Homemade Marinara sauce

Amazing Homemade Marinara sauce is an all rounder sauce which taste good over pizzas and pasta. This homemade made-from-scratch sauce is delicious, gluten free & vegan!

Homemade marinara sauce is the base to many yummy dishes. This hearty and rich vegan sauce is simple and made with basic ingredients which comes right off your pantry/fridge. 

Why make from scratch when you can buy everything from the store? Well, to start with, there is nothing more satisfying than a homemade sauce as you control what goes in the recipe. And secondly, with no preservatives added, this recipe is quickly going to become a must-have  in your home.

To make a flavorful and hearty homemade marinara sauce, all you need is a few simple ingredients, a little time on hand and be precise – DO NOT complicate the recipe. 

Few tips to follow- 

• Always use thick pulpy tomatoes for this recipe. 
• Do not use tomato puree. You can use chopped canned tomatoes to save some time. 
• Cook your sauce on a medium low flame and allow it to simmer. Simmering will deepen the flavors and make the sauce even more delicious. 
• Before adding dried herbs, crush them in between your palms and add to the sauce. Warmth from your hands will help bring out their flavors.
• If the sauce turns to out to tarty and acidic in taste, add a little brown sugar to balance the flavor. Or you can add boiled carrots to the sauce.

Feel free to customize this sauce to your liking. You can add more spices like oregano, thyme and rosemary for extra flavors, likewise white wine and red wine would also be great addition too.

ingredients : 

WILL YIELD 3 CUPS OF TOMATO PUREE

TOTAL TIME : 30 MINUTES

8 medium sized tomatoes

1 medium onion roughly chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup Olive oil

1 tablespoon dried basil leaves

1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper or red chili powder

1 tablespoon Sugar

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon Vinegar (optional – use only if storing for a longer time)

2-3 tablespoon cashew cream (optional). Non-vegan option, use regular cream.

method :

1. Wash and clean tomatoes. Apply a small incision in tomatoes and drop them in a potful of boiling water for 7-9 minutes. 

2. Soon you will notice the skin peeling off from the tomatoes. Remove them from hot water and give them a cold bath by dropping them in cold water. This will speed up the peeling process. 

3. Peel off the tomato skin and discard. Using a sharp knife chop the juicy flesh of tomatoes and toss them into a mixer and liquefy/puree them. For a seedless puree pass it through a strainer.

4. Assemble ingredients for marinara sauce. In a pan heat olive oil and add chopped onions and garlic. Cook till onion starts to caramelize.

5. Stir in tomato puree, salt, cayenne pepper, fresh basil leaves and stir it to combine the flavors. Allow it to simmer and bring it to a boil.

6. Using an immersion blender puree it to its desired consistency. If you like it chunky, then puree for few seconds and move on to the next step. But if you like it silky and creamy then puree it for long until desired consistency is reached. Time to flavor up with dried basil leaves. Well the question is- if fresh basil is already added why add dry basil leaves – simple dried herbs are more flavorful and they hold their flavor for a longer time while cooking.

7. Add brown sugar to balance the acidic content of the tomatoes and finally stir in cashew cream (this is optional). Cashew cream thickens the sauce and adds a great texture. Give the sauce a final stir and take it off the flame. Your homemade marinara sauce is ready, allow it to cool and then store it airtight containers for later use. 

8. This sauce freezes well. Once cooled, store it in sterilized dry containers in your freezer section. When ready to use it – take it out of the freezer, set it on the counter to thaw and use as desired.

9. Homemade Marinara sauce is ready.