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Posted on June 27, 2012

Everyday Marinara Sauce

This versatile robust sauce is a great staple to have on hand in your fridge or freezer. And feel free to jazz up our recipe with your favorite herbs and spices for varied flavor every day of the week.
By Joanne Lusted | Photo: Gregory James
Serves: 6 cups
Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
CATEGORY:
Vegetarian, Gluten Free

INGREDIENTS:

  • 12 medium Roma tomatoes or 5 cups jarred diced or strained plum tomatoes  (no salt or sugar added)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano, stems removed (about 2 tbsp leaves)
  • 8 basil leaves
  • 1/8 tsp red chile flakes, optional
  • 1 tbsp raw honey
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
NOTE: If using jarred diced or strained tomatoes, begin instructions at Step Three.

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Using a small knife, remove each tomato core and cut a tiny X into the bottom end of each tomato. In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath. Immerse tomatoes into boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes or until skins begins to come off. Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon and immerse into ice bath for about 1 minute or until cooled.
  2. Once cooled, remove tomatoes from ice bath and remove skin by peeling it back from X in the bottom. Slice tomatoes in half, scoop out and discard seeds. Coarsely chop tomatoes and place into a bowl.
  3. In a medium saucepot, heat oil on medium-high. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery and sauté until onion becomes translucent and vegetables are softened. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil and chile flakes, if desired, and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove saucepot from heat and carefully purée mixture with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth. Add honey and season with salt and pepper; mix well.  
  5. Ladle mixture into resealable containers, let cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate until needed. Sauce can be kept, refrigerated, for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrients per 1-cup serving: Calories: 70, Total Fat: 2.5 g, Sat. Fat: 0.25 g, Carbs: 12 g, Fiber: 2.5 g, Sugars: 8 g, Protein: 2.5 g, Sodium: 49 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg

Nutritional Bonus:

By sneaking a few carrots into our Everyday Marinara, we've boosted the vitamin A in 1 cup from 24% to 92% of your daily recommended intake. Carrots are the richest vegetable source of vitamin A, which is especially important for retaining healthy vision.
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