Marinara Sauce
This recipe creates a rich, classic marinara sauce starting with a slow-cooked soffritto of onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Crushed tomatoes and a bay leaf are added and the sauce simmers uncovered for about an hour until thickened and deeply flavorful. Perfect as a base for pasta or other Italian dishes.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Wooden Spoon For sauteing and stirring
Ingredients
Main
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- 1 carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 32-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 dried bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste.
- (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)
Notes
Using high-quality canned crushed tomatoes will significantly impact the flavor of the sauce. Ensure the soffritto (onion, garlic, celery, carrots) is cooked very gently and thoroughly before adding the tomatoes; this builds the fundamental flavor base. Simmering uncovered for an hour allows the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken naturally. Taste and adjust seasoning after the long simmer, as the flavors will have concentrated.