Easy Marinara Sauce
This easy marinara is so simple and can be made in the time it takes to boil pasta. All you need are quality tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and basil.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- 3 ounces (85g) tomato paste
- 6 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil about 10 leaves, hand torn
- 1/4 cup (60g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound (454g) pasta of your choice
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with the olive oil and garlic. Once the garlic turns lightly golden (about 2 minutes), add the tomato paste and cook for ~5 minutes, stirring frequently. If using, add a 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes towards the end of cooking the paste.
- Add a touch of water (about 2 ounces) to loosen the paste and give it a stir. Add the plum tomatoes.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes, simmering. At this time, cook the pasta to 1 minute less than al dente.
- Taste teste and adjust salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper levels before tossing with the pasta.
- Remove half the sauce and add the pasta to the pan, cooking for 1 minute on medium- low heat or until al dente. If necessary, add a bit more sauce to get the sauce level just right. Add a couple ounces of pasta water to loosen if required.
- Hand tear basil leaves and add to the pasta right before serving. Serve with grated cheese and crusty Italian bread. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Be sure to either hand crush or lightly pulse your tomatoes to retain their bright red color. Blending will add oxygen to the tomatoes and turn them orange. Alternatively, you can use canned crushed tomatoes.
- Watch your garlic closely to ensure it doesn't burn. Cook on low to medium-low heat - you want the color to be lightly golden.
- Cook your pasta a bit less than al dente and reserve some pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce a bit.
Nutrition
Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 76.2g | Protein: 16.1g | Fat: 15.7g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 823mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 10.5g | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 5mg
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