My household eats a fair amount of pasta. My husband was basically raised on chicken parm and penne alone. Vodka sauce, meat sauce, Alfredo. We embrace them all. Likewise, marinara (aka classic tomato sauce) is my favorite. There is nothing quite like that vibrant tomato flavor.
It’s a wondrous thing, turning canned tomatoes into something with soul.
Every Christmas Eve, my dad makes a basic marinara to spoon into his famous eggplant parmesan. Incidentally, he’s a one-trick-pony and this is the only meal he cooks all year long. But let me tell you, it’s a dang good one.
I used to love coming up behind him at the stove. If it had been simmering long enough, he’d let me take a taste. What was it missing? Did it need more salt? Crushed red pepper? Oregano? We’d discuss it. Basically, I could have stood there and eaten the entire pot like soup.
San Marzano tomatoes (from outside of Naples, Italy) are ideal for this sauce. They’re sweet, low in acid and have a deep red, firm body. Make this recipe when you’ve got a little extra time on a slow Sunday afternoon. Or hey, make it on Christmas Eve. Your pasta (and pizza) will thank you all week long. This recipe makes six cups, so freeze some in mason jars if you like. Toss it with some not-so-basic three-cheese ravioli. I’m all about the classics. This one’s a keeper for life.
Sunday Parmesan Marinara
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 56 ounces San Marzano canned whole tomatoes peeled
- 1 large Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
- 2 carrots peeled and halved lengthwise
- 1 yellow or red onion peeled and quartered
- 4 sprigs fresh basil
- 2 bay leaves dried or fresh
- 1 big pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Set a heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add olive oil. Stir in garlic and toss around a bit, 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Reduce heat to low. Carefully add in the tomatoes and their juices from the can. Squeeze each whole tomato in your hands before dropping into the pot. It’s easy to accidentally squeeze tomato juice everywhere (spoiler alert: I’ve done it).
- Add parmesan rind, carrots, onion, basil, bay leaves, red pepper flakes and salt. Stir and submerge everything beneath the surface of the sauce. Bring sauce to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and simmer 30 minutes, covered.
- Remove the rind, carrots, onion, and bay leaves. The sauce is ready to eat at this stage, but I like to let it sit on low for another 30 minutes to deepen the flavor. Store in mason jars in the refrigerator up to 7 days, or freeze jars for a rainy day.
I made this for my
Husband and he told me it was as good as his Italian mother’s sauce. Such an easy recipe and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Beth! Your sweet comment made my day, that is a very generous compliment. thank you!!!
This was absolutely delicious! I added an additional parmesan rind (had on hand) but nothing else. So rich and yummy. 👍👍
Hello!! You made my day, thank you so much for making the sauce and taking the time to review and comment. It means the world! Happy cooking, and Merry Christmas!
I am so glad that this was the first recipe that popped up when I did a search of sauce with the Parmesan rind. I purposely kept the rinds knowing I could add them to a sauce but never did it before until your recipe. Wow this was so good!! I thought the addition of carrots was so strange but it worked perfectly. I ate the carrots after I pulled them out of the sauce too and they were delicious! I made the recipe exactly as written and it was fabulous. My husband loved it too so it was a success in my book!! Thanks to your dad for the recipe too!
Your sweet comment truly made my day, thank you so much for taking the time to share this with me! I hope you enjoy it for years to come!!