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This homemade marinara sauce with tomatoes, pancetta, onion, garlic and herbs is not your grandma's marinara sauce, but better! Marinara sauce from scratch is tough to bean and it's great for a variety of meals.
This easy marinara sauce actually came from making one of my favorite dishes - baked turkey meatballs.
I know I've mentioned this before, but if someone told 15-year-old me that down the road I was going to love marinara sauce so much I'd post about it on a blog, I wouldn't have believed it.
I was quite the picky eater back in the day and marinara sauce was one of my biggest enemies. It was so bad, if we went to Olive Garden, I'd get pasta with butter - yep you read that right! But luckily I became more adventurous and my taste buds evolved.
I actually adapted this easy marinara sauce recipe from Anne Burrell when making some meatballs and it's been my go-to sauce ever since. What I love about making a sauce like this, is that it makes so much that I freeze the rest and use for random dishes, whether it's some meatballs or some fried mozzarella.
To me the pancetta really makes this sauce special. Yes I know most families have their secret sauce that they pass down, but if you're up for trying something new or just looking for a good homemade easy marinara sauce, this one is worth a look.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil - helps cook the tomatoes and adds flavor.
- Pancetta - can also use prosciutto for the additional flavor.
- Sweet onions and garlic - can't have a marinara sauce without garlic and onions.
- Tomato puree - can also use canned San Marzano tomatoes
- Oregano, basil, thyme, salt - enhances the flavor.
- Parmesan rind - gives a slightly nutty flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until it's crisp.
- Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Toss in garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
- Add tomato puree, oregano, basil, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce to low, cooking for 2-3 hours.
- Taste throughout to see if you need to add more salt or herbs. Remove Parmesan rind and use immediately or freeze.
Benefits of Tomatoes
Luckily if you are a big fan of tomatoes, and eat them raw, cooked or in a sauce, there are plenty of benefits:
- Rich in vitamins - just one tomato supplies 40% of vitamin C needed for the day.
- Help digestion - the high fiber and fluid from a tomato can improve digestion.
- Improve vision - tomatoes are high in lycopene, which is good for your eyes.
- Manages diabetes - helps decrease lipid peroxidation, which is associated with diabetes.
Why Tomato Puree?
So as I mentioned, this recipe is based off Anne Burrell and she uses San Marzano tomatoes. The first few times I did that but it just got old for me as you have the tomatoes through a food mill to remove the seeds and stems.
It was just too much work so I gave tomato puree a shot and loved the flavor. But San Marzano tomatoes work just as well.
How to Store
When I make marinara sauce I usually make big batches so I place in freezer bags and then stack in the freezer for later use. It will last up to 6 months. You can also pour the sauce in ice cube trays for smaller portion sizes.
If using immediately, just store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Uses for Marinara Sauce
There are so many uses for tomato sauce - from pasta to pizza. Some of the recipes you can use the homemade marinara sauce for include:
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Do not skip cooking the pancetta, as it gives the sauce added flavor.
- If you can’t find tomato puree, San Marzano tomatoes will work as well.
- You can use fresh herbs, but will have to triple the amount for each herb used as dried herbs are much stronger.
- Don't skip the Parmesan rind. I always save the rinds and put in the freezer to be able to use for recipes just like this. It adds a little nutty flavor that can't be topped.
- Cook this marinara sauce for at least 2 hours so you can develop the flavors.
Other Sauce Recipes
- Brown Butter Marinara Sauce
- Red Enchilada Sauce
- Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Basil Pistachio Sauce
- Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
If you’ve tried these homemade marinara sauce or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/3 lb diced pancetta
- 2 large sweet onions, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 (29 oz) cans tomato puree (Use puree as it has less salt than tomato sauce)
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 Parmesan rind
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes Add onion and cook for about 7 minutes or until translucent, stirring frequently. Toss in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the canned tomato puree.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add oregano, basil, thyme and Parmesan rind. Cover and reduce to low and cook for 2 to 3 hours. Taste throughout to see if you need to add more salt or herbs. Remove Parmesan rind and use immediately or freeze.
Notes
- Do not skip cooking the pancetta, as it gives the sauce added flavor.
- If you can’t find tomato puree, San Marzano tomatoes will work as well.
- You can use fresh herbs, but will have to triple the amount for each herb used as dried herbs are much stronger.
- Don't skip the Parmesan rind. I always save the rinds and put in the freezer to be able to use for recipes just like this. It adds a little nutty flavor that can't be topped.
- Cook this marinara sauce for at least 2 hours so you can develop the flavors.
Like the idea of pancetta in the sauce!