Homemade Italian Marinara Sauce Recipe

Fresh Homemade Tomato Sauce Marinara -- An Easy Italian Meal On the Table in Minutes

This classic marinara dish puts a slight twist on traditional sauce, so you won't be dependent on using jarred sauce any longer. A few simple ingredients on hand and maybe a couple of peppers and you can always make this dish in just around 30 minutes.

For the homemade marinara, all you will need is a couple of cans of diced tomatoes, a can of sauce, some minced garlic, and about fifteen minutes of your time. You may want to double this recipe and keep some in your freezer so you'll always have a meal on hand.

For the best results, pick up the pepper the same day from your store, and never resort to frozen peppers. You can tell if a pepper is ripe by checking to see if the skin is wrinkly and the yield of the skin when pushed is still firm. Look for skin that is NOT wrinkled, but appears smooth, and skin that does not leave an indentation when pressed. For even better taste, pick up peppers from your local farmstand. Varying the colors can also make the dish a little more appetizing in appearance, and give a wider range of vitamins. If you want to go all out, substitute canned tomatoes for fresh tomatoes from the farmstand (or your garden), and have an even fresher taste.

Ingredients for Homemade Marinara Sauce

Have this on hand at all times for a quick, easy Italian meal!

Fresh bell peppers: a great addition to this recipe

Ingredient List:

Two whole green bell peppers (red add a totally different taste to this recipe, but are still good!)
Two 16 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon of Minced Garlic (from the jar or fresh)
1 24 oz can of Crushed Tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil (or fresh you have it)
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon sage
3 Tablespoons high quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

For better flavor, use fresh basil leaves in the recipe. Dried spices lack the real flavor of the spice.

How to Make Italian Marinara

Easy to follow directions - cooks in about 30 minutes

Directions:

In a large saucepan, start to bring the water for the spaghetti to a boil.
Wash the bell peppers and cut in half, then in half again. Cut the pit and seeds from the pepper, along with any white pulp from the inside of the pepper. Dice the pepper into 1" size pieces.
Add the bell peppers and olive oil to saucepan over medium heat. Saute the peppers until they become slightly soft, about ten minutes.
Add the minced garlic and stir every minute. Saute the garlic until lightly browned. Add the dried basil, oregano, and sage, and saute for about 1 minute to let the spices cook.
Drain the diced tomatoes. Add to the olive oil and bell pepper mixture. Saute the diced tomatoes for five minutes until they soften. With a fork, press the diced tomatoes down so they become squished.
Once the spaghetti has been cooked according to package directions, drain and set aside.
Add the crushed tomatoes and stir. Simmer for at least ten minutes. Add the salt and pepper to the sauce. Place a generous amount of marinara onto the cooked spaghetti and serve!

Recommended Italian Cookbooks

Make dinner more interesting, tastier and authentic with these cookbooks!

These all have been rated 4.5 stars or higher on Amazon, and have some amazing dishes to choose from. There's classics and new recipes, as well as tips on what cookware to use, how to buy fresh produce, where to buy the best meat, and how to clone famous recipes from the likes of the North End and other well known Italian restaurants. Do yourself the favor and everyone else in your family by having one (or two) of these great cookbooks on hand to enhance your dishes!