My best teacher offered me this slow-oven marinara recipe, and I only kept sharing it. The sauces here can all be changed to taste (and eyeballed), but this is how I knew to do it. The best taste calls to cook it all day, but it can be made in a bit if you have to! Do over your well-known pasta or with crispy chicken. It can also be used in lasagna or ravioli.
Contents
What is Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce?
Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce is a tomato-based gravy made by steaming tomatoes, garlic, onions, and herbs over an extended period. This process allows the tastes to meld and boost, producing a rich and tasty sauce.
Main Benefits:
- Improved Flavor: Slow cookery heightens the taste, making the gravy richer and more tasty.
- Hands-off Cooking: The slow cooker works once the ingredients are in, making it suitable.
- Healthier Option: You control the elements, providing a lifelike, preservative-free sauce.
- Versatile Use: Ideal for pasta, pizza, or as a ground, for other words.
- Batch Cuisine: Make large amounts and store them for future dinners, keeping time.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- 3 tbsp minced garlic, or better to taste
- 3 (14.5 ounces) cans of tomato spice
- 1 (6 ounces) can tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dirt basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon base black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon floor paprika
- 1 teaspoon floor oregano
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 lift of white sugar
- 1 pinch base cinnamon
Instructions
- Set the onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, basil leaves, basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and ground red pepper in the slow cooker. Stir and put the lid on. Set the slow oven to low and cook for 8 hours.
- Take the lid from the slow cooker, stir the dressing, and remove the bay leaves. If you do not like chunky gravy, use a hand blender to puree the sauce. You can even move the sauce to a blender if you don’t have a writing blender. But if the sauce is hot, continue carefully. Taste and season with further salt and pepper, if required. This sauce is great with your favorite pasta and vegetables, layered between lasagna, with meatballs, on the shelter of chicken or eggplant parmesan, or acting as a dipping gravy for garlic jams or pizza rolls.
- Note: You can cook it on increased for 2-4 hours, but I think the sauce is best cooked on low. It allows the dressing time to steam and develop a rich flavor. This sauce freezes beautifully! Cool fully, and pour the sauce into freezer packs or freezer containers. Freeze for up to 2 months.
How to use Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce:
- Scooping Calabrian chili garlic bread, mozzarella bars, fried ravioli, or breadsticks.
- Great as a pizza spice!
- Use it as the ground for mushroom kale lasagna (shown overhead).
- Freeze it in little receptacles for ready-to-go homemade gravy.
- Feel free to drop meatballs or Italian links in the sauce so everything cooks simultaneously.
Why make homemade marinara sauce?
- As easy as it is to open a jar of marinara from the grocery shop, you just can’t beat homemade.
- It’s not only super affordable, it makes more than you gain from a jar, and you can control the ingredients.
- For example, I don’t like sugar in my marinara, but many spices from the store have it.
- Also, I can make my marinara gravy organically, which is cheaper than purchasing organic spice from the store!
What if you don’t have a slow cooker?
You can always make our slow-oven marinara sauce if you don’t have a slow cooker. If you own an Instant Pot, you can even use that to slow-cook marinara spice, but you’ll need a tempered glass lid. Like a real Italian nonna, you can create this marinara gravy on the stovetop. The one major disadvantage to this procedure is that you do need to be in your home for the full cooking time since we do not guide leaving your stove solo.
If you plan to be home all day, creating marinara gravy on the stovetop is a great way to give time and create your house smell right. Just be sure to start the sauce periodically so it doesn’t burn, and support your burner on the lowest setting the whole time. Counting olive oil to stovetop marinara is also good if you aren’t using nonstick cookware.
How to freeze
- Cool the good sauce fully before spooning it into hold bags. Freeze for no more than 3 months for the best taste.
- You can also keep it in plastic or glass jars, leaving room at the top for the sauce to expand. Place that not all jars are made for the freezer, so review yours before using them.
- When ready to use the frozen gravy, place the bag or jar of sauce in the fridge to soften the day before it’s needed.
Conclusion
As someone who loves boiling at home, making marinara sauce in a slow oven has become one of my go-to recipes. The slow cooking gets out the best flavors, and it’s much healthier because I can manage what goes into it. I’ve utilized it for everything from pasta to pizza and even as a dip for homemade breadsticks. I love making and freezing a big batch for later; it saves so much time on busy days. Even when I don’t have a slow oven, I’ve made it on the stovetop, which always turns out delicious. Once you make it yourself, you won’t want to replace it with a store-bought one!
FAQs
Can I use spice mixes in place of fresh spices?
Yes, new herbs work excellent if you have them. I like dried spices since they last longer and cost less. Add up to 2 teaspoons of new herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, onion powder, and salt.
How long should I cook the marinara sauce in a slow cooker?
It’s best to cook the sauce on low for 8 hours. This slow simmering gives the spices time to agree with the tomatoes for a richer flavor. If you’re short on time, 5 hours on high will work too.
Can I use this recipe for canning?
No, this formula isn’t made for canning. The tomatoes need the proper level of acid for safe canning. But you can freeze the gravy for later use.
How should I freeze the marinara sauce?
After the gravy cools down, pour it into freezer-safe containers. After dating them, keep them in the freezer for a maximum of three months.
Can I add extra vegetables to this marinara sauce?
Absolutely! You can toss in diced vegetables like carrots, zucchini, or bell peppers when cooking. They add extra taste and food to the sauce.