This San Marzano Sauce is delicious, super easy to make and comes together in just 30 minutes! It's the perfect all purpose hearty marinara sauce for the your next Italian feast! Serve this marinara over spaghetti and meatballs, as a dip for appetizers, or use it as a pizza sauce for your favorite Italian pie! Regardless how you use it - you'll fall in love with this simple sauce.
OPTIONAL(for sweetener )White Balsamic Vinegar or Granulated Sugar – to taste
Instructions
Crush tomatoes: Open the can of tomatoes and pour them into a large bowl. Use a potato-masher or your hands to crush the tomatoes. Pour ½ cup of water into the empty can and swirl it around to loosen all the yummy tomato juices. Then, pour the water into the bowl with the crushed tomatoes. Set aside.
Sauté aromatics: Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, oregano, and Italian seasoning (plus the red pepper flakes if using). Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute or until aromatic.
Add tomato paste, then wine: Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the paste is caramelized. Add the red wine to the pan. Cook, scrapping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan, for 2-3 minutes or until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
Add the tomatoes with water and basil: Add the crushed tomatoes to the skillet and stir to combine. Drop the basil sprigs onto the top of the tomato sauce and allow the basil to wilt and sink on its own.
Simmer: Let the sauce come to a simmer (still over medium heat). Once simmering, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer (medium-low to low heat). Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, flavorful, and a very thin film of dark orange oil forms on top, about 20-25 minutes.
Season to taste: Use tongs to remove and discard basil sprigs. Taste and season the marinara sauce to taste, adding more salt for flavor, balsamic or a pinch of sugar for sweetness, more oregano for peppery flavor, Italian seasoning for robust flavor, or red pepper flakes for heat.(Chef’s tip: If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can use an immersion blender to blend some or all or the sauce. Alternately, you can transfer the sauce in batches to a food processor and puree.) (Note: I typically adjust and finish my San Marzano Marinara by adding Maldon Sea salt and white balsamic vinegar.)
Serve: Serve warm as a dip with mozzarella sticks and calamari; as a gravy with your favorite cooked pasta, gnocchi, ravioli and meatballs; spread on pizzas + more!
Notes
Storage: Let the marinara sauce cool completely to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight storage container or jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Yield: Approximately 3.5 to 4 Cups San Marzano Sauce (enough for 1 pound of pasta)
Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 8 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.