mama tati’s homemade marinara

When the weather outside is frightful, mama Tati makes something delightful!

My all-time favorite thing about the cold winter months is the warm, hearty recipes that come with them. From homemade sauces that simmer the whole day to yummy stews and tasty baked treats. We love them all! Today, I am sharing my family's favorite homemade marinara recipe. My favorite thing about homemade sauces; is the control I have over the acidity and other ingredients, such as preservatives. If you or anyone you know struggles with acid reflux, you understand!

This sauce can be frozen for up to six months or refrigerated for about 3-5 days.

Let’s jump into the recipe!

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit while you prep your ingredients.

Rinse all of your ingredients thoroughly, even the onions and garlic! I also like to remove the hard bits from the center of each large tomato, as this helps limit the acidity in the sauce.

Once the garlic, onion, and tomatoes are all prepped, place them in a baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes.

After about 45 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven and add ingredients to a high-speed blender. You can also use a submersion blender. However, my toddler is not a fan of chunky sauces just yet. So we will stick with the high-speed blender.

Once blended thoroughly, dump the contents into a medium-large pan on low-medium heat, immediately adding your bay leaf, brown sugar, and other herbs and seasonings.

Once all of your herbs and seasonings are added, let simmer for about 4 hours. The longer you let the sauce simmer, the better it will taste! Once the marinara has reduced, see the image below, you can use it immediately or store it for later!

Pro-tip, if you’re a mom to a picky toddler, you may consider throwing this sauce back in the blender before using or storing it. That will help to ensure no chunky herbs throw them off their eating game!

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave me some feedback! I am always looking for new ways to improve! See below for the entire list of ingredients and instructions! As always, blessed be!

INGREDIENTS:

Two Small Onions (red tastes best!)

Three Large Tomatoes

Two Packages of Cherry Tomatoes (preferably on the vine)

One whole Garlic

1 Tsp Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp Pink Himalayan Salt

Onion Salt (a pinch)

Garlic Powder (a pinch)

Bay Leaf (4-6 leaves)

Italian Seasoning (about one tablespoon or to taste)

Basil (about one tablespoon or to taste)

Rosemary (about one tablespoon or to taste)

About 4-6 Tablespoons of Olive or Avocado Oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step One: Preheat over to 450 degrees Fahrenheit while prepping your ingredients

Step Two: Rinse, peel and chop your tomatoes, garlic, and onion.

Step Three: Place in a baking dish and coat with oil

Step Four: Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes

Step Five: Once the timer goes off, remove the dish from the oven and place the contents in a high-speed blender (or use a submersion blender)

Step Six: Once blended, add to a medium-large pot along with your herbs and seasonings and let simmer for about 4 hours

Step Seven: After the sauce is reduced, you may blend it again or leave it as is!

Final Step: Use it immediately or store it for later use!