Homemade Marinara Sauce

Marinara is a popular sauce, which is made of tomatoes, onions and some herbs. It can be considered as a type of tomato sauce, but is more spicy due to the addition of a whole lot of herbs. Marinara sauce is Italian in origin and is an indispensable part of many Italian dishes. It is believed that this sauce originated somewhere around the sixteenth century and its origin is linked to the sailors of Naples. The name marinara is derived from the Italian word marinara, which means the sea. Marinara sauce was initially used by the sailors and so it was considered as the sauce of the sailors. It is believed that marinara sauce originated soon after the introduction of tomatoes by Spaniards to their neighboring countries. However, the sailors of Italy, made use of tomatoes, in preparing a sauce, that lasted longer, as compared to other seafood. There was no refrigeration facilities on sailing ships of that time and this sauce was widely used by sailors. Now, you have a basic idea about the origin of marinara sauce.

Marinara Sauce Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes

As mentioned above, the main ingredient in marinara sauce is tomatoes. There is a common misconception that marinara sauce contains seafood. This is not true, as it contains fresh tomatoes, onions and some herbs only. It is traditionally used with dishes, like Italian pasta, especially, linguini and ziti. But, it is also very popular as a dipping sauce for finger foods too. It can also be used with seafood and meat dishes. Nowadays, there are various forms of marinara sauce available in the market. But, this sauce can be prepared easily at home too.

Ingredients
Even though, the basic ingredients for all marinara recipes are the same, some may change with the different types. The following ingredients are needed to prepare a basic type of marinara sauce, which can be prepared within 30 minutes.

• Fresh, ripe, tomatoes (peeled and grated) - One kilogram
• One large onion, grated
• Garlic, minced - 2 to 3 cloves
• Fresh basil leaves - 10
• Fresh oregano - one sprig
• Dried oregano - one teaspoon
• Marjoram - one teaspoon
• Boukovo (sweet pepper flakes) - one teaspoon
• Salt and sugar - ½ tsp each
• Olive oil - ¼ cup
• Freshly ground black pepper - as required

Preparation Procedure
The popularity of marinara sauce is also due to the fact that this sauce can be prepared very easily. If you fall short of any herbs, you can prepare the sauce without it. The basic ingredients are tomatoes, onions, garlic, oil, one or two herbs, salt and pepper, which can be used to prepare homemade marinara sauce from scratch (for canning, you can use the ingredients in large amounts).

• Mix the grated onion, minced garlic and one tablespoon of olive oil and puree these ingredients in a food processor.
• Now, pour the remaining olive oil to a saucepan, which is placed over medium heat. Once the oil gets warm, add the puree and saute for about five minutes.
• The next step is to puree the peeled and grated tomatoes, along with fresh basil and oregano leaves.
• Add this puree to the saucepan with the sauteed onion garlic paste. Mix well and let it simmer for around 15 to 20 minutes. Stir the mixture at regular intervals and remove from heat, once, the sauce becomes thick.

Before turning off the heat, add salt and pepper. If the tomatoes are too tart, then add sugar to neutralize the tartness. The dried spices, boukavo, etc. can be added, as per your choice.

The above said homemade marinara sauce recipe is one of the basic ones, which can be prepared easily and can be used along with a variety of dishes.