Tomato and Carrot Marinara Sauce

Name: Tomato and Carrot Marinara Sauce
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 1/4 cups (about eight servings)
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and finely diced 1/4 inch dice or smaller, or finely chopped in a food processor fitted with a steel blade 1 1/2 cups; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 pounds tomatoes, seeded and grated, or peeled, seeded and chopped; or 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice; 1/8 teaspoon sugar; 1 sprig of fresh basil, if available; Salt to taste; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 5(144)
Comments: Read comments

If you’re trying to eat less meat but miss chunky tomato sauce, you’ll appreciate the finely diced carrots in this one.

Featured in: Carrots: Digging Deeper for Fall Flavor

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:2¼ cups (about eight servings)

2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½pound carrots, peeled and finely diced ¼ inch dice or smaller, or finely chopped in a food processor fitted with a steel blade 1½ cups
2garlic cloves, minced
2pounds tomatoes, seeded and grated, or peeled, seeded and chopped; or 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice
⅛teaspoon sugar
1sprig of fresh basil, if available
Salt to taste
1tablespoon tomato paste
½teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, wide nonstick skillet or saucepan. Add the carrots. Cook, stirring, until tender, five to eight minutes. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to a minute until the garlic begins to smell fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the sugar, basil sprig, salt, tomato paste and oregano. Stir, and turn up the heat. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until thick and fragrant, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the basil sprig, and wipe any sauce adhering to it back into the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Tip

Advance preparation: The sauce will keep for four to five days in the refrigerator and freezes well.

Ratings

5 out of 5

144 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

john7 years ago

Shouldn't the tomato paste go in just before the garlic or with the garlic? I thought Tomato Paste should be roasted.

Mary Ahern7 years ago

We enjoyed this sauce over some portobello stuffed ravioli with garlic toast on the side. Grated a bag of mildly defrosted carrots in the food processor which seemed like just the right amount. The sauce had a thickness to it that complemented the pasta and made the meal more robust and satisfying.

HOOVER7 years ago

Nice flavor, easy to prepare threw carrot chunks in food processor and ta da perfect little bits. Will make again for sure.

SY1 year ago

The two of us enjoyed this it. Didn’t have a meaty texture per se, but tasty and easy, and I had a ton of carrots from a farm share and so doubled the batch, and this this helped use up a pound of them, quickly chopped in a food processor. I also sautéed the tomato paste with garlic, then added tomatoes, a glug of red wine and a couple Parmesan rinds, and served on einkorn pasta and topped with fresh grated Parm. Satisfying, quick, after-work dinner.

mama3 years ago

So hansom that what your are rough call pediatrics symphony how is it is on zero 76ha don’t worry it will you WDL island. December 19 how is that haircut duekx

mmcneese5 years ago

Got this on the stove now and I’m sure it will be good but I’m wishing I had used a deeper saucepan vs a skillet. Or had a red stovetop to hide all the splashes.

Private comments are only visible to you.