Easy Marinara Sauce

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I know it’s super easy just to open up a jar of store-bought marinara sauce and pour it over your pasta, and sometimes that’s all the energy we have (no shame), but hear me out. This easy marinara sauce recipe is surprisingly simple, super inexpensive, and you get to control the ingredients (great for those watching their sugar or sodium intake). Plus, homemade marinara sauce is very freezer-friendly, so you can make a double batch now and save the other half for the nights when you have no energy. It heats through in minutes and you’re good to go with zero effort!

What is Marinara Sauce?

Marinara sauce is a simple tomato-based pasta sauce. It’s characterized by its simple list of ingredients, which leads to an uncomplicated and bright tomato flavor. The texture of marinara sauce is usually very uniform without large chunks, which allows it to coat pasta evenly. Marinara sauce is most often used as a sauce for pasta, but it can also be used in many other dishes or as a dipping sauce.

What Kind of Tomatoes to Use for Marinara Sauce

This recipe is written using canned crushed tomatoes, which offer both convenience and a low price. While you most definitely can make marinara sauce using fresh tomatoes, that would require several more steps and a reformulation of the recipe to account for the extra water and flavor differences.

When choosing the canned crushed tomatoes for this recipe, keep in mind that there can be quite a drastic flavor difference between brands. If budget is your main concern, this recipe makes a great sauce even when using generic-brand canned tomatoes. But, if you want to get a bit fancier, you can opt for a premium or imported brand, or even buy whole canned San Marzano tomatoes and purée them yourself. Even when you opt for a more expensive canned tomato, this recipe is still very easy and budget-friendly, making it a great option for special occasions like date night in!

How to Store And Reheat

As mentioned, this marinara sauce recipe freezes beautifully. After cooking the marinara sauce, transfer it to the refrigerator until completely chilled. The sauce will stay good in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or you can transfer it to the freezer for longer storage. Just make sure the sauce is in a freezer-safe container, label and date it, and then freeze for up to three months. To reheat, simply transfer the frozen sauce to a saucepot and heat over medium-low, stirring often, until heated through.

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Easy Marinara Sauce

This easy homemade marinara sauce recipe only uses a few simple ingredients to create a rich and bold flavor, perfect for pasta and more!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Total Cost $3.11 recipe / $0.39 serving

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 (½ cup each)

Calories 73kcal

Author Beth - Budget Bytes

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion $0.37
• 2 cloves garlic $0.16
• 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.32
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste $0.20
• 1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes $1.89
• 1/2 tsp dried basil $0.05
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano $0.05
• 1 tsp brown sugar (optional) $0.02
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste) $0.05

Instructions

• Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a sauce pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
• Add the tomato paste and continue to stir and cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until the tomato paste takes on a slightly darker color. This caramelizes the sugars in the tomato paste to give it a slightly sweeter and less acidic flavor.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, brown sugar, and salt to the pot. Stir to combine and dissolve any tomato paste from the bottom of the pot.
• Allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and allow the sauce to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• After simmering for 30 minutes, taste the sauce and adjust the salt, sugar, or other seasonings to your liking. If the sauce is too acidic for your liking, you can let it simmer longer (about one hour) or add more sugar. Serve hot or refrigerate until ready to eat.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 454mg | Fiber: 2g

How to Make Marinara Sauce - Step by Step Photos

Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and 2 Tbsp olive oil to a sauce pot and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).

Add 2 Tbsp of tomato paste to the pot and continue to stir and cook for 3-5 minutes more, or until the tomato paste takes on a slightly darker color. This caramelizes the sugars in the tomato paste, adding a natural sweetness.

Finally, add one 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes, ½ tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Stir to combine and dissolve any tomato paste from the bottom of the pot. Allow the sauce to come to a gentle simmer.

Once simmering, turn the heat down to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leaving a lid on the pot but slightly ajar can help prevent splatter.

After simmering for 30 minutes, give the marinara sauce a taste and adjust the salt or other herbs to your liking. If it’s still too acidic for your taste, you can either simmer it longer (around 1 hour total), or add more sugar.

Serve the homemade marinara sauce over pasta, use it for a dipping sauce, or freeze it for later!

More Pasta Sauce Recipes

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

$4.40 recipe / $0.63 per cup

The Best Weeknight Pasta Sauce

$4.35 recipe / $1.09 serving

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

$2.67 RECIPE / $0.67 SERVING

Pasta with 5 Ingredient Butter Tomato Sauce

$4.23 recipe / $1.06 serving

The post Easy Marinara Sauce appeared first on Budget Bytes.

References:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the health benefits of organic farming

Organic farming offers farmers a method of growing food that doesn't require the use of chemicals. The farmers don't have to worry about pesticides causing harm to their crops and animals.

Organic farming also allows for more natural fertilizers. These fertilizers can be used to help grow healthier plants and to reduce the amount produced chemical waste.

Organic farming is also environmentally friendly. To recycle nutrients back into soil, farmers often resort to composting. This reduces pollution and conserves valuable resources.

Organic farming improves crop yields while also helping the environment. This is because organic agriculture uses less water in the growing season.

Organic production methods mean farmers can get higher prices. Healthier foods are demanded by consumers who are more aware of the dangers posed by pesticides and chemical fertilisers.

This has increased the demand for organic foods. For these reasons, organic farming is becoming increasingly popular.

What are organic products that can be used on the skin?

Organic skincare products don't contain any synthetic chemicals such as parabens or phthalates.

Organic skincare products are also free of artificial colours, fragrances, preservatives, emulsifiers, GMOs, petrochemicals, animal testing (except cosmetics tested on animals), pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, heavy metals, and other contaminants.

They are designed to promote healthy skin, prevent premature wrinkles, heal injuries after they happen, and support overall wellbeing.

Some standard terms you may see when shopping for organic products:

• Paraben Free- These are chemicals that help to keep certain cosmetics stable. But, they can also be toxic if taken in large quantities.
• Fragrance-Free – The product does not contain essential oils or perfumes.
• Cruelty-Free--No animals were hurt in the manufacturing process.
• Natural Ingredients: The ingredient is naturally derived form the animal or plant.
• Vegetarian/Vegetarian - All ingredients are vegan or vegetarian.
• Gluten-Free means that the formulation was free of gluten.
• Non-Toxic - The product doesn't contain toxins, carcinogens, or other dangerous compounds that could harm your health.
• Biodegradable product - when thrown out, the product will disintegrate into harmless components.
• Pesticide-Free - No pesticides have been used in the growing and harvesting process.
• GMO-Free refers to the fact that no ingredients in the product contain genetically modified organisms.
• Certified Organic is a certification that the ingredients of the recipe were grown using sustainable methods.

What are some of the most popular organic products in your country?

The fastest-growing industry is organic food. But even though we've come a long way from our roots, there is still much room for growth.

Organic products are the future. Organic products are safer and better for the environment. They also make it more affordable for consumers.

They are also generally more expensive. That is why we developed the Organic Food Index. We wanted the ability to identify which foods are currently most popular and whether these trends have changed.

The results showed that organic food is increasing in popularity. Between 2011 and 2012 the number of Americans buying organic food increased nearly 50%.

The USDA reported that organic production rose by 10% in the last year. Organic food now accounts for 9% of U.S. agricultural output.

Although organic food is gaining popularity, it appears that consumers still have to pay a premium for it. According to the Organic Trade Association (OTA), average retail prices for organic food are almost double those of conventional alternatives.

The organic food sector is growing faster than other segments of the food supply. If you look closely at the data, it will be apparent that organic food consumption has steadily increased since 2009.

According to OTA, organic products sold in supermarkets grew 14% between 2010-2011.

This is due to consumer demand for healthier food, which explains why organic foods sales are rising across all age groups.

Younger generations are choosing organic food more often than older generations. Millennials are twice more likely to purchase organic food than baby boomers. The 25% of organic food purchase made by younger adults below 35 are made up of young adults.

What are organic fruits?

Organic food is free from pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and hormones. They also contain more nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, E, and K, plus omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy ingredients make organic food better for our bodies and the planet.

Organic foods are grown with sustainable agricultural practices that help to preserve soil quality, and increase biological diversity. They are free of harmful chemicals and sewage sludge.

Many organic products are not associated with produce. They include dairy and meat, poultry, eggs baked goods, pet food, household cleaning supplies, and personal care products.

According to the USDA, "organic" means that crops are raised in compliance with federal standards. To grow these foods, farmers cannot use non-organic (or conventional) methods. They can use approved natural pest control methods such as crop rotation, cover cropping and organic animal feed.

Further, the farmer must be careful about the amount of pesticide and fertilizer he uses in the growing season. GMOs, artificial growth hormones, synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers are not allowed in the fields of farmers.

The requirements for organic fruits and vegetables are met if they are labeled 100 percent organic. But not all farms will label their products 100% organic. That would confuse consumers. Instead, they will call their product "made using organic ingredients." "

Statistics

• Popular clothing brands, like Patagonia, are labelled as organic by using 100 percent organic cotton for many of their styles. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids were up to 50 percent higher in organic meats and milk than in conventionally raised products.[3] (en.wikipedia.org)
• According to a study performed by consumerreports.org, organic products, compared to non-organic products, ranged anywhere from 13 percent cheaper to 303 percent more expensive. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Brands participating in this challenge are committed to using 100 percent sustainable cotton by 2025.[5] (en.wikipedia.org)

External Links

[TAG54]

• EWG's 2022 Buyer's Guide to Pesticides In Produce


• Clean Fifteen Conventional Produce (tm); With the Least Pesticides

[TAG57]

• Occupational Pesticide Exposures and the Cancer Risk: A Review. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part. B. Vol 15, Issue 4.


• Genetically modified food safety and public concerns: a review by Journal of Food Science and Technology

[TAG60]

• Organic food and its impact on human well-being: ScienceDirect assesses the status quo as well as future research prospects


• Technical Note: Simultaneous vitamin and carotenoid analysis of milk from total mixed-ration-fed cows is optimized for xanthophyll detection. ScienceDirect

[TAG63]

• Home


• Agricultural Marketing Service

How To

What Organic Foods Are You Looking For?

Organic foods are produced from plants and animals that have been grown without the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers or other additives. They can be produced without the use of genetic engineering or ionizing radiation. Food must not contain artificial colours, flavour enhancers or preservatives. It should not include genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

In 1845, Justus Von Liebig, an aspiring chemist and entrepreneur, created the term "organic" to describe the properties found in manure. The term organic is often associated with food production. Organic is a product that contains only naturally occurring substances, such a proteins, fats, or minerals.

The consumption of organic foods has risen dramatically in the past decades. According to statistics, approximately 50% of the world’s population consumes at minimum one organic product each day. This number increases constantly and is expected to reach 70%, 80%, and 90% by 2020.

There are many factors that consumers choose organic produce. Some consumers prefer organic products for the taste. Other people prefer them because organic produce is more nutritious. Still others believe organic farming is better for the environment. But, non-organic products can be a good choice because there are ethical concerns over the treatment and welfare of farm workers.

Although organic foods tend to be more expensive than regular ones, prices can vary depending on where they are located. Organic food prices are affected by many factors. The availability of suitable land for organic agriculture is one factor. Another is the cost of inputs and labour needed for organic cultivation. The cost of transportation, marketing, and taxes are just a few other factors. In Europe, for example, organic food prices are 10% more than regular food.

Here are some key differences between organic and traditional foods.

• Organic produce is free from synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators, hormones, and antibiotics.
• Organic livestock is fed grasses & grains, not corn and soybean meal.
• Organic milk is only produced from cows that are fed all-natural hay and pasture grasses.
• All raw materials used in organic manufacturing processes are certified organic.
• Organic fruits or vegetables should not be grown in pesticide- or other harmful chemical environments.
• No irradiation is used in organic meat, poultry, or seafood.
• You should soak raw nuts and seeds before you use them.
• Organic cooking only uses healthy oils.
• Organic eggs are laid outdoors by hens.
• The traditional methods used by bees to extract honey organically are still in use today.
• Organic chocolate is made from beans and sugar that have been grown organically and then processed.
• Organic wines are produced without the use of chemical additives.
• The tea leaves of organic tea come from tea plants that have been hand picked.
• Organic cotton is grown with no pesticides or herbicides.
• Organic flours, cereals, and breads are free of artificial colours and preservatives.
• All natural shampoos and soaps are free from harsh chemicals.
• All-natural cosmetics have no side effects on the skin.
• All natural cleaning products can be biodegradable and are eco-friendly.
• All natural body care products can be used safely and are dermatologically tested.
• All-natural personal care products are non-fragranced and safe for babies.
• All-natural baby formula contains no bovine serum or animal protein.

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