Inspiration: Marinara sauce is one of those things that I make differently every time that I need it, depending on what I have on hand and how chunky/smooth/etc. I want the sauce to be. My favorite way to make a marinara, though, is to pack it full of vegetables. In my opinion, marinara is such a great vehicle for all kinds of nutrients and flavors, and the more vegetables that are thrown in there, the better.  When I was pregnant with Ben, I made this particular batch to stash away in the freezer and to serve as a quick meal with these meatballs, which I also stored in the freezer.

What We Loved: As I said, I just love how packed full of vegetables this sauce is. You’ve got the classic marinara flavors – rich tomatoes, earthy oregano and rosemary, a nice serving of garlic and butter – plus you’ve got the added bonus of the lovely vegetable flavors of onions, carrots, mushrooms, and red peppers. You can’t get much better than that.

Tips: This sauce is very versatile. To name a few options, it is great served with meatballs, atop spaghetti squash, as a topping for sauteed chicken breasts along with some cheese, or stuffed into portabella caps with some cheese for an Italian-style mushroom meal.

Chunky Vegetable Marinara Sauce
Source: Original Recipe
Serves: Makes about 6 cups

Butter
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
About 15 button mushrooms, sliced
1 small red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
1 28 oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Kosher salt and black pepper

1. Heat a good pat of butter in a sauce pan. Add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, and red pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the moisture released from all of the vegetables evaporates and the vegetables begin to brown, about 20 minutes.

2. Mix in the garlic and rosemary, and cook for an additional minute.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, Italian seasoning, and another good tablespoon of butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Simmer for as long as you’d like until ready to serve.