What Gives Marinara Sauce It's Common Flavor?

[chickenparm]

I have been buying many different style and brands of Marinara sauces from different stores,to taste and see which ones I prefer.I found one I love more than all of them,yet it is not far off from the other jars with the similar taste.

While no two brands are ever the same,mostly,many seem to have the same taste and smell that makes it recognizeable as Marinara sauce.Its something they all seem to share in common,but I cannot make out what it is.

I have also looked up many recipes online and still do not see in the recipe what might be that "Marinara taste" so many brands seem to share in common somewhat.

Is there a specific spice or oil or something used that usually gives the Marinara sauces that similar-familiar flavor that many seem to share,but not made with the same ingredients?
Thanks!
 

[c0mpl3x]

onions green peppers and high acid

[Tscarborough]

Garlic, and lots of it.

[buceriasdon]

I'm going out on a limb Bill, but I'm guessing it's Marinara wine. I can't get it here so I use white wine and brandy.
Don

[PizzaHog]

Seems like the modern interpretation of marinara is tomato sauce with no meat, which may be somewhat historically accurate-depending.  From there variations abound but it seems like most all contain tomato and garlic, then often onion, basil and/or oregano or some other herbs but the list seems endless.  Way back in the day when the original immigrants were still around, my families handed down marinara recipe was quite different from my friend's family recipe, but our families hailed from diff parts of Italy.  I recall that even my Nono and Nona didn't quite agree on some sauces but they were also from diff viilages in Italy and met here in the US.  Sunday was Sugo day and only my Nono could make this sauce right, according to him at least.  I still have scars from getting slapped on the hands trying to sneak into the kitchen and dip some home made bread in the simmering Sugo.  Ah, memories...
Sorry for rambling.
Hog   

[chickenparm]

Thanks all!

Reading different recipes online,no two seem to be much different than the others.I wanted to see if I could learn how to make a good sauce at home.I needed to try the jars first though.

The Jarred sauces I bought,Some did have wine,some did not.I liked it better without the wine.

There is one brand I can eat straight out of the jar.Its amazing.Im still trying to figure out what gives it this taste it has though.It is very oily and very orangey in color.Everything is fresh in the jar and you can tell.No paste or puree is ever used.Just imported tomatoes.Yet there is still that one key ingredient that even the other jars had a similar taste,Im sure Ill find it eventually.
 

[jpc]

My Sicilian great aunt (more of a grandmother, but I digress) would be rolling in her grave.  She would curse the restaurants who would destroy her simple pleasure; to her, "Marinara" was a simple sauce (developed by seafarers, therefore the name), and shouldn't have wine, peppers, carrots, chicken broth, or anything else in it.  Tomatoes, garlic, maybe some onion, and a few spices.  And to really set her off, all it took was to mention that it was "simmered all day", because true marinara is a quick sauce, taking maybe 30 minutes to make.

Of course, she died before I was able to get the definitive recipe and technique for her excellent marinara. 

[charbo]

I thought marinara sauce was tomato sauce plus olive oil.

[thezaman]

 here is a series of cooking videos ,the chef Marco really simplifies a lot of  Italian standards. he has a video on three different pasta sauces. they are simple and good. he uses oregano in one ,basil in another, and ground vegetables in the third. look for his ricotta meatball recipe it is really tasty.http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/10/26/tomato-sauce-recipes-marco-canora/

[charbo]

Looks like I was completely wrong about marinara sauce.  I’ve been looking at Luigi Carnacina’s Great Italian Cooking (1968), which is very comprehensive (except there is no bread) and seems quite authentic.

The book has many sauces, one of which is marinara with red wine.  There is no tomato or oil.  It has vegetable mirepoix (butter, carrot, onion, celery, ham, salt, thyme, bay leaf), garlic, mushroom, kneaded butter, butter, anchovy paste, cayenne pepper, salt, white pepper.

[Darth Pizza]

real marinara sauce has celery and carrots. no garlic. check out this recipe from The next Food network star contestant Serena Polumbo. she is from italy, and its her grandmothers recipe. i make this all the time. best marinara sauce i ever had.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I6aYMZpCPs" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I6aYMZpCPs</a>

[stickygoo]

A lot of different, contradictory responses as to what constitutes real marinara sauce. 
I tend to agree more with the Sicilian great-aunt/grandmother.  It's clear that everyone changes the sauce to their own liking, but is it still really marinara sauce? As an American who is used to having pizza loaded with everything, the Italian approach has become much more appealing to me as of late. Simple ingredients, but the absolutely perfect mixture of them. It's all about aroma.

[dellavecchia]

Marinara is very simple, and has three ingredients: beautiful, ripe tomatoes, garlic and oil. If you normally spend $4 for a can of premade sauce, try buying, instead, a DOP Can of San Marzano whole tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes with your hands. Add a generous swirl of oil to a pan, and toast the sliced garlic. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

If you choose, some fresh basil could accompany the final product just before serving. Dried herbs are an Italian-American embellishment, as well as any other ingredients. This was done to compensate for the bitterness of the canned tomatoes they found here in the US, and the unavailability of fresh herbs all year round.

John

[Jackitup]

Marinara is very simple, and has three ingredients: beautiful, ripe tomatoes, garlic and oil. If you normally spend $4 for a can of premade sauce, try buying, instead, a DOP Can of San Marzano whole tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes with your hands. Add a generous swirl of oil to a pan, and toast the sliced garlic. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

If you choose, some fresh basil could accompany the final product just before serving. Dried herbs are an Italian-American embellishment, as well as any other ingredients. This was done to compensate for the bitterness of the canned tomatoes they found here in the US, and the unavailability of fresh herbs all year round.

John

You are probaby the closest but I also opt for some fresh basil right at the end. Also it has to be (for me) a top quality Tuscan olive oil.
Jon

[chickenparm]

Marinara is very simple, and has three ingredients: beautiful, ripe tomatoes, garlic and oil. If you normally spend $4 for a can of premade sauce, try buying, instead, a DOP Can of San Marzano whole tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes with your hands. Add a generous swirl of oil to a pan, and toast the sliced garlic. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

If you choose, some fresh basil could accompany the final product just before serving. Dried herbs are an Italian-American embellishment, as well as any other ingredients. This was done to compensate for the bitterness of the canned tomatoes they found here in the US, and the unavailability of fresh herbs all year round.

John

Thanks for posting that.

I have made 2 sauces like this and they have come very close to what I was looking for.I just was a little shy using the oil.

I was working on a long simmered pizza sauce recipe and ended up with a wonderful marinara type instead.It was really good.I used the Cento San Marzano tomatoes and crushed by hand,I also added a little more crushed tomatoes to it,to make more,cooked some garlic in oil and added it to the tomatoes.

A little sea salt and I was in heaven.The Kitchen smelled so good.I could eat this right out of the pot!

I am going to try a bit more oil,some other fresh spices and a bit of fresh onion next time,but for now,it has come very close to what I crave.