Traditional Marinara Sauce
This is the most basic pasta sauce used in Italian cooking. We use it as a base for several other pasta sauces including arrabiata and red clam sauce. I'll link to those recipes once they are posted.
Equipment
- 1 Food mill
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 2 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 28 oz whole, canned tomatoes San Marzano
- 2 tsp salt
- 10 basil leaves fresh
Instructions
- Dice carrot, celery, and onion. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add the chopped vegetables, then the garlic. Cook over medium heat until the onions turn translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, and basil leaves. Use a potato masher to smash the whole tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
- Pass the sauce in a food mill to remove the seeds and tomato skin.
- Makes about 2 qts.
Notes
While some recipes call for sugar, carrots are used here to provide that sweetness and to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.
You can use fresh tomatoes too, which we love in late summer when you can get bushels of fresh tomatoes at the Farmer's Market.
Many recipes also call for cooking marinara sauce for hours, but Italians will make it fresh right before dinner and it really only takes about an hour. You want to cook it until it thickens slightly and the water from the tomatoes cooks off.
Do not use a blender as this will incorporate both the tomato seeds and skin which changes both the flavor and the color. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, you can use crushed tomatoes and skip the food mill step altogether.