The Story Behind The Sauce
When I started dating my boyfriend, who is now my husband, one of the first things I learned was the importance of a good sauce. Much like how rice was a part of every one of my dinners growing up, marinara sauce or “gravy” was a part of my husband’s upbringing.
Every Sunday my mother-in-law would wake up early and make a big batch before church. The house would fill with the sensational smell of onions and garlic. For Sunday “dinner”, which was really more like Sunday lunch, we would have a feast of pasta and meatballs. With all the amazing Italian food New York has to offer, there was nothing better than what she cooked up for us.
Now that I have a child of my own who is biracial, I’ve gained much more of an appreciation of my husband and I’s heritages. I want my son to be able to connect with both his Chinese and Italian roots. Just like how his dad woke up on Sundays ready to feast, I want my son to grow up and have similar memories.
But coming from a family that used Prego pasta sauce, I went in having no prior knowledge of how to cook Italian cuisine. At best, I could put a frozen pizza in the oven. Intimidating was a big understatement.
Even though my career is literally all about food, there definitely still was a learning curve for me when it came to perfecting my sauce. It’s weird, but I find that the simpler the ingredients, the harder it is to make the dish.
After many many attempts, I can confidently say that I can make sauce that makes my Italian husband proud. And I am so happy to share it with you!
Some Quick Tips
This sauce recipe is simple and incredibly versatile. It can be used as a base for so many classic Italian dishes, such as Chicken Parm, lasagna, or pizza. You can also customize it to your particular diet. I have swapped the sugar with monkfruit sweetener, coconut sugar and agave nectar and all have worked well. If you’re following a low FODMAP diet, you can omit the onions and garlic.
Of course, I do want to mention that this is MY way of making marinara sauce. But by no means is it the ONLY way of doing it. My husband grew up with his sauce being thinner and smoother. However, some choose to skip the blending and use their hands to squeeze the tomatoes into chunks.
You can also throw in a ton of additional seasoning, such as parsley or Italian seasoning. Or, if you want a milder flavor, you can omit the oregano and basil. Feel free to tweak the recipe according to you or your family’s personal preferences. Happy cooking!!
Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- 2 cans San Marzano whole tomatoes
- 5-6 leaves basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 3 tbsps sugar
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Optional
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a high speed blender, blend San Marzano tomatoes until a liquid forms and no seeds remain.
- Heat olive oil in a pot on medium heat. Make sure that it is olive oil and not extra virgin olive oil (see why here).
- Add onions. Cook until fragrant.
- Once the onions start changing color, add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add blended tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour.
- Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
- Add basil and spices when there is about five minutes left. You can sub fresh basil for 1-2 tsp of dried basil or Italian seasoning.
If you like this post, be sure to check out my guide on cooking perfectly al dente spaghetti!
now i want to hear from you!
Did you try this marinara sauce recipe? How did it go?
Did you add or modify it in any way?
Let me know by leaving me a comment down below!
