Tag: Marinara

  • Marinara sauce, revisited

    Marinara sauce, revisited

    Updated February 2019

    Click here to jump to the recipe

    The ultimate easy healthy 30 minute marinara sauce

     

    This easy tomato marinara sauce is not only a breeze to whip up on a weeknight, but it’s also as healthy as it gets!

    You might not have noticed, but I’m obsessed with tomato sauce. Well, tomatoes in general, but I lovvvee me some red lycopene-filled tomatoes! I could totally have made this a niche blog called SeeFoodTomato, because pretty much all of my favorite recipes start out exactly the same way: with a red sauce.

    That’s right – even my very first blog entry was for a marinara sauce! That was not by accident – it deserved the number one post status because tomato sauce is my number one (okay, Jonathan is technically but you know what I mean ;-)). She’s my go-to when I don’t feel like making an elaborate meal. You can turn a simple can of tomatoes into the base for a pizza, a fantastic plate of spaghetti, or a gooey cheesy baked pasta dish. Or you can dip bread in it. Or you can turn it into a bloody mary. Depending on your mood (and the type of day you’ve had), tomato sauce has your back. So yes, I do force myself to step out of my comfort zone on this blog and make recipes that are not just a bunch of tomato sauce based variations, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t share them, from time to time 🙂

    The first version of my marinara sauce that I posted is the simple, no-fuss easy ready-in-minutes version. It’s delicious, versatile, and above all, super fast but still rich and delicious. Sometimes, though, you want a more structured sauce, with slightly more complex layers of flavour. So if you’ve only got about 15 minutes, then go for my original marinara sauce recipe. If you have a few more ingredients and around an hour to let this sauce simmer, then please give this one a try. This sauce is solid, you guys, and would be great over a bowl of spaghetti, or even as the sauce in a lasagna or even… on a piece of bread. Yes, this stuff is legit so give it a try! This is the ultimate 30-minute marinara sauce, and the only red sauce recipe that you’ll ever need.

    marinara sauce revisited | seefoodplay.com

    30-minute marinara sauce| seefoodplay.com

    marinara sauce revisited | seefoodplay.com

     

    Recipe

    Easy, healthy marinara sauce

    • 2 8 oz cans crushed or whole tomatoes
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (optional)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon dried basil
    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
    • 1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)
    • 2 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
    • 1 small shallot (minced)
    • 1/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese (grated)
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 bay leaf
    1. Add the shallot, garlic, and olive oil to a non-stick pot and sauté until cooked through (about 3-4 minutes) over medium heat.
    2. Next add in the spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried basil & oregano) & cherry tomatoes, stir for 1-2 minutes.
    3. Add the whole tomatoes, using their juice to deglaze the pot.
    4. Add all remaining ingredients, then bring the pot to a boil
    5. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for around 45 minutes to an hour.
    6. Remove the bay leaf*
    7. Using a wooden spoon or hand mixer, break down the tomatoes to have a smooth and uniform sauce (unless you like it chunky, which is great, too!).
    8. Allow to simmer on low for another 30 minutes (or as long as you can) before serving.

     

    *If you’ve never forgotten to take the bay leaf out of a soup or sauce, then lucky you, because it’s awful and can totally ruin your meal if you chop it up into your dish!

  • 30-minute marinara sauce

    30-minute marinara sauce

    30-minute marinara sauce| seefoodplay.com
    I had a serious think about which recipe to start this blog out with (because that kind of sets the tone, right?) and then it became so clear that it had to be something that I love making and that I’ve always wanted to share.

    One of the first things that I truly learned to master in the kitchen was definitely marinara sauce. You know how some people talk about having made a recipe hundreds of times and you’re like “who makes something that many times…”? Then I thought about it a bit, and I guess I do have a few recipes that I love so much (and have for so long) that I must have made them at least a few hundred times over the years. This tomato sauce is definitely one of those recipes.

    When I first started getting interested in cooking, I naturally started with all things Italian because that was (and still is…) my favorite food. With a few simple ingredients that we almost always have on hand, you can make a restaurant-worthy dish in a matter of minutes. I used to think that making pasta sauce involved sautéing some veggies, browning some beef and adding in a jar of store-bought sauce. As the years went on, the more I realized that the best tomato sauce is one with the fewest ingredients. Simplicity is key with this recipe, because the end result is so rich and tomato-ey – adding anything else is just really unnecessary. After a long busy day, sometimes all you need is a nice bowl of pasta tossed in some olive oil, salt + pepper, with a few spoonfuls of this marinara sauce.

    This is my definite go-to recipe when I don’t have time to cook a more elaborate meal, or just when I need a big helping of comfort food. This is good on pasta, pizza or even just as a dip for an oven-toasted piece of baguette!

    With just a few ingredients, this sauce is a no-brainer fool-proof recipe that anyone can master. Bon appetit !

    What was the first thing you truly got just right in the kitchen? If you have recipes and photos, please share!

     

    30-minute marinara sauce| seefoodplay.com

    30-minute marinara sauce| seefoodplay.com

    30-minute marinara sauce| seefoodplay.com

     

    30-minute marinara sauce
    Recipe Type: Sauce
    Cuisine: Italian
    Author: seefoodplay.com
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 2 cups
    seefoodplay.com: 30-minute marinara sauce
    Ingredients
    • 2 (8 oz) cans whole tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    Instructions
    1. Add the can of whole tomatoes to a small saucepan
    2. Heat for 2-3 minutes, then add all remaining ingredients.
    3. Using a wooden spoon or hand mixer to break down whole tomatoes to have a smooth and uniform sauce (unless you like it chunky, which is great, too!)
    4. Allow to simmer on low for 30 minutes.
    Notes
    You can cook for 25 minutes, but I almost always let mine simmer a bit longer!