloves)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1/3 cup wine (red is preferred but white is fine)
- One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- One 28-ounce can tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and a large pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2 Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and the dried oregano if you’re using dried, and cook 1 minute.
- Step 3 Add the wine and cook until the wine is almost completely reduced.
- Step 4 Add the crushed and pureed tomatoes, the sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt if using Diamond Crystal brand, 1/2 teaspoon if using Morton’s. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and cook the sauce for 45 minutes, maintaining a gentle simmer and stirring occasionally to make sure the sauce isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Step 5 Stir in the chopped basil and the fresh oregano if you’re using fresh, and cook 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
