Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
An easy to make, healthy marinara sauce that is ready in under an hour.
Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 T olive oil
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup diced onion
- 3 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 t balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper fresh ground is best
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until onions are tender.
- Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. We always add in the garlic after the onion so it doesn’t burn.
- Stir in tomatoes, wine, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, the sauce should be slightly thickened.
- Chop the basil and add just prior to serving.
Notes
What Kind of Tomatoes Should Be Used in Marinara Sauce?
Most professional cooks & cookbooks will recommend a paste tomato for cooking since they have fewer seeds and cook down nicely. However, it is perfectly fine to use cherry, grape, or other garden tomatoes for your sauce. Some varieties have a higher water content or meatier flesh, so it may just take a little longer in prep time.
Take the variety of tomatoes into consideration when cutting up the tomatoes. A meatier tomato may need to be diced instead of a loose chop. For some varieties, you may want to remove some of the extra seeds or peel the tomatoes with a thicker skin.
Personally, I use grape tomatoes most of the time, because we have more of them handy & like them in salads & omelets. I just slice them in half, pop out a few of the seeds & slice again in quarters. Experiment with different varieties to see which works best for you and your family.
Serving Suggestions
The classic quick dinner is pasta with marinara sauce – I always add a little parmesan cheese just before serving. But marinara sauce goes with so many meals. Here are just a few suggestions:
- Serve on the side with fried mozzarella or zucchini sticks.
- Use as a topper on hamburgers instead of ketchup.
- Perfect on a hoagie roll to make the classic meatballs sub.
- Serve over chicken with a side salad.
- Freeze in a plastic baggie to make quick & easy meals any day of the week.
Enjoy & Share!