I grew up on “pasta and red sauce.” That’s what my family called pasta dinners, which was usually pasta (definitely not whole wheat!), red sauce from a jar, and a can of vegetables. And y’all, pasta night was usually one of my favorite dinners! I freaking love pasta – always have, always will.
Now that I’ve gained some more skills in the kitchen, I wanted to up my pasta night game while still keeping in the spirit of “pasta and red sauce” – basically, these meals were meant to be easy for my parents who were both working and trying to take care of three kids. So, with that in mind, I created this easy, but still delicious and impressive, marinara sauce recipe that you can use with your favorite pasta.
There is a little bit more chopping than just opening up a jar – you’ve got to chop up an onion, some garlic, and some fresh basil. Of course, you can always substitute in pre-minced garlic (1:1) and dried basil (use half as much dried as fresh) to cut down on the chopping. The only other prep is blending up your tomatoes – if you’ve got a high powered blender, throw them right in whole! If you don’t, you’ll probably want to half or quarter them to give your blender an easier time.
From there, it’s really just throwing everything in the pan and cooking. You’ve got to keep an eye on your onions, garlic, tomato paste, and basil to prevent burning (and if you’ve substituted dried basil, no need to let it cook before moving on to the next step). The rest is just simmering. And don’t forget to add in your favorite meat alternatives for a bit of added protein and flavor. I used Morningstar Crumbles when creating this recipe, but I’ve also used Tofurkey Italian style sausages, which were also delicious.
The sauce itself is completely gluten free, and can be kosher. Be sure to check for the kosher symbol on the tomato paste and tomato purée. Also, you’ll want to make sure any meat alternatives you add in are kosher and gluten free.
One last note: you’ll want to adjust your salt depending on any meat alternatives you add in as well, as some of them can be kind of salty. So, be sure to do some taste tests as you’re cooking!
If you’re looking for an easy, but definitely impressive weeknight meal, look no further than this homemade marinara sauce. You can find ways to make it your own through adding additional spices or changing up the meat alternative you use (or leave it our altogether!). I would love the hear how this recipe turns out for you and how you made it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!
Quick & Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 4-6 servings your favorite pasta depending on how much sauce you like
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup fresh basil chopped
- 4 tomatoes blended until pureed
- 1 cup canned tomato pureé
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp salt to taste
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or other vegan liquid sweetener
- vegan crumble, sausage, or other meat alternative optional
Instructions
- Make your favorite pasta and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and let cook for 4-5 minutes - until they start to become translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning and sticking.
- Add the basil and cook for 2 mins, continue to stir frequently.
- Add the blended tomatoes and tomato pureé and mix in. Bring to a simmer and add the oregano, salt, and maple syrup.
- Let simmer for 25 minutes, uncovered. If you are using a meat alternative, add that in with about 10 minutes left.
- After the 25 minutes, add the pasta into the sauce and mix in well. Alternatively, dole out the past into bowls and pour the sauce on top. Serve hot!
Notes
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