Homemade creamy marinara sauce is so easy to make so it’s perfect for any night of the week. I am all about convenience and taste. So if a jar of sauce is tasty why not just use that instead of cooking up a homemade batch. No judgment from me! But sometimes homemade is better and can still be quick and easy. That’s what this sauce is. You only need 4 ingredients to make this delicious creamy rich marinara sauce. Let me show you how.
Here’s what you need to make the sauce:
To start with, you need one can large can of whole tomatoes. When making the homemade sauce the kind of canned tomatoes you choose does matter. Whole tomatoes are not processed and have little to no additives. Pro-tip! Look for an imported Italian brand for the best-tasting tomatoes. Do not buy diced or crushed, they are not the same and you will not achieve the same flavor.
In addition, you need four cloves of finely minced garlic, some salt, and mascarpone cheese. Mascarpone cheese is an Italian soft cheese. It has the same consistency as American cream cheese, but taste more buttery in my opinion. This can be found at your local grocery store and even Trader Joe’s carries it.
How to crush the tomatoes?
You need to crush the whole tomatoes yourself. There are many ways you can do this, but I have found the easiest way to crush the whole tomatoes is to put them into a large ziplock bag. Once all the tomatoes are sealed in the bag, use your hands to break apart and crush the tomatoes into small pieces. This does take some time, about 5 minutes. But it’s worth it. You don’t want large chunks of tomatoes in your “creamy sauce” Once the tomatoes are broken down you are then ready to add them to the recipe.
How to make creamy marinara sauce:
First, add the minced garlic to warm olive oil. Sauté for about 1 minute until soft and fragrant. Second, add your “hand-crushed” tomatoes to the garlic and stir. Throw in some salt and bring to a boil. Once the sauce is boiling, lower the heat and let the sauce simmer and reduce slightly for about 30 minutes. Third, add half of a cup of mascarpone cheese to the sauce and stir together until it’s fully combined. If the mascarpone is still cold it’s ok, the heat from the sauce will melt the cheese and help it incorporate into the sauce. Taste and add more salt if needed. Lastly, add cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to evenly coat the noodles. Top the pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Creamy Marinara Sauce
This creamy marinara sauce comes together in 30 minutes and only calls for 4 ingredients making this pasta dish perfect for any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 can (28 oz.) of whole tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese
- 8-10 oz. cooked pasta. (Rigatoni, Penne, Farfalla)
Instructions
1. Add whole tomatoes to a ziplock bag. Seal the bag. Using your hands, break up the tomatoes into very small pieces until it’s only slightly chunky.
2. Warm 2 tbsps olive oil in a large pan. Add minced garlic and stir continuously to avoid the garlic browning or burning. Cook for about 1 minute.
3. Add crushed tomatoes and salt to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. Add mascarpone cheese to the sauce and stir until it fully combines.
5. Add cooked pasta to sauce. Toss to fully coat the pasta noodles.
6. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve.
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Notes
Canned whole tomatoes are best for this recipe. You may be tempted to buy "crushed tomatoes" to save yourself some time, but the flavor is not the same and not worth the shortcut in my opinion!
Other pasta dishes you might enjoy are Garlicky Spaghetti with Beans & Greens, Stove-top Lasagna, Brown Butter Pasta with Spicy Sausage and Peas, Summertime Zucchini Pasta with Lemon & Basil, and Creamy Mushroom Pasta
