Marinara sauce

My favourite tomato sauce ever is just onion and carrot cooked in plenty of olive oil, then simmered with passata (or fresh tomato puree from homegrown tomatoes) salt, and sugar.  Simmered for an hour, it's smooth and almost creamy with a fresh tomatoey taste.  It is sooooo good and easy! 

Over here, marinara = seafood. What you're after is more likely to be called Napolitana. But I have to agree with the others, homemade is best! You could make a big batch and freeze some, if you have the freezer space.

You can use a bit of grated carrot to do that too. 

But I hate carrots! 

But I hate carrots! 

psst, I put butternut squash in mine, delish!

But I hate carrots! 

I put carrots in my sauce & they really cook down so you don't even know they're in there! 

I put carrots in my sauce & they really cook down so you don't even know they're in there! 

Yeah, it's not really for the carrot-y flavour; just for a bit of added sweetness. 

Another one who almost always makes her own sauce 

You can't hide a carrot from me!  I can always taste them! But, I have found the Chantenay carrots are actually ok for me (very surprising), so I could always grate a few of those up and stick them in the freezer the next time I buy some. 

I often make  my own pasta sauce as well, but don't put carrots in because hubby thinks carrots and tomato are just wrong together.  I wouldn't mind it together though.  Funny how some people hate what others love--carrots may be my favorite vegetable (but I love all veggies).

Anyway, my pasta sauce always starts out with sauteed onions, then tinned tomatoes cooked down for ages til it gets thick, lots of Italian herbs, and loads of veggies thrown in, or at least mushrooms and courgettes.  I'm not a fan of garlic (though hubby is) so I usually don't put any in.

If I'm buying ready-made I go for Lloyd Grossman's, but I find his a bit oily (though very tasty!) and salty, so I usually "water it down" with some plain tinned tomatoes.

I am not a big fan of ready made suaces here.  If I want mushroom sauce I want big huhnks of mushroom.  I ususally get Barilla, which is what I bought in the US.  I love their sauces, especially the Olive with slices of green and black olives in it.  Yum.

To me, marinara is a simple, fresh sauce made of crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic oil olive and basil. Sometimes other herbs are used (I add oregano, for example) and usually, since tomatoes are acidic and the sauce isn't cooked for a long time, it's sweetened -- sometimes with grated carrots or as I prefer, with a sweet wine like Marsala or red vermouth.

A marinara can be used as a base for other sauces and other ingredients can be added but then it becomes something other than a marinara   and despite the name, seafood isn't required.

Crushed tomatoes are best for texture and though other sauces, especially meat-based ones, are cooked down for a long time (hours), a marinara should take no longer than 20-30 minutes tops.

I'm not a fan of garlic (though hubby is) so I usually don't put any in. 

No garlic!!!! 

That's just so wrong. 

No garlic!!!! 

That's just so wrong. 

I don't mind a bit, but not a fan of loads of it.....I put some in tonight's pasta sauce though 'cause Mike does enjoy it!

No garlic!!!! 

That's just so wrong. 

I know. I sometimes put in a whole head or two of roasted garlic in my sauce, and sometimes I just spread roasted garlic on crackers or pita and eat that by itself. 

I know. I sometimes put in a whole head or two of roasted garlic in my sauce, and sometimes I just spread roasted garlic on crackers or pita and eat that by itself. 

Different strokes for different folks!  I'm the weird one here, that I'm pretty sure of!