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Savory looking marinara sauce with red wine in a white dutch oven pot garnished with fresh herbs.
5 from 32 votes

Best Marinara Sauce


Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
8 servings
Learn how to make spaghetti sauce. This is the best marinara sauce with red wine whether you call it pasta sauce or marinara sauce.

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven
  • cooking spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1-2 shallots thinly sliced (may substitute yellow onion)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½ cup red wine such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 6 oz. tomato paste
  • 14.5 oz. petite diced tomatoes
  • 22 oz. crushed tomatoes

Optional Garnish:

  • fresh basil, oregano, and/or parsley for garnish
  • parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

  • In a large skillet or Dutch oven, saute shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until shallots have softened and become translucent.
    olive oil and shallots in a dutch oven
  • Add dried basil and oregano and saute one minute longer.
  • Add red wine to the pan, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the wine to a simmer until reduced in half - about 3-4 minutes.
    herbs added to shallots and red wine added to sauce
  • Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
    dual image of shallots with red wine and tomatoes added to shallots
  • Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar and simmer a couple minutes longer to take some of the acidity out of the tomatoes if desired.
    finished marinara sauce garnished with herbs

Nutrition

Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 613IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3mg

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