Photo: Leigh Loftus
Making your own marinara sauce is one of those cooking-isms that sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is. Marinara sauce is an Italian-American red sauce usually made with tomatoes, garlic, basil, herbs and onion.
Traditional Italian cuisine utilizes this sauce to complement dishes, while Americans have found use for it as a basic tomato sauce. In Italy, basic tomato sauce is not called marinara, but “salsa al pomodoro” or “pummarola.”
Photo: Leigh Loftus
Lemon Basil Marinara Sauce
Author: Maris Callahan
Recipe type: Cooking for a Crowd, Weekend Cooking
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or 2 pounds whole plum tomatoes)
- ¼ cup basil, sliced chiffonade style
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
- In an large saucepan or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly golden brown, about 2 more minutes.
- If you're using whole tomatoes, put them in a large bowl and crush them with your hands, discarding cores and pulp or seeds whenever possible. Add tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 min. to 1 hour. The sauce will reduce and thicken slightly but shouldn't get too thick. Stir in the basil, lemon zest and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days or freeze for up to a month.
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21 Comments
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March 15, 2019 at 8:11 pm[…] Walking past the open kitchen, you could smell the onions, the roasting garlic and I knew I would like this city. We ate warm, crackly-crusted Italian bread and drank wine while I ordered lasagne baked with herbed ricotta, pine nuts, fresh mozzarella and marinara sauce. […]
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February 11, 2017 at 12:53 pm[…] You can cut perfect cubes, ribbon-thin julienne vegetables and perfect minces; no more unwieldy chunks of onion in your favorite marinara sauce. […]
Sarah Westendorf
October 8, 2014 at 9:38 amI used this recipe in a food roundup on my blog, DashandaPinch! Thanks so much for letting me link to your blog.
Frank R.
October 25, 2012 at 6:50 pmI was looking for a marinara recipe when I came across this one and thought this should be good. Boy was I right! The addition of the lemon zest was key. I think that I may have put a little more lemon zest than what it calls for, but either way it was still incredibly delicious. My wife and I talk about this sauce often. Next time I will put the indicated amount of lemon zest and it sure to taste even better.
Tina D
July 16, 2012 at 1:55 pmThis is GREAT ! Nice, fresh flavor ! I used canned roma’s – but this would absolutely be even better with fresh !
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July 29, 2011 at 2:15 pm[…] easy to make dinner for a big group of friends. You pop a pot on the stove and make a big batch of lemon basil marinara sauce or kalamata olive marinara sauce with your favorite pasta and you call it a day. In the summer, if […]
Sarah R.
June 16, 2011 at 10:18 pmMade this tonight for me and a friend…fantastic! I’ll definitely be making it again.
carissa
February 13, 2011 at 8:40 pmyou had me at “lemon basil” 🙂
P.S. love the new blog look!! very sleek.
natalie (the sweets life)
February 4, 2011 at 2:21 ami LOVE the idea of lemon in there—definitely want to make this sometime!
Rebecca_C
February 3, 2011 at 4:52 pmMmmm…I can almost smell this through the computer. I tend to add a few dashes of red pepper flakes to mine but I’m LOVING the addition of lemon zest. Kudos on that one!
Sues
February 2, 2011 at 10:37 pmI love making my own marinera, but never thought to zest it up with extra lemon… And basil! Sounds fabulous. Your blog looks great, too!!
Lori @ RecipeGirl
February 1, 2011 at 10:43 pmThe recipe looks wonderful- and your new site looks great!
The Food Hunter
January 31, 2011 at 3:56 pmI would never think to add lemon to my sauce. I will have to give it a try.
Rachel W.
January 31, 2011 at 1:49 pmI’m definitely going to try this out. And thanks for the “how-to” link. I was going to complain about how I didn’t know what that was, but never mind 🙂
Joanne
January 30, 2011 at 1:08 pmI feel like I could drown in that sauce and be pretty pleased with myself. I have some leftover basil sitting on my counter…I feel like I should make a batch of this and freeze for future use!
FireMom
January 30, 2011 at 8:47 amOh my gosh, I just saved this one for future making. Mmm. I’ve been making my own sauce as of late, so I’m adding this to my list to try!
CaSaundra
January 29, 2011 at 8:32 pmOoo the addition of lemon sounds great. I always like the fresh “zing” it adds to dishes :o)
Kate
January 29, 2011 at 8:28 pmI usually make my own sauce, but I really like the idea of adding lemon to it!
daryl
January 29, 2011 at 6:58 pmSo much better then jar sauce. Love the addition of lemon
leslie
January 29, 2011 at 5:16 pmI just love those photos. Delicious “gravy” as the Italians would call it
Jax
February 5, 2013 at 8:39 pmWe don’t call it Gravy unless it has meat in it 🙂