A really good marinara starts before the tomatoes ever reach the pot. Give onion, celery, carrots, and garlic a generous splash of olive oil and enough time to soften, and you have the foundation for a rich, savory sauce.
This is not a recipe where I skimp on the olive oil. We want a hearty homemade marinara with plenty of vegetables, a little red wine for depth, and a slow simmer to bring everything together. Spoon it over pasta or use it as a robust base for vegan lasagna.
Ingredients
The ingredient list is simple. The important part is giving the vegetables time to cook before adding the crushed tomatoes.
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- A small splash of red wine reduction or regular red wine
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces
Simmering time: 20 to 30 minutes, after sautéing the vegetables and adding the tomatoes.
How to Make Veggie-Loaded Marinara
1. Build the vegetable base
Set a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the diced onion, celery, carrots, and garlic, then stir so the vegetables are coated in the oil.
This aromatic vegetable foundation is similar to a soffritto. Here, it also gives the finished marinara plenty of substance. The vegetables are a real part of the sauce, not just a background seasoning.
2. Let the vegetables wilt and lightly caramelize
Add the salt and stir it through. Let the vegetables cook, stirring as needed, until they have softened, wilted down noticeably, and begun to caramelize slightly.
Use the vegetables as your cue rather than rushing to the next ingredient. They should look softer and take up less room in the pot than they did at the start. This stage builds the savory base that makes the sauce so satisfying.
3. Add a little red wine
I like to keep a little red wine reduction around for cooking, but regular red wine works here too. Add a small splash to the softened vegetables and stir it in.
You only need a little for flavor. Let it cook briefly, then add the black pepper and dried oregano. Stir everything together so the seasonings are distributed throughout the vegetable mixture.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes
Add the entire 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Stir thoroughly, folding the vegetables into the tomatoes until everything is evenly combined.
At this point, you should have a chunky tomato sauce with carrots, celery, and onion throughout. That generous amount of vegetables is exactly what makes this marinara hearty.
5. Turn down the heat and simmer
Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes. Give it an occasional stir as it cooks.
This is the time for the flavors to come together. The wine, oregano, garlic, and vegetables mingle with the tomatoes, turning the separate ingredients into one rich, cohesive sauce. There is no need to keep the heat high. Let the gentle simmer do the work.
A Hearty Sauce for Pasta and Vegan Lasagna
Serve this veggie-loaded marinara over pasta when you want something simple and comforting, or use it as the tomato sauce in a vegan lasagna. It is substantial enough to be the centerpiece rather than just a thin coating of tomato.
The approach is straightforward: use enough olive oil, let the vegetables soften properly, add a little wine for flavor, and give the tomatoes time to simmer. Simple ingredients, treated with a little patience, make a wonderfully satisfying sauce.