Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce Recipe
This Roasted Marinara Sauce is a simple way to preserve ripe tomatoes at their peak and bring out their natural flavor. We slow cook them with just a few basic ingredients, like onions, garlic and basil, to make the most delicious homemade marinara sauce.
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 65kcal
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds Roma tomatoes cut into quarters
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Lay the quartered tomatoes onto a large baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the tomatoes are golden on top.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, heat a large sauce pot over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once heated, add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have turned translucent and begun to caramelize—about 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking and stirring occasionally until they turn a deep, rich, golden hue, or about 20 minutes total.
- Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic and saute until soft—about 2-3 more minutes—then remove from heat until the tomatoes are finished roasting.
- Once the tomatoes have roasted, remove from the oven and transfer them to the pot with the onions. Mix with a spatula, then use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer to a blender or food processor in batches) and blend until there are no large chunks.
- Return to the pot and add the sugar, basil, bay leaves, onion powder, baking soda, and balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 20-30 minutes to reduce slightly and to combine the flavors. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Use immediately, or cool completely and transfer to an airtight container to store in the fridge or freezer. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tip: When I make this, I usually double or triple the recipe. I like to do half caramelized and half oven-roasted onions. If you don't have room for any onions with your tomatoes, do the caramelized onions. Roasted onions have a little different flavor than caramelized. Both onion flavors add a lot of richness to the sauce.
Storing Instructions
- Refrigerator- transfer your cooled marinara sauce into an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat- transfer directly into a saucepot and heat over low, or else thaw in the fridge overnight and use as needed the next day.
- Freezing- Just portion into 1-2 cup servings and add to a freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible, seal, smooth flat and freeze!
- Be sure to take the time to caramelize the onions before you add the other ingredients. They should reach a golden brown, transparent, VERY soft consistency. This is the secret to this simple marinara sauce recipe!
- After you add the garlic, make sure it's golden too. Then you can add all your other ingredients.
- This sauce freezes very well!
Nutrition
Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1037IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg