With canning season just around the corner, I wanted to share with you one of our best-kept family secret recipes. This homemade marinara/spaghetti sauce is so amazingly delicious you will wonder why you’ve been buying that stuff from the store for so long. This sauce is so easy to put together and you can easily adjust the portion amounts to make a small batch for dinner one night, rather than making a large batch for canning.
A big thank you to my wonderful mother-in-law for this delicious recipe. Since my husband and I have been married, this sauce has been an absolute necessity in our pantry and even more so, now that our kids have grown older. I have a feeling our pantry will be well stocked with it for years to come!
Marinara Sauce / Spaghetti Sauce
- 12 cups quartered tomatoes
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 2 white onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 whole bay leaves
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 6oz cans tomato paste
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp basil (fresh)
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 3 tbsp salt
- 3 garlic cloves
Mix everything in a large stock pot. Cook over med heat for at least 2 hours. Once it has thickened and reached a consistency you desire, ladle into clean quart jars, topping with 1 tbsp lemon juice per quart jar. Secure with clean lids and rings. Cold pack in boiling water for 55 minutes. Makes approximately 8 quarts of sauce.
To serve simply reheat in a pan and add in any meats, if you prefer. We use this with ground beef, sausage, or elk meat for spaghetti. You can bake it in a dish with meatballs, or cook it down further and use for a pizza marinara sauce.
Enjoy!