Marinara Sauce Recipe – Chunky Marinara Sauce

Updated on February 24, 2019

Marinara Sauce recipe using fresh tomatoes with step by step photos. This homemade Chunky Marinara sauce is so simple and easy to make at home which gets ready in just 30 mins. It keeps bursting with the flavors of tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs which you can serve over pasta or as a dip.

But of course, if you are going to use canned tomatoes, your marinara sauce will get ready in just 10 mins. But nothing like fresh produce and making it from scratch as it tastes delicious and just….. fresh I guess.

You can serve this marinara sauce with spaghetti, meat balls and also as a dipping sauce with mozzarella sticks, focaccia bread etc.

I have used fresh basil here but along with it you can also use dried basil and other Italian herbs like oregano to make it even more flavorful. You can also store this for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator but using it when the sauce is so fresh is highly recommended.

I have used kashmiri red chili powder instead of red chili flakes as it is less hot unlike the regular chili powder and also imparts a lovely color to the sauce.

Use only hybrid tomatoes for making this marinara sauce, avoid regular tomatoes as they are full of seeds and also very tangy which will ruin the taste totally. I always love adding grated carrots to the sauce as it gives more body and volume.

You may also be interested in these sauces to serve with pasta:

• Basil Flax Seed Pesto
• Mixed Vegetable Sauce
• Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Marinara Sauce Recipe with stepwise photos:

1. Blanch hybrid tomatoes in hot water. Let cool, peel the skin off.

2. Quarter the tomatoes. You may choose to remove the seeds but I don’t do it.

3. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blitz for 3 to 4 times, till the tomatoes are crushed. You can also do this by hand once the tomatoes gets completely cooled.

4. Heat a pan with E.V.olive oil, onions, garlic over low flame stirring continuously for 1-2 mins.

5. Add the blitzed or crushed tomatoes, grated carrots, kashmiri red chili powder or red chili flakes, black pepper powder, sugar, salt and mix well. Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 mins. Switch off stove.

6. Immediately add greens like basil (fresh or dried), mint, coriander and mix well.

7. Close the pan with a lid and let it cool a bit.

8. Transfer to a food processor or blender or use an immersion blender and puree to the consistency of your choice – smooth or chunky.

9. We prefer a chunky marinara sauce, so I just blitz 3 to 4 times and don’t run the food processor continuously. Serve this Marinara sauce over pasta or as a dipping sauce.

Marinara Sauce recipe details below:

Print Recipe

Marinara Sauce Recipe

Homemade marinara sauce with step by step photos. Serve over pasta or as a dip.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: dips, sauces

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 500 ml bottle

Author: Radhika

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 5 hybrid variety
• Carrots - 1/2 cup grated
• Onion - 1 large
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Basil leaves fresh - 1 tbsp (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• Mint leaves - 1 tbsp fresh
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder or red chili flakes - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper powder - 1 fat pinch
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil - 2 tbsp

Instructions:

• Chop onions finely and keep aside. Mince garlic and set aside.
• Heat a deep sauce pan with 6 to 7 cups water and bring it to a rolling boil. Make a “X” slit at the bottom of the tomatoes and drop them gently in the hot water. Switch off flame and close the sauce pan tightly with a lid. Keep aside for 10 to 15 mins.
• Drain the tomatoes into a colander and let it cool a bit. Peel of the skin and quarter the tomatoes.
• Transfer to a blender or food processor and blitz for 3 to 4 times, till the tomatoes are crushed. You can also do this by hand once the tomatoes gets completely cooled.
• Heat a pan with E.V.olive oil, onions, garlic over low flame stirring continuously for 1-2 mins.
• Add the blitzed or crushed tomatoes, grated carrots, kashmiri red chili powder or red chili flakes, black pepper powder, sugar, salt and mix well.
• Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 mins. Switch off stove.
• Immediately add greens like basil (fresh or dried), mint, coriander and mix well.
• Close the pan with a lid and let it cool a bit.
• Transfer to a food processor or blender or use an immersion blender and puree to the consistency of your choice - smooth or chunky.
• We prefer a chunky marinara sauce, so I just blitz 3 to 4 times and don’t run the food processor continuously.
• Serve this Marinara sauce over pasta or as a dipping sauce.