I've been gearing up to make Red Wine Marinara. It's not the most difficult of recipes. The key is really just slowly simmering tomatoes until thickened. I really dislike the way that food blogs treat tomatoes, though. It might be convenient to use canned tomatoes. But I really don't like the taste of tin in my food. Especially with something acidic like tomatoes. If you've ever worked in the restaurant industry, you know the absolute horror that canned tomatoes are if any air gets into them. This isn't a common occurrence. But the black sludge that spoiled tomatoes turn into will haunt me. I'm also one if those obnoxious people who just don't like tomatoes all that much!
Nevertheless, homemade marinara with fresh tomatoes is actually possible! There isn't any benefit of canned tomatoes, unless the cost of them is prohibitive. Otherwise, just finely chop, cruch, or purée the equivalent amount of actual tomatoes and simmer down the excess liquid.
I also like to have fun with it and added a hefty splash of wine. This isn't necessary and can be omitted or swapped out with red wine vinegar. This does add quite a bit of sweetness to the dish, though. So, if you like a sweeter marinara, add the wine earlier in the cooking process (as early as just after sautéing the garlic and onion). Otherwise, if you're like me and don't have quite as much of a sweet tooth, add the wine in about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking process.
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I use fresh, rather than canned tomatoes, which aren't going to be as bright a red as many marinaras typically are. You can substitute canned tomatoes. Although I like to use fresh as much as I can. After all, the tomatoes were once fresh before they were puréed, canned, and sat in the back of your pantry. Canned tomatoes are going to be darker because of the time sitting in the can. Whereas fresh tomatoes are going to have a brighter color. A longer cooking process and more red wine will also darken them.
Variations of Red Wine Marinara
I don't make marinara all that much because I simply just don't have that much of a sweet tooth. I've also worked in a plethora of restaurants that make marinara. So, when you've been watching over a giant vat of it, it kind of loses its luster. I make plenty of marinara-adjacent dips and sauces, through, from enchilada sauce with homegrown tomatoes and peppers to guacamole with just a hint of chopped tomatoes.
This Red Wine Marinara consists of fresh tomatoes, garlic, yellow onion, smoked paprika (or red pepper flakes), and oregano. It's a simple, relatively hands off recipe. Just simmer the tomatoes for at least 45 minutes and stir occasionally.
Add a splash of olive oil to a large pan over low heat. Sauté the garlic and onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, paprika, salt, and pepper (everything except for the wine) and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.Make sure to stir occasionally. This is one of those dishes where you want to keep a bit of an eye on it.
Add the wine and simmer another 15 minutes.You can sauté the sauce anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours, depending on the consistency that you want. The longer you cook it down, the deeper the color and depth of flavor is going to be. Just don't add the wine too soon unless you're looking for a sweeter taste. Which a lot of people do like in their marinaras. If it gets too sweet, you can add spicy peppers or cayenne powder to help counteract it.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
The more red wine you add and the sooner you add it, the sweeter the sauce will be. If you're a fan of a sweet marinara, adding more wine sooner in the cooking process will help. If you have less of a sweet tooth, adding less wine at the later stage of cooking will help.
I don't add oregano to red sauces and marinaras because I'm allergic. Although some would probably consider that blasphemous. It's more important to make something that works for you than try to conform to what everyone else does!
I use fresh, rather than canned tomatoes, which aren't going to be as bright a red as many marinaras typically are. You can substitute canned tomatoes. Although I like to use fresh as much as I can. After all, the tomatoes were once fresh before they were puréed, canned, and sat in the back of your pantry. Canned tomatoes are going to be darker because of the time sitting in the can. Whereas fresh tomatoes are going to have a brighter color. A longer cooking process and more red wine will also darken them.
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