homemade marinara sauce

This is just the week of DIY pantry staples, right? Between the homemade cranberry sauce, perfect white bread, and this homemade marinara sauce, I feel like I’m going a little nuts with the “make it yourself” stuff. But that’s cool, right? One of the reasons I decided to work on improving my cooking skills was that I love to eat good food, but often my wallet and my palate don’t quite match up. Making it myself at home is the perfect way to get delicious, high-quality food that tastes even better than what I buy at the store.

This marinara sauce is unbelievably delicious, and so simple that it’s almost ridiculous. I am amazed at how much flavor it has considering the minimal ingredients and ease of cooking. It’s perfect for pasta sauce, pizza, dipping mozzarella sticks into… you name it! You could add meat or vegetables to it easily, but it’s also delicious just by itself. I used it to make some turkey meatball subs (recipe coming soon!) and had enough left over to put two jars of sauce in the freezer for later. Score!

Homemade Marinara Sauce

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 teaspoons minced garlic

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 14.5 ounce cans crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the chicken broth and let the garlic simmer for a few minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, parsley, sugar, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer 25-30 minutes, or until slightly thickened. 

adapted from The Pioneer Woman