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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.
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says
Homemade marinara sauce is the best! So versatile: it goes great with pasta, chicken, fish, appetizers, you name it ! It looks absolutely wonderful!
Ginny says
Awesome, I would love to taste this!!!! I am now not allowed any tomato seeds, and this means a whole lot of food including pizza is gone for me. I HATE it! I love all things Italian and am looking for good recipes that use only the sauce or paste, but of course then they are not really as good for you, I guess. i know this would be awesome.
Sharon Hug says
Hi Ginny......don't deny yourself tomato sauce if you love it!! Strain out the tomato seeds if you're making it from fresh tomatoes, but if you're using canned tomatoes you can do the same thing!
Also, you can make a delicious quick sauce for spaghetti by using tomato paste! Simply sauté minced onion and minced garlic in olive oil in a 10 inch saucepan, seasoning with salt and pepper; add a small can of Tomato Paste and stir. Let that cook for a few minutes to get the flavor out of the canned tomato paste and then add 3 cans of water. To season, add salt, pepper, dried basil, dried oregano (to your own taste....I put the herbs in the palm of my hand and use my fingers to pinch out the oils), plus fresh or dried parsley, and if you wish, a nice sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes (you may not want to add that ingredient if it would bother your stomach), Add a bay leaf, bring to a nice simmer, cover and turn the heat down a bit and simmer on lower heat for about an hour., stirring occasionally. I actually use a pound of 80% lean ground beef in this same recipe for a meat sauce for a fast spaghetti dinner. If using the ground beef you would put that into the pan with the heated olive oil, and when the red color has cooked out, drain off the animal fat in a colander and return to the same pan, then add in the minced onions with a little olive oil and after a few minutes. when the onion is translucent. add the minced garlic. After a minute or two you can add in the tomato paste. Follow the above cooking suggestions. Be sure to add enough salt and pepper. Your sauce with or without the ground meat should be delicious. My Polish mother married my father who was Italian, and her Italian food recipes, which she learned from her best friend's Italian mother-in-law (her friend was also Polish) were always perfect!! My mother. Sophie Bonaventure, was well-known as a very good cook (and baker of Polish cookies & Italian cookies...she could do it all!!) in our small town in Steubenville, Ohio! My brother and I always knew we were so lucky having a wonderful mother who loved to cook and bake!! I learned to cook from my mother and I receive many compliments for her recipes. Good Luck Ginny! Hope you enjoy our recipe for a q,uick sauce for spaghetti.
Sharon Hug smh7042@gmail.com
La Table De Nana says
LOVED your chicken..LOVED.
Martha says
Now I'm hungry for pasta, and that's something that is rarely on the menu here! The sauce sounds amazing!
Claire @ Claire K Creations says
Well how can I not want to try something that is the 'best ever?!?' I love how rich it looks. Fancy you making something more than a couple of times Chris. It must be good! Thanks for sharing Cait.
twodogsinthekitchen says
Sometimes those tried and true recipes are simply the best! This marinara sounds fantastic and is really quite simple to make, another one I'll be pinning 🙂
Valerie says
Nothing compares to the "original." ;D This sauce is beautiful, and delicious, I'm sure!
Tricia Buice says
What a sweet post! I love a good - hard to improve - handed down family recipe. I bet it is super tasty. Just love that your daughter pitched in today - I don't think my kids even read the blog! Ha ha but they sure do eat my food! Have a great week Chris.
Pam says
Simple marinara sauce is the best. Yours looks and sounds terrific.
rosaria williams says
I have to correct you. Marinara is a tomato sauce without meat. What you have is a wonderful sauce for sure, a basic spaghetti or rigatoni sauce the way most Italians would make it, but definitely not Marinara. (Marinara is a fisherman stew sauce, usually served with seafood, hence the name.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you Rosaria for the clarification. I did not know that but it makes total sense. I just call this "Marinara" sauce because that's what Rao's Italian Restaurant in NYC calls it. I think there are probably lots of international culinary items that we get a bit mixed up here in the States. I love learning new things like this, from now on whenever I make my "Marinara" I'll think kindly of you and what the "real" deal is!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for all this expert knowledge. I had no idea. I do know that this sauce is amazing and everyone who tastes it goes crazy over it. I really like the flavor that the sausage adds to it, but you could certainly make the sauce without it.
Noreen Wenger says
Sounds delicious and very familiar. Sorry to have to add a correction. Yes, no meat in Marinara. Also - Marinara is a very quick sauce that only takes 30-45 minutes. More than that is not good for it. However, your sauce sounds like a delicious long cooking, meat added, tomato sauce (for pasta and other dishes) that usually takes 3-5 hours or more.
Check Lidia Bastianich's site and other Italian cookbook writers to substantiate. I have been cooking a long sauce (gravy) recipe from Italy for 30 years.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Noreen. So interesting, I had no idea. I just call it marinara cause that's what they call their sauce a the wonderful restaurant in NYC which this recipe is based after. The family is from Italy but I wonder if they call it marinara because that's what many Americans call a red sauce??? Not sure but thanks for the info 🙂
The Mom Chef says
I just used up my marinara and was looking to find more somewhere. This looks perfect. Delicious. Wonderful. 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Geeeeenie! Actually if you look up schnook in just a regular old English dictionary, you'll see a picture of Scott and I. A schnook is slightly akin to a rascal. 🙂
Carol | a cup of mascarpone says
Oh Chris, this looks incredible! I just want to prepare some pasta, and pour a whole jar of this over it! LOVELY!!!
Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking says
I love that you add sausage to your marinara. It looks so delicious! Definitely a summertime must-make with in-season tomatoes. I can picture this all over a big bowl of pasta or mussels!
Angie Schneider says
I am writing the recipe down to try!! Thanks, Chris, for sharing.
La Table De Nana says
Jacques makes our sausage and I love adding it to our marinaras..I always love trying new ones..Thanks!
Lora CakeDuchess says
I could eat a sauce like this every day with pasta. Sometimes we do:)) Love canning tomatoes and I can't wait to start making sauces soon.
Jean says
I love the sound of this marinara sauce and if this recipe has been the family's go-to for years, I bet it's a true winner. Can't wait to try it sometime. 🙂
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Your marinara does look like the best ever, homemade is always the best! 🙂
love to cook! says
Can't wait to try. In the past I have bought Rao's sauce. Sometimes it is on sale. It is worth a try when you have no sauce and need a quick meal. The wait for the restaurant is months. Marzano tomatoes are so worth it. Once you try. You will never go back. Wonder if johnsonville makes chicken sausage? Will try this week. Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
They DO make chicken sausage and it's wonderful!
Karen says
I do love a good marina sauce! I still have several quarts of fresh San Marzano sauce that I canned last fall - I must use them up to make room for this year's new batch!
Happier Than a Pig in Mud says
Sounds like a very flavorful sauce! Have a great week:@)
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Radhika! I think you could definitely make this without the sausage. The herbs and long simmer will give it tons of flavor. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Radhika Subramanian says
Chris, the sauce is looking fabulous. I had been looking around a sauce like this but do you think I could skip the sausage? I'm a Vegetarian. Is there a substitute or is it good without the meat.
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You says
I love marinara sauce and this homemade version is a must-have. It's such a versatile sauce, great in pastas, pizzas, appetizers, etc. I just imagine the amazing aroma in your kitchen when this sauce was being cooked.