Simple and Quick Marinara Sauce

You will need:

• 1 15oz. can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. of minced or finely dices onion
• 1 tbsp. of minced or pressed garlic
• 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of chicken broth
• 2 tsp. of white sugar
• 1/4 tsp. of Italian seasoning
• Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

One day, not long ago, I made some cheese breadsticks and didn’t have any pizza sauce or marinara on hand for dipping. I don’t know about you, but I can’t eat cheese breadsticks without some sort of dipping sauce. And, I had to think up something quick because I also don’t like to eat cold, cheese breadsticks…yuck!

After a quick look in the cupboard, I found that I had some tomato sauce, so I decided to try my hand at whipping some up myself. Turns out, it wasn’t bad. Actually, it was really good.

Here’s how I made it.

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onions and stir around in the pan until translucent, and then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Next, add in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, sugar, Italian seasoning and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir the sauce until it gets steaming hot, and then reduce heat to low and simmer with lid on for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This sauce is actually better the next day, but if you’re serving it the same day, allow it to cool and serve warm, not hot. Once cooled, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.

I’ve made this sauce a few times now and I’ve used it as both a dipping sauce and a pizza sauce. Yes, sometimes canned sauce is more convenient, but this recipe definitely wins first place on simplicity, especially for a homemade marinara sauce!

If you decide to give this recipe a try, let me know what you think!