Sure, you can buy marinara premade at the grocery store, but nothing is quite as comforting as homemade tomato sauce simmering on the stove. From a health standpoint, we also love tomato sauce because tomatoes contain the health-promoting antioxidant, lycopene, which becomes more available to your body when it's heated.
Ingredients
20 Roma Tomato – or use 2 x 230ml cans of peeled tomatoes
6 Garlic, clove
1/2 Onion, raw – large, chopped
2 tbsp Brown Sugar, unpacked
8 Basil – leaves
1 tbsp Oregano, dried
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp Vinegar, balsamic
1 tbsp Salt
1/2 tbsp Capsicum
1/4 tbsp Olive Oil
Directions
Score 20 roma tomatoes (place a shallow X on the bottom of each tomato).
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Submerge tomatoes in boiling water for 15-20 seconds, depending on ripeness, until the skins are loosened.
Move the blanched tomatoes to a bowl of ice or cold water. Peel the skins off from the X.
Add peeled tomatoes to a pot and crush tomatoes with blender on LOW speed for 5 seconds.
Add remaining ingredients to the pot — garlic, onion, brown sugar, oregano, Italian seasoning, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to simmer on low for 45 minutes - 1 hour.
Remove bay leaves.
Blend sauce until desired consistency. For a chunkier sauce, blend 4-5 pulses. For a smoother consistency, blend 5-10 pulses.
Add in 8 leaves of basil and simmer for 30 more minutes until thick.
Nutritional Information
Recipe: Tomato Marinara
Serving in this recipe: 18
Calories: 48.9 Total Fat: 0.8 g 1.2% Saturated Fat: 0 g 0.2% Cholesterol: 0 mg 0% Sodium: 393.3 mg 16.4% Total Carbs: 9.6 g 3.2% Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g 5.2% Sugar: 5.7 g Protein: 1.2 g 2.5% Vitamin A: 0.1% Vitamin C: 45.7% Calcium: 3% Iron: 2.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.