Mom’s Quick Marinara Sauce

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Mom’s Quick Marinara Sauce is our mom’s traditional recipe from Naples, Italy.  It is a sweet-tasting homemade sauce that is made with garlic, red pepper, fresh basil, and San Marzano tomatoes.  The secret to her sauce is in the flavor,  and it’s like no other marinara sauce you have ever tasted!

Her tomato sauce can be used in many of our classic Italian dishes and one you will enjoy making over and over again.  

I always make a batch of sauce, keep some in the fridge ready to use for the week, and freeze the rest!

As a busy mom with a large family, I always have it on hand.

It’s essential for me to have a fresh-tasting marinara sauce that I can add to so many recipes, pasta dishes like Zucchini Tomato Sauce over Fusilli, and perfect to use for Quick Pizzas, and Baked Casseroles. 

At times, I even add a few tablespoons to soups and to my stews to enhance their flavors.

When shopping for a brand of tomatoes, I prefer to use imported tomatoes from Italy.

Always look for the brand that says “product of Italy” somewhere on the label, or ones that say “San Marzano” tomatoes, which is the region in Italy where these particular tomatoes come from.  

They are very pulpy and juicy with lots of flavors and they give a hearty taste to the sauce.

My sister Liz lives in NY where our families can find imported tomatoes in almost every supermarket. Luckily, I can find a brand here in the South to love, the brand called Cento.

 

 

 

Here’s Her Secret Tip:

• When making the sauce, be sure to use a pot with a matching lid to it, and keep it nearby. 

• And here’s why: the secret to the flavor of mom’s marinara sauce is allowing the basil and crushed red pepper to infuse into the hot oil before you add the tomatoes!  

• You will need to cover the pot soon after you add in fresh basil to prevent the hot oil from splashing out.  Then, add in the tomatoes and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. That’s the secret!

 

 

Try our mom’s delicious and fresh-tasting tomato sauce!  You’ll love eating it alone with some crusty bread or over your favorite pasta.   

It’s SO GOOD, you’ll want to eat it with a spoon.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

*See the full recipe card below!

Ingredients for Mom’s Quick Marinara Sauce:

For Mom’s Quick Marinara Sauce, you will need:

• 1 can (28 ounces) Cento crushed tomatoes

• 1 can (28 ounces) Cento peeled tomatoes 

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 6 to 8 large basil leaves- rinsed

• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

• optional: 1/4 cup of water

• salt and black pepper,  to taste

 

 To Make Mom’s Quick Marinara Sauce, you simply need to:

1.  Open cans of tomatoes, pour them into a blender and puree them. Place them aside.

2. In a large saucepot and on low-medium heat, heat olive oil. Add whole garlic cloves and sauté the garlic until they turn golden brown, about 2 minutes.

3. Next, turn off the heat, or remove the pot from the heat. and have the cover to the pot nearby.

4. Toss in the red pepper flakes. Then drop all the basil leaves at once and COVER immediately! This will prevent the oil to splash all over the kitchen and onto yourself. After a minute or so, slowly stir the basil. This will infuse the flavors of the basil and red pepper into the oil giving it a strong punch of flavor to the sauce.

5. Turn the heat back on. NEXT, add the tomatoes. Cover with a lid and bring the sauce to a low boil.  Reduce heat and simmer the sauce for 25  to 30 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
   As the sauce thickens, depending on the brand of imported tomatoes, you may need to add some water if it’s getting too thick.

6. Finally, taste the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Before serving, fish out the garlic cloves and discard them.  Allow the sauce to completely cool before storing it in containers.  It freezes well, for up to 3 weeks.

 

 

 

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Finally, additional Mom’s Sauce Recipes…

• Mom’s Classic Bolognese Sauce

• Rigatoni All’Amatriciana

• Spaghetti with Shrimp Marinara 

• Spaghetti with Lobster Tails Sauce

• Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce

• Zucchini Tomato Sauce over Fusilli Pasta

Yield: 2 quarts

Mom's Quick Marinara Sauce

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Mom's Quick Marinara Sauce ~ is our mom's traditional recipe from Naples, Italy. It is a sweet-tasting homemade sauce that is made with garlic, red pepper, fresh basil, and San Marzano tomatoes. Her tomato sauce can be used in many of our classic Italian dishes and one you will enjoy making over and over again. I always make a batch of sauce, keep some in the fridge ready to use for the week, and freeze the rest!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 can (28 ounces) Cento crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (28 ounces) Cento peeled tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 to 8 large basil leaves- rinsed
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• optional: 1/4 cup of water
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Open cans of tomatoes, pour them into a blender, and puree them. Place them aside.
2. In a large saucepot and on low-medium heat, heat olive oil. Add whole garlic cloves and sauté the garlic until they turn golden brown, about 2 minutes.
3. Next, turn off the heat, or remove the pot from the heat, and have the cover to the pot nearby.
4. Add the red pepper flakes. Then drop all the basil leaves at once and COVER immediately! This will prevent the oil to splash all over the kitchen and onto yourself. After a minute or so, slowly stir the basil. This will infuse the flavors of the basil and red pepper into the oil giving it a strong punch of flavor to the sauce.
5. Turn the heat back on. NEXT, add the tomatoes. Cover with a lid and bring the sauce to a low boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer the sauce for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
7. As the sauce thickens, depending on the brand of imported tomatoes, you may need to add some water if it's getting too thick.
8. Finally, taste the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, fish out the garlic cloves and discard them. Allow the sauce to completely cool before storing it in containers and refrigerate. Can freeze up to 3 weeks.
9. Yields: about 2 quarts

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Thanks for stopping by!  🙂

Anna and Liz