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Make a Lot: Marinara 101

Last updated on April 12, 2018 By Katie Koteen 4 Comments

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Marinara is our go to. Whenever I make it I always make a double or triple batch. It saves time, effort and money. All good things! From my experience, one of the biggest obstacles to saving money is convenience. If you make a little (or a lot) extra when you do cook, it makes for quick, easy and cheap dinners any night of the week. So this is my base recipe, and below a few variations and ideas for mixing it up.

Basic Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 onion, diced small
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • red wine (optional)
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (32 oz)
  • salt
  • 1/2 tsp. + crushed red pepper (optional)

Instructions

  1. Saute the onion in olive oil until soft. If you have some red wine around, add about a half cup to the softened onions and let it simmer for about 4-5 minutes.
  2. Add crushed tomatoes and salt. Let simmer about 15-20 minutes.
  3. If using, add crushed red pepper and let simmer another 5 minutes.

Variations

  • Add 1/2 to 1 cup shredded carrots with the crushed tomatoes
  • Add 1/2 to 1 cup grated zucchini with the crushed tomatoes
  • Add 1/2 to 1 cup frozen chopped spinach with the crushed tomatoes
  • Add 1 package fake meat crumbles
  • Add 1 package fake Italian sausage, diced small or crumbled. Fieldroast is my favorite
  • Add 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained just about 5 minutes before the sauce is done simmering
  • Add your favorite fresh, frozen or dried herbs.
  • Use extra sauce for vegan pizza or pizza bagel making.

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Katie and Kate are two vegans maintaining a cross-country friendship swapping recipes and writing cookbooks. Check out our Meal Plans and Vegan Starter Guide.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Megan

    May 1, 2016 at 1:49 pm

    Do you freeze the extra portions? If not, how do you store them, and how long do they keep?

  2. Well Vegan

    May 2, 2016 at 11:27 am

    Yeah, you can absolutely freeze them!

  3. SJ

    August 8, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    How long will these last in the fridge and freezer – how do you defrost?

  4. Katie Koteen

    August 8, 2017 at 7:46 pm

    Hi SJ – in the refrigerator, maybe 5 days. In the freezer the sauce will last about 3 month. I usually defrost in the freezer overnight and warm on the stove (or microwave) before you’re ready to serve. Hope that helps!

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