Sugar Free Marinara Sauce
This simple, sugar-free marinara sauce is a beloved family recipe, packed with bold flavor and ready in under an hour thanks to a special technique from my Grandma. Perfect for pasta, pizza, or freezing for later!
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, The original recipe says to peeled and poked all over with the tip of your knife (to help release the juices) - I prefer to smash half and press the rest- but really measure with your heart
- 56 ounces tomato puree 2 large cans (or 10-11 cups pureed fresh tomatoes, seeds and skin removed)
- 28 ounces tomato sauce canned
- 14 ounces water (fill half can- add more or reduce depending on preferred thickness)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (maybe more)
- 1 large onion, peeled and poked all over with the tip of your knife.
- 1-2 teaspoons dried basil optional- or a few sprigs of fresh
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat and add 4 smashed garlic cloves. until it's a nice golden brown on all sides and remove from pan.
- Pull the pan from the heat and add tomato puree and sauce. Place pan back on the heat and mix a half or full can water between the cans to get excess puree out and to thin the sauce a bit.
- Bring sauce to a boil and once boiling, stir in some baking soda- start with a ½ teaspoon and skim off the foam from the acid and dispose of it (you’ll notice it’s a slightly different shade of red than your sauce). Taste sauce and if it's too acidic stir in a tiny bit more baking soda and repeat the process.
- Once all the acid bubbles are removed, add onion and press in remaining garlic.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour partially covered- but preferably longer.
- Once the time is up, remove the onion and garlic and and add the basil (For dry, I rub this between my hands to break it up even more and release more flavor). Serve immediately over pasta with Romano cheese or freeze for later.
Video
Notes
- Don't burn the garlic! It turns bitter quickly, so watch it closely. Once it's golden and fragrant, move on to the next step. If it does happen to burn, wash the pan out and start over, or the burnt flavor will ruin your sauce.
- Don't skip the baking soda. This is how you remove acidity without adding sugar.
- But start small with the baking soda! You can always add more, but too much makes it bitter.
- If you have the time, let it cook low and slow. It’s delicious in under an hour, but even better when the flavors have more time to develop.
- Customize the thickness by adding a little more water for a thinner sauce or less water for a heartier, thicker consistency.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Peel and poke the garlic and onion in advance to save time.
- Leftovers and storage- Store in the fridge up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months in airtight containers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving