Quick Marinara Pan Sauce
This Quick Marinara Pan Sauce is perfect for using up those beautiful, abundant summer tomatoes. Using a wide, shallow pan, no specific measurements, higher heat, not removing peels and seeds, and adding ingredients as they are prepped allows this sauce to come together in around 20 minutes. Plus, unlike a slow-simmered sauce, this one won’t keep your kitchen hot for hours.
This sauce is so versatile – it can be used in a number of ways: over pasta or roasted veggies, as pizza sauce, and for dipping bread. Also, make sure to check out the variations in the notes.
Quick Marinara Pan Sauce
This Quick Marinara Pan Sauce makes a beautiful, luscious sauce that will have you out the kitchen quickly!
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Equipment
- wide-bottomed shallow pan with sides
Ingredients
Core Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil about a Tablesapoon
- tomatoes about 6 large
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- garlic powder to taste
- onion about ½ large
- garlic 2-3 cloves
- basil 1 bunch
- balsamic a Tablespoon or two
Optional Ingredients
- additional fresh or dried Italian herbs to taste
- fresh cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- red wine about ¼ Cup
- whole-grain flour 1-2 Tablespoons
- cream 1-2 Tablespoons
Instructions
- Swirl olive oil into a shallow, wide-bottomed pan with sides. Heat over medium low.
- Quarter tomatoes, and remove any larger cores. If tomatoes are very large, cut in sixths or eights. No need to remove small cores. If using cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half. Add to pan along with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Increase heat to medium.
- Dice onions, and peel garlic. Add onions to pan and using a garlic press, press garlic into pan. Stir to combine, and continue to stir frequently throughout cooking process.
- Chop basil and any other fresh herbs you are using. Add fresh herbs (and/or dried) along with balsamic vinegar to pan. Stir to combine.
- If using, dice fresh cayenne, and add to the pan (add crushed red pepper flakes here if using).
- Stir in red wine if using, and turn heat to medium-high. Make sure to frequently stir to prevent burning.
- Cook about 12-15 minutes until sauce just begins to hold a bit to the bottom of the pan when stirred. If using, whisk in flour and cream until blended and lumps are gone.
- Stir 1-2 more minutes to cook flour, and then remove from heat.
Notes
Serving suggestions: over pasta, as pizza sauce, drizzled over roasted veggies, as a dipping sauce.
Variations:
- Hearty Sauce: add meat and/or mushrooms and cook before add tomatoes.
- Bolognese-Style Sauce: add diced carrots and celery when you add the onions.
- Shakshuka Sauce: replace the basil with cilantro and a couple teaspoons to a Tablespoon of my Moroccan Spice Blend, add diced red or yellow bell pepper when you add the onion.
- Creamy Tomato Sauce: at the end of cooking stir in a couple ounces or so of soft goat cheese and stir until blended.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Why I Love This Quick Marinara Pan Sauce
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