Skip to main content

Spicy Marinara Sauce

Image may contain Food
Alex Lau

Add another ½ tsp. red pepper flakes if you like it fiery; omit them all if you don’t. This sauce pairs perfectly with our mozzarella sticks.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pulse tomatoes in a food processor until a smooth purée forms. Heat oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring, until golden and soft, 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not brown, 1–2 minutes. Add tomato paste, sugar, and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add tomato purée and season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, 15–20 minutes.

    Step 2

    Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to 2 months.

Read More
Rich and funky black bean garlic sauce, a pantry favorite in Chinese cuisine, provides depth and flavor to this weeknight riff on ragù Bolognese.
I should address the awkward truth that I don’t use butter here but cream instead. You could, if you’re a stickler for tradition (and not a heretic like me), add a big slab of butter to the finished curry.
This riff on the Italian classic comfort food gets its verdant color from kale two ways: blended into the base, and wilted among the pasts and white beans.
A take on Utica greens, a classic Italian American dish from central New York, made with bunches of broccoli rabe, Pecorino, and pickled chiles.
A buttery white wine glaze makes these an ideal holiday side, but leftovers are just as good on a cheeseboard or sandwich.
SEO Dek: Seared and simmered in white wine and chicken broth, these buttery caramelized shallots are an ideal holiday side dish. Stack the leftovers on a sandwich.
Bathe greens and chickpeas in a garlicky, tomato-enhanced broth. Stretch a block of Halloumi by grating and toasting it into a topping for the soup.
The heat of pickled chiles brings a welcome zing that integrates well with the salty elements of puttanesca and acts like a counterweight to rich pork chops.
In this mushroom bourguignon, a vegetarian take on a French classic, earthy fungi braise in a wine-rich umami broth with pearl onions and tender carrots.