Name: Spaghetti Marinara (Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: serves 2 people
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 160 g dried spaghetti (5.7 oz); 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion (diced); 2 cloves of garlic (diced); 1 carrot, large (grated); 1 tsp balsamic vinegar; salt, pepper, fresh or dried oregano; 250 g tomato passata (8.8 oz)

Spaghetti Marinara (Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce)

Spaghetti Marinara or Easy Tomato Sauce Spaghetti is one of our favorite midweek lunches. Made in just 15 minutes, this pasta dish is packed with vegetables and full of flavors. It's actually appropriate for all seasons since it's made with canned tomato passata (or you can use your homemade tomato sauce/tomato puree as well). You might see sugar in Marinara sauce recipes but not in this one. This recipe is as healthy as it gets. Instead of the sugar, we added grated carrot to the sauce, which adds a lovely, natural sweetness. We make this pasta at least once a month, if not even more. It's light and incredibly tasty, plus, you can build it up by adding some freshly grated parmesan cheese at the end. For some extra flavor, drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with fresh herbs, like oregano or basil. Quick, Easy and Incredibly delicious.

How to make Tomato Sauce for Pasta

This Marinara sauce or Tomato Sauce for Pasta is ridiculously easy to make. Make with tomato passata or tomato sauce. If you would prefer the make spaghetti with fresh tomatoes, we recommend making these amazing Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic.

Onion and Garlic - Makes a lovely base of the dish. Tomato and garlic are an incredibly tasty combination.

Carrot - Adds a lovely sweetness to the dish. You will see sugar in a lot of marinara sauces but we decided to add carrot to the sauce which adds a lovely, natural sweetness to the dish and it is a good substitute for sugar in this recipe.

Tomato passata - The most important part of the Marinara sauce is good, high-quality tomato passata or tomato puree. We usually use our homemade Tomato puree, which is truly amazing (with 3 ingredients only).

Balsamic vinegar - Creates an amazing balance between sweet and sour. You can leave it out if you don't have it at home.

Oregano - It's always good to add some herbs to your spaghetti sauce. Use dried or fresh oregano. Basil would work amazing too.

Reserved pasta water - Creates a creamy sauce and adds the saltiness. Always try the pasta sauce after adding the reserved pasta water and before adding more salt, so that it won't be too salty.

How to Store Spaghetti Marinara (Tomato Pasta Sauce)

Keep the Marinara or Tomato Pasta Sauce chilled in a fridge for up to 3 - 4 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Keep the final dish Spaghetti Marinara chilled in a fridge for up to 2 days. Don't freeze the final dish. Once you decide to reheat the Spaghetti Marinara, add a few tablespoons of water to create a nice, creamy sauce.

Other delicious pasta recipes with tomato sauce

METHOD

Cook the spaghetti

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions or until cooked al dente.
Onion and Garlic

Place a pot over medium-low heat. Add olive oil to a hot pot. Add the diced onion and diced garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is nice and soft.
Cook the sauce

Add grated carrot and cook for about 5 minutes. Grated carrot cooks quicker than the sliced one. Add balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and pepper. Stir, then add the tomato passata and cook for about 5 - 7 minutes to reduce the sauce.

Tip

You will see sugar in a lot of marinara sauces but we decided to add carrot to the sauce which adds a lovely, natural sweetness to the dish and it is a good substitute for sugar in this recipe.
Finish and Serve

Pour about 100 ml of reserved pasta water to the Marinara sauce. Stir to combine, then add your al dente cooked spaghetti. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh oregano and/or basil.