Fresh Tomato & Herb Paleo Marinara Sauce

If you’ve found some gorgeous tomatoes on sale at the supermarket or scored a deal at your local farmer’s market, here’s an easy and awesome recipe to make a fresh batch of paleo marinara sauce.

This is a rich and beautiful basic marinara sauce I’m sure you’re going to love. It has a bright, vine-ripened flavor that tastes incredibly fresh – something you just can’t get with jarred or canned tomatoes. And you can always make it heartier if you like. Just add cooked ground beef or turkey when it’s almost finished simmering, or you could even toss in some freshly chopped and sautéed veggies toward the end.

You don’t need to go to the trouble of puréeing this one in a food processor or blender. Just letting the chopped tomatoes break down naturally as they simmer will give you a slightly chunky sauce with a heavenly aroma.

I’d recommend a cooking time of up to 50 minutes for this quantity of sauce. That’s just about right to let enough of the tomatoes’ natural moisture cook-off while caramelizing some of the tomatoes’ natural sugars. Simmering it too long can give the sauce a tart taste, so keep your stove time under 50 minutes. Taste it as it cooks – your taste buds will tell you when it’s cooked perfectly. [av_sidebar widget_area=’Lockerdome’ av_uid=’av-uca6dw’]

If you’ve never blanched tomatoes to loosen the skin so you can peel them, no worries – it’s easy. Just get a pot of water boiling and then cut a small skin-deep “X” at the bottom of each tomato. Then just lower them into the boiling water with a slotted spoon. Let the tomatoes boil for about 60 seconds, or no longer than 90 seconds. You should see the skin start to separate where you made the “X” in each tomato – that means they’re ready for the cold-water rinse. This little step makes peeling the tomatoes a breeze. Just remember not to crowd the pan of boiling water with too many tomatoes at one time – blanch them in batches if necessary.

You can store this sauce in your fridge in an airtight container for about a week. It’s also great for freezing (zip top freezer bags work well) and then thawing and reheating later.

Hope you enjoy this easy fresh tomato and herb sauce recipe, and as always, I love your comments!

AuthorTrinaDifficultyBeginner

fresh herb marinara sauce - paleo recipe

 3 1/2 pounds of fresh tomatoes
 1/3 cup olive oil
 1/2 medium onion, diced small
 2 cloves of garlic
 2 Tbsp basil - fresh
 1 Tbsp parsley - fresh
 1 Tbsp oregano - fresh
 Optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
 Optional: 1 Tbsp tomato paste (for a thicker sauce)

1

To make the tomatoes easier to peel, first cut a small "X" just through the skin at the bottom of each tomato. Then blanch them for just 60-90 seconds in boiling water, then rinse with cold water. Peel the tomatoes (starting at the "X" where you scored them), then continue to core and chop the peeled tomatoes. Remove seeds if desired. Set tomatoes aside.

2

Choose a large saucepan or pot (a 2-quart size is ideal). Add the 1/3 cup of olive oil and heat over medium heat, then add in the diced onions. Cook onions until tender. Next add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.

3

Now add the chopped tomatoes to the pot along with the salt and bring mixture to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low. Next add in all the fresh herbs, along with the red pepper flakes if desired.

4

Simmer until sauce thickens, around 40-50 minutes. NOTE: For an even thicker sauce, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste while simmering.

5

Serve over zoodles, or whatever you like.

Makes about 2 cups of sauce

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Ingredients

 3 1/2 pounds of fresh tomatoes
 1/3 cup olive oil
 1/2 medium onion, diced small
 2 cloves of garlic
 2 Tbsp basil - fresh
 1 Tbsp parsley - fresh
 1 Tbsp oregano - fresh
 Optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
 Optional: 1 Tbsp tomato paste (for a thicker sauce)

Directions

1

To make the tomatoes easier to peel, first cut a small "X" just through the skin at the bottom of each tomato. Then blanch them for just 60-90 seconds in boiling water, then rinse with cold water. Peel the tomatoes (starting at the "X" where you scored them), then continue to core and chop the peeled tomatoes. Remove seeds if desired. Set tomatoes aside.

2

Choose a large saucepan or pot (a 2-quart size is ideal). Add the 1/3 cup of olive oil and heat over medium heat, then add in the diced onions. Cook onions until tender. Next add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.

3

Now add the chopped tomatoes to the pot along with the salt and bring mixture to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low. Next add in all the fresh herbs, along with the red pepper flakes if desired.

4

Simmer until sauce thickens, around 40-50 minutes. NOTE: For an even thicker sauce, add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste while simmering.

5

Serve over zoodles, or whatever you like.

Fresh Tomato & Herb Paleo Marinara Sauce

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