Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

This marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes is rich and flavorful. Great for use in pasta, lasagna, and other casseroles. My favorite way to eat it is to pour over raw zucchini "pasta" for an extra-fresh and tasty meal that's very healthy, too! A great recipe for using up extra-ripe tomatoes from your garden. Double the batch and freeze half — it freezes well.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 147 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup red wine
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 8 large tomatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tomatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

Step 2

Stir in red wine, honey, basil, oregano, marjoram, salt, black pepper, fennel seed, and crushed red pepper; simmer and cook until herbs have flavored the sauce, about 30 minutes more.

Step 3

Add balsamic vinegar; still well to combine. Discard bay leaf.