Marinara is perhaps one of the most universally-enjoyed Italian sauces. While it’s flavor profile is far from basic, marinara sauce is one the simplest yet delicious sauces. Using only a handful of ingredients while still gaining rich flavor, marinara sauce is a fan favorite for Italian cuisine lovers. But what is marinara sauce, exactly, and how is it used to create a delicious plate? To put it simply, marinara sauce is a delicious sauce made with a combination of tasty tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, and other favored aromatics.
Just like the sauce itself, marinara has a rich history that has led it to become such a beloved dish all over the world. In this article, we’ll explore what marinara sauce is made of, where it comes from, as well as how to best prepare marinara to set your meal up for success. With Pirro’s Marinara Sauce, we’ll instantly change the way you approach marinara meal-making.
Where Does Marinara Sauce Come From?
Italian cuisine has a long-running place in history, which is why its influence has become such an international phenomenon. Let’s go back to the start: marinara is widely believed to have been first created in Southern Italy, most likely Naples or Sicily. Tomatoes began appearing in Europe through 16th-century explorers, with Italians quickly using them to create tomato sauces for the plates of pasta that arrived numerous centuries prior.
Tomato sauce has Italian roots, first referenced in an Italian cookbook in 1692, with recipes for tomato sauce and pasta appearing in the years to come. This tomato sauce received the title of “marinara” sauce due to its sea-side origins. Translating to “seafaring” or “mariner style”, marinara sauce earned its name because it was an especially popular dish among Italian merchants during long expeditions. Eventually, Italian immigrants brought the dish to international acclaim, with dozens of variations worldwide.
What Does Marinara Sauce Taste Like?
Because traditional marinara is meant to be deliciously simple, its flavor profile should be fairly consistent across the board. The typical marinara sauce tastes like its base ingredient, fresh tomatoes, with a velvety texture and rich kick from the olive oil. Marinara should always be made with the freshest of tomatoes to guarantee a delicious dish and can have desired spices and aromatics added to taste.
What Do People Use Marinara Sauce For?
While marinara sauce is often also called spaghetti sauce because of its popularity in all kinds of pasta recipes, pasta is far from the only use for marinara. Since marinara is one of the simplest Italian sauces, its versatility is just as much of a bragging point as its flavor. People use marinara in countless different recipes, tweaking its recipe for its intended purpose as needed. Some of the most common pairings for marinara sauce include:
- Pasta: Spaghetti and penne pasta are some of the most popular pasta choices for marinara sauce.
- Protein Topping: Chicken parmesan is by far the most popular pairing, but marinara tastes great with many different proteins like chicken, pork, and fish.
- Pizza/Calzone Sauce: Due to its rich and tomatoey flavor profile, marinara sauce makes for a perfect sauce for pizzas and calzones.
- Dipping Sauce: Instantly elevate garlic bread or antipasto recipes with a deliciously flavorful marinara dipping sauce. Marinara is always a safe bet if you’re in the need of extra acid.
How to Heat Up Marinara Sauce
A huge reason marinara is one of the most popular sauce options is due to its simple preparation needs. When making marinara sauce fresh, feel free to hit those base ingredients with a slow simmer to bring out the richness of the tomatoes while incorporating the varied aromatics. Marinara is also a super popular jarred sauce, which makes it a quick-and-easy meal. Pirro’s Marinara Sauce is ready-to-cook, meaning all you need to do is heat up the marinara in a pot of your choice to pair with whatever recipe is on the menu. Place that burner on medium heat, stirring occasionally, and voila: you have yourself a tasty marinara reminiscent of an Italian dinner reminiscent of the Riviera.
Use Pirro’s Marinara Sauce For Your Next Dinner!
There are countless delicious tomato-based sauces within Italian cuisine, but it's hard to say any of these would have existed without the creation of the OG tomato sauce: marinara. Marinara sauce boasts a long and rich history of taste, and even as the recipe has been adapted through the centuries, marinara sauce is one of the most timeless of plates. A flavorful marinara sauce begins by using only the freshest of ingredients, which is why it's no surprise that Pirro’s marinara is one of the most flavorful jarred marinara sauces you can get.
Pirro’s boasts six delicious authentic Italian sauces, including our simplistically tasty and versatile marinara sauce. It’s never been easier to make mealtime an experience your loved ones will never forget with Pirro’s sauces!
