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My husband, Scott and I often look at each other and say, "How in the world did two schnucks like us, end up with such wonderful kids?"
I love my kids for a zillion reasons; they're sweet, kind, fun, funny and always have a word of encouragement to offer. I can also count on the fact that they'll ALWAYS tell me their truthful opinions, which I appreciate, because what they think means a lot to me. Sometimes though, I am a bit hardheaded, especially when it comes to culinary endeavors. I'm always thinking that I might just find something better ............. But I'll let my daughter Cait, explain this in her own words.
I'll make a huge pot of this marinara sauce once every six weeks or so, store it in the freezer and use it for all sorts of recipes. I've made a few changes over the years to make it more healthy, but not much, because it's one of those super simple, scrumptious recipes that you just can't mess up and it always gets rave reviews, regardless of the audience. Even my kids gobble it up. Enjoy!
~ Cait
I know Cait doesn't remember where this recipe originally came from, but I do! I was watching TV one day and one of the Rao brothers (from Rao's Italian Restaurant in New York City), was on The Food Network. He shared his mama's recipe for marinara sauce, the one they serve at their restaurant (which by the way, has a reputation for being one of the most difficult restaurants in the world to get a reservation at!). I tried it and loved it. Over the years, I've tweaked it a bit to suit our taste.
P.S. This sauce is wonderful for any Italian dish such eggplant parmesan, chicken marinara, etc. but I usually make it with these wonderful meatballs.
- 4 28- ounce can imported Italian plum tomatoes try to find San Marzano tomatoes, they're a bit more expensive but will make a HUGE difference*
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound mild or sweet Italian sausage If you don't have a favorite, we love Johnsonville Italian Sausage.
- 6 tablespoons minced onion
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced.
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 leaves fresh basil leaves finely chopped
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Drain tomatoes, reserving the juice. Using your hands, crush the tomatoes, gently breaking them into small pieces, removing and discarding the hard core from the stem end. (I actually use my stick blender for this or put in food processor and pulse a few times - you do want a little chunkiness left.) Also remove any skin or tough membranes. Set aside.
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Heat oil in large, heavy duty sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add sausages and sauté until nice and brown on all sides. Remove sausages and drain on several thicknesses of paper towel. Set aside till cooled then refrigerate till later. Add onions to pot and saute for 5 minutes or until translucent and soft. Stir in garlic, basil, oregano and salt and saute for an additional 30 seconds.
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Add tomatoes and reserved juice and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for 5-6 hours, stirring occasionally or until sauce is thick and the aroma in your house is driving you crazy. Add sausages back into the sauce during the last half hour of simmering. You can slice them into 1-inch pieces or keep them whole and use them for a wonderful Italian sausage sandwich. Add fresh basil and remove from heat.
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I usually slice the sausages into bitesize pieces and then make meatballs to go in this sauce and serve the sausages and meatballs together over pasta.
* If you have a Costco nearby, they have San Marzano tomatoes imported from Italy for $3.99 for a 106-ounce can. This is a wonderful buy as these tomatoes can run as high as $3.99 for a 28-ounce can in a regular grocery store.
** At this point sauce can be served, refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for months. Sometimes we make the meatballs and let them simmer in the sauce for the last hour. It's also wonderful for chicken marinara, lasagna, manicotti and all things Italian requiring a red sauce.
William Freeburn says
Certainly not a repeat recipe ! Too much acid and shallow flavor! Rao Restaurant in New York will not have the door darkened by me.
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you find something you love, William!
Mike says
Found this recipe about 3 years ago and made it and it made me. Love it and shared it with my daughter Linzi. Guess who making the sauce and meatballs for Thanksgiving ? Killer recipe.
Mike Cefalu.
Chris Scheuer says
That's great, Mike! Thanks for letting us know!
Cindy says
Hi Chris!
I absolutely love the sauce and the meatballs. I am making it for a second time and it will be a keeper in my kitchen. I enjoy many of your wonderful salad dressings, desserts and soups. Thank you for the work you do so we can all enjoy scrumptious, wonderful, deliciousness ! Praising the Lord with you!
Cindy
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you so much, Cindy! 💕
Julie says
I typed my email wrong on my question so trying again. Do I use Italian San marzano or just regular San marzano tomatoes?? I can find the regular ones but not Italian in stores. However I can order the Italian if that will make a difference.
Julie says
Quick question—- do I use the San marzano Italian tomatoes or can I use just the San marzano tomatoes?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Julie, the Italian San Marzano tomatoes are fabulous. Actually, tomatoes that aren't grown in the San Marzano region of Italy should not be called by that name but I know not everyone goes by the rules 🙂 That being said, I have used regular Italian style plum tomatoes in a pinch with good results!
Johnny says
Marina Sauce CANNOT contain any meat or meat product. Your sausage ingredient makes the sauce a meat sauce. NOT MARINARA. Your recipes are excellent and I'm a chef, so I know, but please stop misleading people to call your meat sauce as marinara. Call it meat sauce, or spaghetti sauce, or Italian sauce or anything other than marinara, for it IS NOT MARINARA.
Chris Scheuer says
Hello Johnny,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and I appreciate your kind words. You are totally correct, a "true" Italian marinara does not include meat. I only call this sauce "marinara" because it was adapted from a recipe from Rao's Italian Restaurant in NYC (which is one of the hardest restaurants in the city to get a reservation at). Rao's does include fatback (a pork product) in their famous Marinara sauce. The pork fatback adds a lot of flavor, as does the sausage in this recipe. I adapted the recipe to include the sausage because fatback is not readily available in many parts of the country. But like I said, I totally understand that you, as a chef, would not want to call this sauce marinara. I have, however, had "true" Italians write to me and share that this sauce "tastes just like their mama's" P.S. I have a recipe for a quick marinara (this one takes hours) coming up and you'll be happy to know it does not include any meat.
Kind Regards, Chris
Mikey says
Calm down....... No need to whip that wooden out there pilgrim. We’re a God fearing people here.......... Sal, Vinnie, take him in the alley.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Mikey 💕
Christina says
I made this yesterday AND your meatballs. Absolutely delicious! There will be an abundance of marinara in my future!
Chris Scheuer says
I kind of wish I was a mouse in your house, Christina. You've reminded me that I need to make this again! Thanks for taking the time to share your results. 🙂
Michael Cefalu says
Some how came upon this recipe about a year ago now and happy to tell you, I make this once a month like today and just LOVE it. Thank you.
Michael Cefalu.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Michael! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. I'm so happy you've enjoyed this marinara 🙂
JoLynn says
This sauce!!!!! This is my favorite marinara sauce ever... I have never been a fan of boughten sauces but i never took the time to make my own. Since I have I can't believe I wasted years of buying mediocre tasting sauce... This recipe is one guests love and my family can't get enough of! The San Marzano Tomatoes make this sauce sooooo good! I prefer to use spicy italian johnsonville sausage instead of mild or sweet but otherwise the recipe is perfect! Thank you so much for providing this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, JoLynn! So happy you have enjoyed this as much as we do. It's definitely a family favorite!
Bryan says
Do you simmer this with the lid on or off? Thanks,
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Bryan, with the lid off. It helps thicken the sauce.
Lynn says
Your recipe is similar to mine but a few different steps. I made it your way, pulverizing the tomatoes before which makes better sense than the way I was doing it after they had been cooking awhile. This sauce smells amazing! I tasted it no bitterness at all. Maybe the person that complained burned their garlic. I just made the meatballs without the sausage because I did not have any. They are cooking now and smell delicious. I am looking forward to seeing how they come out because I usually cook my meatballs in the sauce. I hope you get my comments!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Lynn, hope you enjoy it! You've got me crazy Italian!
Janet says
This meat sauce is the bomb. You are soooo right about the San Marzano tomatoes. They taste better. I started off using a large saucepan but switched to a Dutch oven because the saucepan would not hold it all - even before the sausage was added back in (four 24-ounce cans of tomatoes yields a lot). I used Jennie-O sweet Italian turkey sausage instead of the pork. I had to stop simmering half way through because I had to leave the house. I finished cooking it a few hours later. The sauce was fine. This recipe was hit. It's a keeper. I want to try the sauce with your meatballs the next time.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know about your results Janet. I love the idea of using turkey sausage! Yes, try the meatballs, so good 🙂
Nancy Finley says
I would love to make this marinara recipe, but would like to ask which is your preference of Italian sausage.
Mild or Sweet? I haven't tried either one, and I can't decide. Can't wait! Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Nancy, I like them both. If I have a choice, I'll choose the sweet but mild is also really good.
Deanne Carter says
My daughter just asked for this recipe. I made it almost a year ago and my family still talks about it. Must be that Johnsonville Sausage! 😉 It's definitely 5 stars but my tablet isn't cooperating. Thanks again for the yummy recipe!
Kathy says
Giving this 5 stars and haven't even made it yet! It just sounds like the perfect marinara sauce to me and am sure it will be when I do. Thanks for recipe
Chris Scheuer says
Kathy, that's so sweet! And I think you won't be disappointed, our whole family makes this recipe and loves it! It's a keeper.
Ruthie Gonzalez says
This is the worst Marinara Sauce ever, spent an awful lot of money to make this sauce, very very bitter
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry you had undesirable results Ruthie. I can't stand wasting good ingredients. But I can't even imagine describing this sauce as bitter. Everyone who tries it loves it and wants the recipe. Not sure what could have gone wrong...
Janis F says
Evening - this recipe sounds wonderful but it is mid=September. Can you advise how to adjust this recipe using fresh tomatoes? Can it be done? I did plant 'San Marzanos in my garden and, granted, the tomatoes are grown in rich composted soil but in Seattle, not the soil in S.M. region of Italy. Your thoughts?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Janis, I've never tried it with fresh tomatoes. I'm sure it can be done but I'd hate to advise you on something I haven't tried myself.
Karen S. says
Made this today, with a slight modification. I took the sausage out of it's casing and browned it, and added to the sauce as it simmered all day. Made this change since my son won't eat big chunks of sausage as you instructed. Really tenderized the sausage bits and made a delicious sauce. Will use this recipe again and again!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm glad you enjoyed it Karen! Thanks for letting us know.
Teresa says
My husband is an extraordinarily picky eater. However, he has become addicted to this marinara sauce! He has instructed me to double the batch next time so we always have it on hand! Thanks for the great recipe! I can't wait to try more!
Chris Scheuer says
I am so glad Teresa!
John n says
I generally don't comment on recipes but this got me. This is NOT a marinara recipe nor is it authentic. You can't add sausage and call it marinara. This is a meat sauce which is far from marinara. I'm not a purest but people will get confused. Marinara is tomatoes only!! It is fresh and doesn't have the flavor of animal fat. I am pure Italian born and bred. My mother would have scoffed at you as an Americano. She used to say about white bread in the US supermarkets .....americano bread. Ha.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you John for your thoughtful comment. I totally understand that Americans have a different idea of a lot of ethnic foods. I only know this sauce is incredibly delicious whatever you want to call it. The reason I call it "marinara" is because the Rao's, an Italian family with the most famous restaurant in NYC, call this sauce "marinara". It is based on their old family recipe from Mama Rao. Perhaps they too are just catering to the American taste or perhaps they are from a different part of Italy.
Hope you have a wonderful day. Kind Regards, Chris
amy says
How many servings does this recipe make, if you omit the sausage and make meatballs with it?
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Amy, the recipe makes about 7-8 cups of sauce.
Deanne Carter says
This sauce sounds fabulous! I can't wait to try it and we ALWAYS use Johnsonville sausage but we are a little prejudice around here since my hubby works for them! 😉 I do too sometimes. Thanks for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha, I love that! I bet you have an endless supply of J sausage. I'm jealous! 🙂
Deanne Carter says
Chris, If you want to send me your address, my hubby said he would be happy to send you some freebie coupons. 🙂 My email is Dcartermn@yahoo.com or if you do facebook you can friend and/or PM me. We are making this today along with your meatball recipe. Can't wait to try it!! Thanks!!!
Debbie says
I can't wait to make this! Im glad to hear it can be made without the sausage as we have vegan friends. Ill make the meatballs and serve them on the side for a gathering of 15 or so. We are having some other options available but I was wondering if you would share about how many people this recipe serves. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Debbie, this recipe will feed a crowd, 12-18 people. But you could make two batches, one with the sausage and meatballs and one without any meat. You can definitely make it without the sausage but it does add wonderful flavor. Anything that's leftover freezes just beautifully and is so wonderful to pull out on a busy day. Enjoy!
Chris Scheuer says
It should feed 12-18 easily.
Patty says
You had me at Raos!!! Their meatballs are my vice, as is their sauce! Mind you, I've never eaten there, just tasted their manna from heaven, compliments of my BIL who purchased the cook book and served up their meatballs last Christmas. I died and went to meatball heaven! I'm a transplanted NY'er with no (genuine) ethnic food anywhere close to me. Now I own the cookbook and make my own divine meatballs! I also purchased their CD's, An evening at Rao's (Volare is playing in my ear as I write!) and the Christmas one, such good memories from my parents and I still love the music! Now Rao's is the only sauce in a jar I'll buy. I'll shell out $10 for the large if I can't make my own. It's that good.
P.S. I think you can keep calling your Marinara sauce Marinara! You're not on an Italian website representing yourself as an officianado, you are simply sharing a long time family recipe. I say call it what you want! I have a crabmeat & creamcheese dip we always make around the holidays. My family knows the origin of the recipe but It was so simple, even my young son could make it and he LOVED IT. Within the family only, it is now known as "Paul's famous crabmeat dip"!! Hahaha, 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
love it!
Aggie says
Hi Chris,
The marinara sauce sounds great ! Do you have a brand of canned San Marzano tomatoes you could recommend? Thanks.
Chris Scheuer says
I really like the Nina Brand and the Cento brand.
Patt says
Do you really use 4 cans of 28oz. tomatoes for the marinara sauce?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Patti, that is correct. It makes a huge batch but it's wonderful for freezing. It never lasts long at our house. 🙂
Anonymous says
do you drain the grease from the sausage or just keep most of it in the pot for the onions?/
Chris Scheuer says
Hi, usually the sausage we use is not very fatty but if it is, I would drain off most of the fat. Just leave about a tablespoon or two.