Marinara. It's one of the most simple — and, if we're being real, one of the most boring — sauces out there. But it doesn't have to be...
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00:00Marinara. It's one of the most simple and, if we're being real,
00:04one of the most boring sauces out there. But it doesn't have to be.
00:08It might seem strange, but cocoa powder or instant coffee are secret ingredients that you should be
00:12adding to your marinara. They make the sauce taste richer and more complex without letting
00:17their own flavor shine through, so it won't end up tasting like you've poured your morning coffee
00:21into your pasta sauce. Cocoa and coffee both have a slight bitterness, which helps balance
00:26out the sweetness of the tomatoes in the sauce. They can also bring more depth and interest to
00:29marinara. They ultimately make the umami notes in the sauce seem stronger, so it tastes even
00:34more savory and delicious. It might be counterintuitive, but you really can add instant
00:43coffee to your pasta sauce. Not much, though — just a teaspoon per pound of tomatoes.
00:47The same goes for cocoa powder. You just need a little to add that richness without making
00:51it taste like hot chocolate. You can also add dark chocolate to marinara if you prefer.
00:55It's fine if the chocolate is semi-sweet, but avoid any that contains vanilla essence or other
01:00flavorings that might affect the finished dish. It's pretty common advice, but using fresh
01:05ingredients really does take any marinara sauce to the next level. Using fresh tomatoes over canned
01:10is one simple way to give a tired old marinara recipe a new lease of life. This is a particularly
01:15great idea when tomatoes are in season and at their most delicious. The flavor difference is
01:20clear — fresh tomato-based sauces are lighter and brighter than those made with canned varieties.
01:24Another swap you should consider? Using fresh herbs. Marinara usually contains dried herbs,
01:29predominantly oregano, but the difference between fresh and dried herbs can be significant.
01:34It's not that one is always better than the other. Dried oregano is flavorful, yet fairly mild. The
01:39fresh stuff is sharper with a more peppery flavor. You might find that fresh oregano isn't your bag,
01:44but you don't have to stick to oregano. Fresh thyme is also delicious in marinara.
01:48It's complex, with floral notes that shine against the rich acidity of the tomatoes.
01:53Rosemary is another great addition. It's a little woodsy and bitter but has some citrusy
01:57notes as well. And of course, fresh basil is a classic addition to any Italian dish.
02:02You can also level up your marinara by using fresh onion and garlic. Yes, it takes a bit of
02:07time to chop them, but those few extra minutes are well worth it for the improved flavor.
02:11Cook your onions for about five to seven minutes until they start to soften and have turned
02:16translucent. Then, add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes until it's fragrant.
02:20At this stage, you can add the tomatoes and other ingredients. So sure, it's more time-consuming than
02:25just throwing in powdered onion and garlic, but it tastes so much better.
02:30What if you don't have access to great fresh tomatoes? Enter fire-roasted tomatoes. They're
02:34still canned, but as the name suggests, fire-roasted tomatoes are roasted over an open
02:39flame before canning. This gives them a rich, deep, smoky flavor. If you like smoky flavors
02:44in your food, using fire-roasted tomatoes in a marinara sauce is a no-brainer.
02:49To make marinara even tastier, just add wine. Don't be intimidated if you aren't used to
02:53cooking with wine. It's simple. Wine brings a depth of flavor to sauces without being too boozy,
02:58or even having the obvious flavor of wine.
03:00-"To wine." -"To wine!"
03:03You can use either red or white wine. Red is often the go-to choice as its robust flavor
03:08stands up well against the richness and depth of tomato sauce. But white wine has its place, too.
03:13It makes a slightly more subtle addition, but still brings extra flavor. It's a little brighter
03:18and lighter than marinara made with red wine. The trouble is, you can't just throw the wine in your
03:22sauce at any point and hope for the best. When making marinara, you'll generally want the wine
03:27to cook off to deepen the flavor. This means that you should add it to the aromatics at the beginning
03:31and let it simmer for a while before adding the tomatoes.
03:34-"Add a little bit of wine."
03:37Marinara is generally considered a fairly quick sauce. It doesn't have the all-day
03:41cooking times that you'll find with other classic Italian sauces. When you're in a hurry,
03:45this is a great thing. But simmering concentrates the flavors, making tomato
03:49sauce richer and more savory. So, a slow-simmered marinara sauce can be transcendent.
03:55-"Simmer done now!"
03:56If you want to give this a whirl, start off as you usually would with marinara.
04:00Once you've gotten to the point where all the ingredients have been added and the sauce has
04:04started to simmer, turn your stove down as low as it will go and let it hang out there for a while.
04:08How long should you simmer homemade tomato sauce? Most marinara sauces call for around a 30-minute
04:13simmering time, but that's the bare minimum for developing a decent amount of flavor.
04:17If you want a deep, flavorful sauce, simmer it for at least three hours. It might sound
04:21like a lot of work, but once it gets going, you only need to stir it occasionally.
04:26Fancy something a bit creamier than your average marinara? You can easily transform
04:30it into a rose sauce by adding heavy cream. Sure, it's no longer a classic marinara,
04:35but for some, this is a total upgrade. All you need to do is make your marinara as usual.
04:39When it's finished cooking, add about a half a cup of heavy cream for every 28-ounce can of
04:44tomatoes you used in your sauce. Stir it in and keep the sauce over a low heat for a few minutes,
04:50just so that it's warmed through. Just don't let the sauce boil at this stage, or it could split.
04:55Umami brings depth to dishes and makes them more flavorful, so adding umami ingredients
05:00to homemade marinara sauce is a surefire way to upgrade it.
05:03I love the umami flavor.
05:05One way to add an umami boost to marinara is with fish sauce. It might sound a little
05:09odd, but you don't add enough to make it taste fishy — just enough to bolster those savory
05:13notes in the sauce. Other ingredients that can bring a hit of umami to marinara include anchovies,
05:19sun-dried tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce. Add them at the same time as the tomatoes and
05:23let them simmer with the other ingredients to infuse the sauce with that delicious, savory flavor.
05:29If you want to take your homemade marinara to the next level,
05:32you shouldn't be stingy with the olive oil. Although some recipes use minimal oil,
05:36others call for up to one quarter of a cup for an average pot of sauce made with 28 ounces of
05:40tomatoes. And the difference in flavor is obvious when you try it. Some people will tell you not to
05:45cook with extra virgin olive oil because of its lower smoke point, but the temperature doesn't
05:49get high enough when making a dish like this for that to be relevant. So absolutely reach for extra
05:54virgin olive oil and its rich, peppery flavors. Don't use the highest quality stuff — that should
05:59be reserved for drizzling. But an average extra virgin olive oil is great to cook with.
06:05Oh, that's the flavor.
06:07Don't want to use oil? Try butter instead. It's not that butter is better than olive oil,
06:12but it brings a different flavor profile. So if you're in a marinara rut and trying to change
06:16things up, this might be the ticket. Where extra virgin olive oil brings a peppery bite,
06:21butter brings a mellow richness that many people love. And before anyone says this is an affront
06:26to Italian food, butter is actually a more common ingredient in Italian cooking than you might
06:31realize — especially in the northern part of the country. Iconic Italian cook Marcella Hazan
06:36has a famous tomato sauce recipe that uses nothing but butter, onions, tomatoes, and salt.
06:41You can also simply incorporate butter into your current favorite marinara recipe.
06:45Instead of sautéing onions and garlic in olive oil, use a few tablespoons of butter.
06:50Caramelized onions and roasted garlic can bring a depth of flavor to marinara sauce that regular
06:55sautéed onions and garlic can't. It takes a bit more time to roast and caramelize,
07:00but the flavor gains are real. Caramelizing onions is simple but requires patience.
07:04You need to cook onions slowly over a low heat in your fat of choice, stirring every few minutes.
07:10As the onions cook, you'll see them change color, first turning golden and then brown.
07:14At that point, you can add the tomatoes and other ingredients and simmer.
07:17Roasted garlic is sweeter and milder than sautéed garlic,
07:20so you can use a full bulb in a batch of marinara to bring loads of flavor without
07:24overwhelming the dish. To use the roasted garlic, simply squeeze the bottom of the head
07:28and the soft, creamy cloves will pop out. You can mash these and mix them into your sauce.
07:34Parmesan is a great addition to marinara because of its rich umami notes and delicious
07:38aged flavor. Just stir half a cup into a pot of sauce once it's finished cooking.
07:42But while it's still hot, this will let the cheese melt into the sauce without
07:46overcooking it or losing any flavor. Just be careful not to over-salt your marinara.
07:51Choose your favorite, and spaghetti or not, here we come.