marinara
sauces
italian
tomato
vegan
vegetarian

Celebrity chef Michael Symon shares his easy recipe for pomodoro tomato sauce from his latest cookbook Fix It with Food.

"When it's not tomato season, I live by good-quality canned San Marzano tomatoes, the next best thing," Michael says. "Cooking them briefly in this sauce preserves their bright and fresh flavor, which gets kissed by garlic, oregano, thyme, and sweet basil. This is my go-to quick-cook tomato sauce that goes with everything from grilled vegetables to Mom's Lasagna Made Gluten-Free With Potato "Noodles" & Meat Sauce."

For more of Michael's gluten-, dairy- and sugar-free recipes, check out:
Healthy Sweet Potato Pancakes With Wilted Greens
Dairy-Free Mac & Cheese With Roasted Vegetables
Dairy-Free "Parmesan" Cheese
Avocado Chocolate Mousse

Adapted from Fix It with Food by Michael Symon. Copyright © 2019 by Michael Symon. Used with permission by Clarkson Potter. All rights reserved.

Ingredients

  • 1 small bunch fresh oregano
  • 1 small bunch fresh thyme
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, optional
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • One 28-ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes with juice
  • ½ cup torn fresh basil leaves

Yield

Serves: Makes 3 cups

Preparation

Bundle up oregano and thyme in kitchen twine and set aside. 

Place a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat to shimmering, then add onion, garlic, pepper flakes (if using), and large pinch salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. 

Crush tomatoes by hand and add them, along with their juices, to the pot. Season with a pinch of salt and a twist of black pepper and add the herb bundle. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes to marry the flavors. Remove from the heat, discard the herb bundle, and lightly process in a blender until most large chunks are gone. Stir in the basil leaves. Use immediately or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.