How to Make Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
An easy marinara sauce recipe packed with Italian flavor.
Homemade sauces are so much tastier than jarred. Homemade sauce is fabulous with boxed tomatoes (I don’t use canned because of bpa concerns), but during tomato season when our vines are dripping with tomatoes, it’s fun to use them up in sauce. It’s an amazing cycle to plant tiny tomato seeds and months later have a beautiful tomato sauce simmering on the stove. This recipe is incredibly easy. I don’t peel the skins anymore, and have found I don’t need to. I hate to waste any little bit anyway.
Roma (or San Marzano) tomatoes are most commonly used for making tomato sauce. But I use any combination of tomatoes I have. Here I used what was growing in our backyard: San Marzano, Costoluto Genovese, and cherry tomatoes.
I simply sauteed an onion, then added roughly chopped tomatoes to simmer down with some herbs. I went on with my day at home, checking and stirring occasionally.
The tomatoes break down and the juices reduce and sweeten. I added dried oregano and fresh basil.
Then I used my immersion blender to puree the tomatoes. You can also puree the basil, or leave big leaves in the sauce to flavor.
That’s it! Making homemade marinara sauce does take a couple of hours, but it’s mostly inactive simmer time. And really, who doesn’t want their house smelling like homemade sauce all day? When tomato season is over, be sure to grab my recipe for easy Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce.
Other Favorite Sauces and Salsas:
Easy Authentic Pizza Sauce
Easy Enchilada Sauce
How to Make Salsa with Fresh Tomatoes
Traditional Tomato Bruschetta
How to Make Pesto
Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce
An easy recipe for making marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 8 cups tomato chunks
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch red pepper flakes
- small bunch of fresh basil
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Add wine and simmer until liquid has evaporated, making sure garlic doesn't burn. Stir in tomatoes and a pinch of sea salt.
- Add oregano and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and cover for 15 minutes. Covering will help the tomatoes to "sweat" and break down more quickly. Uncover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for about an hour.
- Use an immersion blender to carefully puree the sauce. Add basil the basil and blend it in with the blender or leave whole. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can let the sauce cool and then very carefully puree in a regular blender.
- Continue to simmer another 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Optional additions: sometimes I like to stir in a small handful of grated Parmesan cheese or a drizzle of balsamic for more flavor. Delicious!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 138Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 62mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
Pingback: Best Tomato Sauce Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes And Reviews - Trending Yum - Trending Recipes and Food 2018 2019
Thanks for sharing this useful information here is the website which provide awesome recipes which you couldn’t resist to eat: http://belottirb.com/menu/ Home delivery is also available.
Pingback: Thinking About Weekly Meal Planning – My Lane
Do you peel the tomatoes first for this recipe and do know approximately how many pounds 8 cups of tomatoes are?
Thanks!
Hi Deborah, No, I don’t peel them. I’m sorry I’m really not sure how many pounds that would be as I just pulled these tomatoes from my garden without weighing. Sorry about that!
Can I use red wine vinegar?
3 1/4 lbs. works for me (btw, I have no idea why my text is being all-capped).
I would not use red wine vinegar. just omit.
We had tons of home grown tomatoes from 2 plants this year. YOur recipe was terrific, we’ve made 4 batches with more to come. thanks so much!
hI. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A TERRIFIC RECIPE. hAVE YOU EVER CANNED IT? DID YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES TO IT IN ORDER TO CAN IT? tHANKS.
Thank you so much I’m making this as we speak! I added Italian seasoning and thyme and rosemary and a lot of garlic and wine!
Can you freeze this after
.
I made this last year and just froze it in small jars like you do jam and it was perfect.
Can you make this without wine? Or is there a substitute for the wine?
You can leave it out. Enjoy!
Issuing this recipe for the second year. So simple so delicious, I freeze it in ziplocks, I also make plain tomato sauce without all the seasonings. Love love love my stick blender! Thanks so much for sharing 😀
Sorry…. Not issueing….using!
I tried making a homemade sauce this weekend with our end of season tomatoes and just ended up with flavored tomato water. Googled around looking for good instructions and ended up here. I swear I did the same thing: garlic, onions, olive oil, and roughly chopped the tomatoes…letting them cook down and then blizting with my immersion blender. I let it cook even longer hoping it would reduce into a nice thick sauce. No luck. It’s so watery. I even strained most of the liquid from the tomatoes after chopping. I still have pounds of tomatoes so I’m going to try again… any advice?
Did you cook it uncovered? That allows the liquid to evaporate
Definitely cook uncovered. Make sure it’s gently bubbling while on the low simmer, and use a wider/shallow pot to reduce it in. I just made it with 6 lbs of Roma’s and it turned out awesome.
I’ve made this in the past and used a small can of tomato paste. I have tomatoes ready to pick now to make a new patch and I will include tomato paste. It thickens and adds a little sweetness. It was in the original recipe I used years ago. (Sorry for all caps. Not sure why)
Pingback: Pea Pesto Penne Pasta | Veggie Vegan Recipes.com
Pingback: Pomodoro Sauce | Veggie Vegan Recipes.com
Hi
Why are the tomatoes pureed after they are cooked? And not before cooking? I always assumed they are pureed when still fresh, then cooked. or is there no difference, pls advise!:)
My Sicilian mother-in-law never puréed hers at all, simply simmered it until it was done as measured by taste and texture.
No one cares how your Sicilian mother-in-law does it. If you don’t like it find another recipe, or just use your Sicilian mother-in-laws if it’s so good. My husband is Sicilian and he doesn’t go around bragging about it or correcting peoples recipes. There’s many ways to make a sauce!
I’m about to start making this recipe now and I can’t wait to try it!
Sorry for all caps.
Don’t know why Jackie had to be rude there, but whatever.
I’m always up to hear how others have experiences because they vary so much when using fresh ingredients. I know that it helps to know that different techniques might work from a great base recipe if the type of ingredients have variation.
Thanks for sharing yours!
jackie no one cares about your Sicilian husband. why are you going around bragging about your Sicilian husband in the comments of a recipe blog?
jfc people like you are what makes the internet awful.
I tried this recipe for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD!! I blanched then peeled my tomatoes (because I had the time) but otherwise followed the instructions to a “T”. We’re not vegan, so I also made Whole 30 meatballs to go along with it. My husband and I were both blown away!
I have slivered almonds soaking right now and plan to make the ricotta tomorrow. So, so glad I found your blog!
Pingback: Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes | Veggie Vegan Recipes.com
Pingback: The Internet's Best Vegan Lasagna | Delicious Everyday
Pingback: Easy Vegan Lasagna – Delish Kitchen
This is delicious! I skipped the red wine and added Parmesan cheese to the sauce at the end. Will definitely make again! Thanks
My marinara sauce is too liquidity, what did I do wrong?
This sauce was phenomenal!! I had bought a 3lb bag of slightly over-ripe tomatoes. I did have to add a pinch of baking soda to bring down the acidity of my tomatoes and then I added some sugar to taste and a capful of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. My Italian sister-in-law said it tastes just like her mothers. I’m Texan and I’ve never made sauce before and I am surprised at how easy it was. I will totally make it again. Thanks for posting.
This a great base recipe. I’m trying to sneak more vegetables in my children’s diet so when I sautéed the onions I also sautéed celery and green peppers adding them to the recipe. Then for a little kick some Jalapeños from our garden that were getting a little ripe. I’m freezing this recipe so hopefully it freezes well. I gotta say delicious!!! Even my kids like it!
Is this recipe safe for canning?
That years harvest of San Marzano tomatoes and others were preserved and used all year. This recipe is great. Am looking forward to this year’s harvest. Thank you
THE RECIPE (SORRY FOR ALL CAPS – I DONT KNOW WHY) CALLS FOR 10 MINS TO PREP, AND 50 TO COOK. BUT THEN IT SAYS TO COOK AN HOUR, FOOD PROCESS, AND THEN COOK AN ADDITIONAL HALF HOUR. DID YOU MEAN FOR US TO COOK FOR 30 MINS, FOOD PROCESS, AND THEN SIMMER ANOTHER 30 MINS?
I have the exact same question.
Simply Simmer it until it is done, you can tell by taste and consistency, so keep an eye on it, likely more than an hour.
My Sicilian mother-in-law never puréed her sauce, just simmered it until it was time to eat it.
I usually do a similar marinara or spaghetti sauce, but wanted to try yours. my finished product ! The bags on the right are just diced for the freezer the left and in the bowl is the spaghetti sauce or marinara whatever you would like to call it 🙂 very very delicious!
I thought I could post a picture to show it but I can’t. Sorry for the duplicate comment
I usually do a similar marinara or spaghetti sauce, but wanted to try yours. my finished product ! very very delicious!
Loved this recipe. I pretty much cut it in half with the exception of the garlic. peeled and cored my tomatoes and chopped them. left out the red wine. after cooking the onion and garlic added my tomatoes along with the rest of the spices. didn’t have fresh basil so used 1/2 tsp dried and a couple of shakes of the red pepper flakes. cooked for about 15 minutes on medium low with lid and then removed lid. wanted it chunky so I didn’t bother to puree. turned on low uncovered and simmered a good 2-3 hours. made meatballs and had meatball marinara subs topped with 4 cheese Italian blend. this recipe is definitely a keeper.
My Sicilian mother-in-law never puréed her sauce, she just simmered it for a good while, then we ate it. She also never added wine.
That’s great! There are of course many ways people make sauce 🙂 And Italian food varies greatly from region to region. I usually don’t purée either, though many people prefer a smooth sauce. My instructor in Florence was all about adding some Sangiovese to everything 😁
Also, we have many authentic Italian recipes here. Here’s another simple sauce you may like. https://www.yummymummykitchen.com/2019/02/pomodoro-sauce-recipe.html
Can you add mascarpone?
I noticed someone ask this earlier with no response. I am wanting to make some up to can for later. I like you easy way to preserve tomatoes..freezing etc..so my tomatoes are just coming in so I will be freezing them to use later to make into sauce. Is your recipe..Canning friendly? I prefer canning over freezing. Yes, I plan to freeze the tomatoes..but only short term until I have enough to make a large batch of your sauce recipe to can! Thank you for sharing your recipes for the sauce and for how to freeze tomatoes. I love the fact of leaving the skins o. And just using an immersion. Blender and smoothing it all out…. less work..simplier..and idiot proof…has my name all over it!! Thank you! C
Yes I made this exactly how it was made and it was super bland….not sure why can u help?
Sounds like you need more salt and pepper or chili flakes and garlic and/or herbs. The flavor will definitely vary depending on your tomatoes. You can keep simmering and adjusting until it’s flavorful.
Marinara:
What a cool recipe. Made it as written except more garlic. Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic fresh from the garden. Taste is Spot on.
This was absolutely Devine. My first time ever making tomato sauce! You have a perfect recipe
How long will this sauce last in the refrigerator?