When you cook, perhaps the next best thing to eating what you're cooking, is the beautiful aromas taking over your home. And when you make my marinara sauce, you'll want to bottle the smells and keep them forever, plus you'll never want or need to buy canned sauce again. I recommend eating it with my homemade pasta or lasagna!
It's really a pretty basic recipe that I've perfected over the years. And it has a secret ingredient that you may never have thought to add. When I make the sauce, I always make a double batch so I can use it for future meals - lasagna, pasta, pizza. You can freeze the sauce in an airtight container for up to 6 months. It really makes it easy to use for a weeknight meal that you can quickly throw together.
Here's the recipe:
1 pound ground meat (I use an 80/20 ground beef/pork mixture) - optional
1- 12oz can tomato paste
2- 15oz cans diced tomatoes
1- 15oz can tomato sauce
1/2 large yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS italian seasoning
1 TBS oregano
1 TBS dried parsley (or fresh)
1 TBS dried basil (or fresh)
2 TSP granulated sugar
Here's the secret ingredient that will make your sauce creamy and delicious, and it cuts the acid. 1/4-1/2 stick unsalted butter (use as much as you like)
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat large saucepan or dutch oven using medium-high heat
Once heated add olive oil
Add smashed garlic, onions, and ground meat. Season meat with salt and pepper. Sauce until meat is browned and onions are translucent.
Add water, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, all seasonings, and sugar. Mix well and turn heat to low, Cover and simmer for at least 2-3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes.
When you have an hour left to simmer, add butter and stir in until completely melted and mixed in. Cover pot and let simmer one hour.
That's it! Enjoy the mouth-watering aroma and use for spaghetti, pasta bakes, lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, pizza and more!
Did you make this? Share a pic below in the comments!