Italian · sauce

Rustic Marinara Tomato Sauce

Name: Rustic Marinara Tomato Sauce
Total time: 75 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ¼ cup virgin olive oil; ½ brown onion, finely chopped; 3–4 garlic cloves, grated; 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp of the dry herb); 2 × 400 g cans whole tomatoes; 1 tsp table salt; cracked black pepper, to taste; olive oil to finish, a swirl (about 1 tbsp); a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

Rustic Marinara Tomato Sauce — from Recipe30's cooking video

Watch how it’s made · 3:22

Video by Recipe30 on YouTube · Open on YouTube

75 minMakes 7 × ½ cup (125 g)129 kcal a portion

Keto (7.5 g net carbs a serve)
Vegan
Gluten-free ingredients
Nut-free

Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Just tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs and olive oil, with no added sugar: a ½-cup portion has about 130 kcal, 7.5 g of net carbs and 2.5 g of fibre, and most of its energy comes from olive oil.

Printable PDFA4

The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.

Ingredients 9

¼ cup virgin olive oil
½ brown onion, finely chopped
3–4 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp of the dry herb)
2 × 400 g cans whole tomatoes
1 tsp table salt
cracked black pepper, to taste
olive oil to finish, a swirl (about 1 tbsp)
a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

Warm the ¼ cup olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the finely chopped onion slowly until soft. 0:40
Grate in the garlic and cook for a few minutes without letting it brown, then add the chopped oregano. 1:06
Add the tomatoes a little at a time, crushing each lot with a ladle against the pan. 1:36
Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 1–2 hours, stirring and checking every 30 minutes so it doesn't stick; add a splash of water if it gets too thick. (Even 10 minutes gives a good sauce.) 2:08
Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in a swirl of olive oil and the torn basil leaves. 1:56

Tip. Makes about 3½ cups (our estimate: 7 portions of ½ cup). Freeze in portions for quick pasta, fish or chicken dishes. Use the best canned whole tomatoes you can find rather than crushed.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One portion, ½ cup (125 g), gives you 1 of 7

Energy129 kcal540 kJ

Protein2.1 g4% of a day

Fibre2.5 g9% of a day

Carbohydrate10 g7.5 g net · 5 g sugars4% of a day

Fat10 g1.3 g saturated13% of a day

Sodium480 mg21% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

Net carbs 23%
Protein 7%
Fat 70%

Fits keto: 7.5 g net carbs a serve, with 70% of the energy from fat.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin E Source18%

2.7 mg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (47%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Vitamin C Source13%

12 mg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (89%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin K Source11%

13 µg a serve, mostly from virgin olive oil (36%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Show the other 12

Iron9%

1.7 mg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (89%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin B69%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (77%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Potassium8%

360 mg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (93%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Magnesium5%

20 mg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (88%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Omega-35%

0.1 g a serve, mostly from virgin olive oil (72%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Calcium4%

47 mg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (80%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Zinc4%

0.4 mg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (87%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Folate4%

18 µg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (84%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Vitamin A3%

25 µg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (92%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Selenium2%

1.1 µg a serve, mostly from tomatoes (74%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin B120%

0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

Browse all 953 recipes

Recipe and video by Recipe30; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.