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This mushroom marinara sauce is so much better than any canned version! It’s perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, chicken parmesan, as a dip for cheese sticks and anything you can think to use tomato sauce for.
You can even add ground meat and make it a meat sauce! It’s delicious! We poured this sauce over spaghetti and topped it with sliced grilled chicken. It’ll leave you craving more! Thankfully, this makes a full pot so you’ll be able to store some in the fridge for later.
My cousin Alla shared this recipe with me. She’s been making it for years. This recipe is a keeper!
Ingredients for Mushroom Marinara:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onions, (about 1 1/2 cups) finely chopped
6 medium garlic cloves, pressed
6 medium tomatoes, diced
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes (Italian style)
1 cup Red Wine (Soft Red, or Cabernet Sauvignon, most red wines will do)
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt, or 3/4 Tbsp Sea Salt (started with 1/2 Tbsp sea salt)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms, rinsed, dried, sliced
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Tools you will need:
A dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot
Hand immersion blender (preferred & easier), or food processor, or blender)
How to Make the Best Marinara Sauce:
1. In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot, add 1/3 cup olive oil and saute onions and garlic together over medium heat until softened (7 mins).
2. Chop tomatoes then add to the pot along with 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice. Boil uncovered over med/high heat for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
3. Add 1 cup red wine Cabernet Sauvignon, ½ tsp Italian Seasoning, 1 Tbsp Kosher salt (or to taste), 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes and 1/8 tsp black pepper then stir well to combine. Pulse a few timeswith a hand immersion blender to desired consistency (if you don’t have an immersion blender, you can pulse it a few times in a good food processor or blender). You still want to have some tomato chunks (You don’t want a cream soup here.
4. Add fresh sliced mushrooms and 1 cup chopped fresh basil and simmer uncovered another 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms are fully cooked and the sauce is thickened.Total cooking time from the time you start to saute onions is 45 min-1 hr, depending on desired consistency.
IfWhen you make this, let me know how you served it. I’m so curious!
Mushroom Marinara Sauce Recipe
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
This mushroom marinara sauce is so much better than any canned version! It's perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, chicken parmesan, as a dip for cheese sticks and anything you can think to use tomato sauce for.
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onions, (about 1 1/2 cups) finely chopped
- 6 medium garlic cloves, pressed
- 6 medium tomatoes, diced
- 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (Italian style)
- 1 cup Red Wine, Soft Red, or Cabernet Sauvignon, most red wines will do
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt, or 3/4 Tbsp Sea Salt (started with 1/2 Tbsp sea salt)
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms, rinsed, dried, sliced
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Tools you will need:
- A dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot
- Hand immersion blender, preferred & easier, or food processor, or blender)
Instructions
In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot, add 1/3 cup olive oil and saute onions and garlic together over medium heat until softened (7 mins).
Chop tomatoes then add to the pot along with 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice. Boil uncovered over med/high heat for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
Add 1 cup red wine Cabernet Sauvignon, ½ tsp Italian Seasoning, 1 Tbsp Kosher salt (or to taste), 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes and 1/8 tsp black pepper then stir well to combine. Pulse a few times with a hand immersion blender to desired consistency (if you don't have an immersion blender, you can pulse it a few times in a good food processor or blender). You still want to have some tomato chunks (You don't want a cream soup here)
Add fresh sliced mushrooms and 1 cup chopped fresh basil and simmer uncovered another 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms are fully cooked and the sauce is thickened. Total cooking time from the time you start to saute onions is 45 min-1 hr, depending on desired consistency.
- Full Nutrition Label
- Nutrition Disclosure
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Mushroom Marinara Sauce
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Enjoy this awesome marinara sauce and thanks for sharing it with the people you love! What’s your favorite way to use marinara sauce?
Natasha Kravchuk
Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.
Read more posts by Natasha
FAQs
In short, marinara sauce is a type of pasta sauce. It's likely the one that most people are familiar with — a simple, tomato-based pasta sauce without a lot of fuss. What distinguishes marinara as its own signature sauce is its unfussy ingredient list and quick cook time.
What is a thickening agent for mushroom sauce? ›
To thicken this easy mushroom sauce recipe, you can use either cornstarch or flour. If your diet does not allow you to use flour or cornstarch, you can use Xantan Gum. Keep in mind than creamy sauces and gravy made with cornstarch are usually tend to be glossier than sauces made with flour.
What makes marinara sauce better? ›
An especially effective option with a low risk is tomato paste. Brown a tablespoon or so in olive oil in your pot or skillet before adding the sauce to simmer or reheat. Anchovies, or anchovy paste, are another umami-rich ingredient, so try cooking a few minced fillets or a teaspoon or so of paste into the sauce.
Why add butter to marinara sauce? ›
Similar to creamy sauces like Alfredo, or meaty sauces like ragu, tomato sauce is naturally low in fat, and as a result, sometimes becomes too thick and too starchy when it's been tossed with pasta. The addition of butter helps to loosen and emulsify the sauce, making it smooth and creamy.
Which is healthier marinara or spaghetti sauce? ›
If you are buying a jarred or canned sauce, choose a tomato-based (marinara) sauce rather than a creamy sauce. Creamy sauces usually have more saturated fat and calories. Eating too much saturated fat has been linked to heart disease. Tomato-based sauces also contain more nutrients like vitamin A and lycopene.
Is Prego spaghetti sauce the same as marinara sauce? ›
Spaghetti sauce is a version of marinara, but it usually contains additional ingredients, like meat or vegetables.
How long does it take for mushroom sauce to thicken? ›
Add broth, cream and parmesan. Stir, then lower heat to medium so the sauce is simmering - do not boil rapidly, cream may split. Stir occasionally and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes until it thickens. It shouldn't be super thick, this is a rich sauce.
Why is my mushroom sauce not thickening? ›
2 Answers. One of the simplest and most straight forward: dissolve some starch (cornstarch is common in the US; alternates include potato starch, arrowroot, or tapioca) in some water, into a smooth slurry. Add the slurry to your simmering sauce base, stirring, and let it cook for a minute or so.
What do chefs use to thicken sauce? ›
The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.
What does adding milk to marinara sauce do? ›
When you make home-made tomato sauce with fresh or tinned tomatoes, it can sometimes turn out to be too acidic. Add a little milk to tomato sauce for a sweeter taste to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. This is a well-kept secret amongst Italian grandmothers.
The reason for sprinkling a pinch of sugar into a simmering saucepan of tomatoes is simple: sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an overall more balanced sauce. The exact acid levels in tomatoes can vary quite a bit depending on whether they're fresh or canned, the tomato variety, and the time of year.
Why add baking soda to marinara sauce? ›
Add Some Baking Soda
If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.
Can I substitute marinara sauce for pasta sauce? ›
Many recipes can accommodate either marinara or tomato sauce. For example, both tomato-based sauces can be used for pasta, but the heavier, more complex tomato sauce can overpower lighter, simpler dishes, while marinara is less ideal for smothering proteins or filling out lasagnas.
Can you use pasta sauce as marinara? ›
This is also why folks often use the terms marinara sauce and spaghetti sauce as one in the same. They are similar, spaghetti sauce is essentially a version of a marinara sauce. Spaghetti sauce usually contains added ingredients such as ground beef to make a bolognese sauce.
Can I substitute marinara with pasta sauce? ›
Marinara and spaghetti sauces have the same core ingredient—tomatoes! While the two sauces differ slightly, they have a very similar texture and can be used interchangeably in equal amounts. Pasta sauce will bring extra flavor to the the table, which is an added bonus.
Why do Americans call pasta sauce marinara? ›
'Marinara' translates to 'seafaring'
The term marinara directly translates to "seafaring" in Italian, Paesana notes. And as it turns out, the sauce was given this name because it was heavily consumed by Italian merchants out at sea, not because it was eaten with seafood, unlike what some folks may think.
