There’s nothing wrong with marinara sauce from a jar – I almost always have a jar of Rao’s in the pantry for emergencies. Making marinara from scratch is so easy, though. Or, it can be. In late summer when the plum tomato plants in my garden are in overdrive, I make sauce from my own tomatoes, and - while rewarding - that’s a bit of an undertaking.* High-quality canned tomatoes simplify things considerably, making this just a quick chop of aromatics and herbs, and 45 minutes of mostly-unattended simmering on the stove. You’ll end up with a thick, herb-flecked sauce with a fresh flavor that blows the jarred stuff away.
I 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 – and you really don’t need much – 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”.
*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, 15 to 30 minutes depending on the tomatoes. Process the tomatoes through a food mill, catching the juice and pulp in a large bowl. 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.
Making it ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Marinara sauce keeps for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, and months in the freezer in a well-sealed container.
- 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…
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.
