The tomatoes in a classic marinara can trace their roots back to the sauce's motherland of Italy, figuratively speaking at least. Traditionally, marinara is an utterly simple affair. It is not some mega-involved sauce with layers of ingredients, and consists merely of tomatoes, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and usually basil. With a loose consistency, the texture of a classic marinara can range from smooth to somewhat chunky and it tastes like fresh, perfect tomatoes. So, in our version here, we're adding more of those base ingredients to a jar of marinara - we're toasting an almost obscene amount of fresh garlic and an entire onion in a mixture of both olive oil and butter. The butter and onions, you might say, are a nod to Marcela Hazan's iconic three-ingredient tomato sauce . Yes, you might say that. By infusing the jarred sauce with those fresh elements, it changes the feel of the whole thing. The olive oil adds such a lusciousness and the butter, to me, provides a necessary kick-back to the acidity from all of those tomatoes. It cuts it - that rich dairy fat.

What is Marinara Used For?

Whatever you want! Let's be honest. That's the real answer to this question. But traditionally speaking, marinara is perhaps most frequently seen in pasta dishes (like our recipe today), used like/as spaghetti sauce. But I also love marinara as a dip. Dipping breadsticks, toasted ravioli, mozzarella sticks, or even roasted vegetables (especially potatoes ... think Spanish patatas bravas ). I also think it's wonderful on hot subs ... meatball subs/grinders, that sort of thing.

How do you prevent Marinara from becoming watery?

I taught a small cooking class once and we made a few versions of tomato sauce (so you see, my saucy passion is legit and far-reaching). One was a raw tomato sauce that isn't a far cry from pico de gallo but instead, the diced summer tomatoes swim in garlicky olive oil with loads of fresh basil and Italian parsley - it's heavenly, yes. The others were that family-style sugo to which I previously referred (a version of that, at least), and the last was a marinara. The question regarding the wateriness of a tomato sauce came up, which is why I'm including it here. To keep your sauces thick, rich, and decidedly un-watery, you simply want to allow them to cook a while, uncovered. This will evaporate and reduce the liquid - the water - in the tomatoes down down down until the sauce has no choice but to be exactly as you wish. Which is to say, it will be un-watery. The water problem is really more prevalent with sauces made from fresh tomatoes, as opposed to canned. And it's totally avoided altogether in sauces that begin with store bought-jarred marinara, like the one we're making today. Yet another win for this "incredible" sauce.

How to Make a Jar of Marinara Taste Better (in 3 easy steps)

Incredible Slow Cooker Marinara (and how to make a jar of marinara taste better)

Print Recipe

Rich and deeply flavorful, this is the best way to totally transform jars of marinara sauce into something show-stopping. Loaded with an unbelievable amount of garlic, onions, ground spices, and yes, butter, this is our favorite way to make marinara sauce. The slow cooker adds convenience, yes, but it also allows the flavors in the sauce to deepen and open up in a way that cooking quickly on the stovetop just won’t accomplish. Time is an essential component to the success of this recipe.

Author: Lauren McDuffie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 25 minutes
Yield: about 5 to 6 cups 1x
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale

16 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 stick of unsalted butter (8 TBSP)
1 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
Two, 28-ounce jars of your favorite store-bought marinara (such as Classico, Prego, etc.)

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Instructions

Place the garlic and onion in a food processor, and pulse until you get an almost paste-like consistency – everything should be pretty finely processed.
Place a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil, butter, the garlic/onion mixture, and the Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes – just to allow the onions to soften, the spices to toast, and the garlic to get soft and sweet.
Transfer this mixture to your slow cooker and add the jarred marinara sauce, and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to cook on low for at least 6, but as much as 8. I like to leave the lid of the cooker off during the last hour-ish, as this helps concentrate/evaporate the sauce, reducing the water (not necessary though).

Notes

1. Sometimes, I like to sauce a pound of spicy Italian sausage, in the skillet after I transfer the garlic/onion mixture to the slow cooker. I brown the sausage and then add it to the marinara before cooking. It, too, is incredible.

2. This is a great overnight sauce. If you’d prefer to not have your house smell like sauce when you wake up, just leave your cooker running overnight in your garage or even on your porch, if the weather suits.

3. The sauce will keep nicely in the fridge for up to 5 days, in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Find it online: https://mykitchenlittle.com/2024/01/23/how-to-make-a-jar-of-marinara-taste-better/