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–+ servings
spicy marinara sauce stirred with a wooden spoon
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5 from 3 votes

Spicy Marinara Sauce

Smooth and spicy marinara sauce, easy to make with only pantry ingredients. Perfect for pasta, pizza, and many other dishes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dips, Sauces and Dressings
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 10
Calories: 56kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil Note 3
  • 3 cans whole or chopped tomatoes 400 g/ 14 oz each
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon dried herbs Note 4
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • extras: 1-2 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3-4 torn basil leaves

Instructions

  • Chop the onion and the garlic cloves finely, but keep separate.
  • Saute: Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, stir it shortly in the pan.
  • Add the canned tomatoes and if they are whole, crush them roughly. I do that with my hand, take them in the hand, squeeze and break them taking care that the juices inside them won't splatter all over the place.
  • Cook: Add tomato paste, herbs, bay leaves, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook on a medium-high flame for about 20 minutes.
  • Thicken: Turn the heat down and continue cooking for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
  • Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, or a bit more sugar, if necessary.
  • Blend: Remove the bay leaves and puree the sauce with a blender; according to your preference, you can make it as smooth as you like it.
  • For extra flavor, add 1-2 grated garlic cloves, 1 additional tablespoon olive oil, and some torn basil leaves.

Notes

  1. The recipe makes about 2 jars, depending on their size. They will keep it in the fridge for about one week. To keep longer, freeze the jars.
  2. For instance, you can serve marinara with spaghetti or use it in other recipes requiring tomato sauce.
  3. You can add 1 tablespoon butter. It is less Italian, but it adds extra flavor.
  4. You can use dried summer savory, thyme, oregano, Italian herbs, Herbs de Provence, and so on.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/10 of the sauce | Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g