Description
It’s delicious if I do say so myself.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (28 oz) can of peeled tomatoes
- 2 (15 oz) cans of tomato sauce
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 C water from a rinsed-out tomato sauce can
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp organic brown sugar, to taste
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
- 3 tsp Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
- 1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp herbs de Provence
Instructions
- Place your Dutch oven over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Allow it to preheat until the oil is shimmering.
- Add your onions and bell pepper. Cook until they begin to soften, then push them aside. Add more oil to the pot and toss in the garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomato paste. Stir the tomato paste around, allowing it to coat the garlic. It should start to deepen in color and become very fragrant. Move the paste and garlic over a bit and add the fennel seeds. Allow them to toast, stirring the entire time, for just a minute or two.
- Add the peeled tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and red wine vinegar. Stir it all together, then stir in all of the dry seasonings and the nutritional yeast flakes. Taste it. Depending on your preference and on the tomatoes used, it might taste unbalanced: bitter, or acidic. If so, add 1 tbsp of brown sugar. You can add more or less: the amount I add varies with almost every batch I make. Add a little more salt if you think it needs it, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- After an hour give it a stir and taste it again. Add more sugar and salt if you see fit, then cover and continue cooking for 2 more hours, until the sauce has reduced and thickened to your preferred consistency. Once the sauce has thickened and reduced, stir in the basil and fire-roasted tomatoes. Simmer for 15 more minutes.
- Optional: Simmer more. I have cooked this Homemade Marinara Sauce on medium-low for 2-4 hours, on low for 6-18 hours, and in a 250°F oven for 8 hours. It is very flexible in that way.
