You can learn how to make your sauce for pasta. It may seem daunting to make your marinara. With a few tips and tricks, you can prepare a delicious, fresh red sauce suitable for many family favorites, such as pasta, mostaccioli, and ravioli.

Fresh peeling tomatoes may be the best option, but it can take time and effort. The product is only suitable in season and new, but you enjoy pasta all year round. To avoid this, it is best to use canned tomatoes for sauces and reserve the fresh ones only for salads.

The Kitchn recommends a can of peeled, whole tomatoes. This tomato variety is less processed than other varieties and will reach the perfect consistency faster than diced ones. Whole tomatoes retain more body when made into a sauce than pureed tomatoes. Avoid pre-flavored canned tomatoes at all costs. You will get better results by adding your herbs and spices.

Do not go too smoothly

You might assume it should be smooth because you have eaten canned marinara for many years. A little texture is better for the sauce and helps it adhere to the pasta.

Bon Appetit warned you not to blend tomatoes too finely. Use an immersion blender instead of a countertop or food processor. Always choose pulse over puree. If you want a chunkier, more textured sauce, you can use your hands or a spatula to crush the tomatoes. You can overcome the tomatoes using your hands, a spatula, or kitchen shears.

Add other ingredients with caution

Some marinaras call for combining different vegetables to create an exciting combination of textures and flavors. Giada De Laurentiis recommended including sauteed onions, garlic, and celery. You should go for a more specific taste that won’t interfere with the sweetness of the tomatoes.

This can be achieved by limiting the amount of vegetables added. The New York Times recommended sticking with just sauteed garlic and adding spice with a whole red pepper flake or chili pepper. Also, add salt and oregano. Add aromatics using a bay or basil leaf, but remove them before mixing the sauce with pasta.

Allocate enough time for cooking

You can make pasta sauce relatively quickly. But be careful not to rush. A little extra cooking time will be beneficial for some ingredients. The vegetables will be sufficiently sweet and soft if you cook onions at medium heat for 15 minutes before adding tomatoes.

After you have placed the tomatoes in a pan, let them simmer for 20 minutes. To concentrate flavor, you want the sauce to be reduced. Be careful not to overcook or allow liquids to evaporate.

Mix the pasta with sauce

In separate pans, heat the marinara and the pasta that will be used to cover. Al dente noodles have been cooked but not so much as to become mushy. If the pasta is only just at this stage, remove it with tongs from the pot or drain it using a filter.

Serious Eats warned to save some of the water from your pasta. The starchy liquid will give the sauce a perfect consistency and help it stick to the pasta. You should aim for two tablespoons per serving of pasta water and adjust accordingly. To finish the dish, simmer the noodles with the sauce.

Follow these tips to stop buying inferior sauces. You can make a delicious marinara sauce with just a few ingredients and some preparation.