This Homemade Mushroom Marinara is for the mushroom lover! It's packed full, super flavorful, freezer friendly, and easy to make!
Ahh the mushroom. As my dad used to say, "they're good people." We love all things mushroom around here (my 4 year old's favorite pizza toppings are mushrooms and onions!), and we're adding this Homemade Mushroom Marinara to the top of our list of fungi favorites!
What is Marinara?
What makes Marinara Sauce different than the sauces you see in your grocery store, is that they're typically made with fewer ingredients, particularly without any added sugar.
Now a true, traditional marinara sauce does not have mushrooms. And if you want to get real authentic, (like in the south in Italy), then it doesn't even include onion. >gasp<
We're still keeping it fresh and simple, but also incorporating some of our favorite ingredients.
Ingredients Needed
As it should be no surprise to anyone who's been visiting SFS for awhile now, fresh, is the name of the game here.
- Fresh Mushrooms - I love white buttons for this recipe but any of your favorites would be great!
- Fresh Roma Tomatoes - Romas are the best for sauce making because of they have low moisture which means that they need less time to cook down to create a nice thick sauce. Also, they have fewer seeds than other varieties.
- Canned Tomatoes- In addition to fresh, we also supplement with some canned whole and tomato paste. Have you canned some of your own Canned Whole Tomatoes, yet?
- Fresh Garlic and Onions - Staples to any sauce! We prefer white onions, but yellow would also be great.
- Fresh Rosemary and Basil - You can also use dried if that's what you have, see recipe notes.
- Olive Oil
- Oregano, Salt and Pepper to taste.
Tip: No whole tomatoes? No problem. You can use other high quality canned tomatoes, too. Others include crushed or diced, the most important thing is that they are a high quality tomatoes, like the Muir Glen or Cento San Marzano.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sauté garlic and onion and then add the mushrooms to sauté. Yes, it's a lot of mushrooms!
Step 2: Once those 'shrooms have cooked down, it's time to add the tomatoes, whole and fresh diced.
Step 3: Add fresh and dried herbs and salt and pepper.
Step 4: Let simmer for 45 minutes until sauce has thickened, stirring often.
Once thickened to your liking and then you're done! This is definitely not a sauce for the faint of mushroom-lovin' heart.
Serve it with your favorite kind of pasta, Fresh Ricotta Ravioli From Scratch, Gnocchi From Scratch, or use it as a sauce in a lasagna: hint, hint to how we used it!
More Mushroom Lovin' Recipes
Can't get enough of 'em? Me neither.
Balsamic Spinach and Mushrooms
Green Bean and Mushroom Braised Chicken
Cream of Mushroom Soup From Scratch
FAQs
Definitely. You can substitute the 2 lbs of fresh romas for another 28 oz can.
You can, but Romas (or any other plum tomatoes) are really the best because they're the best for sauces because they have low moisture which means that they need less time to cook down to create a nice thick sauce. Also, they have fewer seeds, a thicker fruit wall, and a denser flesh.
Of course. To substitute dried for fresh just at a 1:3 ratio. This means for 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, substitute 1 teaspoon (since there are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon).
Sure can. For up to 3-4 months!
Yes, but because of the low acidity in this sauce, to safely can I would only do so using a Pressure Canner and following instructions from your canner based on your altitude.
Enjoy, Friends! As always, please let me know if you make this recipe and what you think! I love to hear from you on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!
Homemade Mushroom Marinara
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onions, diced about half of a large onion
- 24 - 28 oz canned whole tomatoes
- 2 lbs fresh roma tomatoes diced
- 5-6 large garlic cloves
- 1 lb mushrooms, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In large stock pot, heat oil over medium/medium-low. Add onion and garlic and sauté until it starts to brown, stirring often. Approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add mushrooms to pot, stir, and cook until they have released most of their liquid. 5-7 minutes.
- Add whole tomatoes (with fluid) and fresh diced tomatoes and bring heat up to medium. Stir well, break up whole tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon as you stir.
- Add oregano, rosemary, basil, salt, and pepper and mix well.
- Turn heat down a little to medium-low, and let rapid simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring often. Or low and let it gently simmer, although it will reduce more slowly at a lower temp.
- Once it has thickened to your liking, serve over your favorite pasta or lasagna.
This marinara looks amazing and I love how you added mushroom to it! the colour of the dish makes me super excited to try it out. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thanks, Ramona!
What a great way to get hearty mushrooms into a sauce! Definitely more filling than regular marinara… Thank you!
I have never added mushrooms in marinara. I am so intrigued. Trying this sauce tonight for dinner.
My youngest daughter is such a mushroom fan so I had to make this marinara. What a hit with her and the entire family. The recipe was so easy to follow and the results, mangia. Everyone loved it, we will enjoy this often.
So good to hear, thanks for sharing!
I LOVE homemade marinara sauce, and I can't wait to try this version with mushrooms! I agree they are "good people" LOL.
😀
This is such a beautiful sauce - I love how you've packed it with mushrooms and the tips about the fresh tomatoes. My son avoids mushrooms at all costs, so this recipe will be just for my daughter-in-law and me to enjoy.
Thanks so much, Beth!
Wow! This is absolutely a thing of beauty, loved the color it gives that makes this so enticing. Such a great recipe that everybody could do as 1, 2, 3 and it's such easy to make plus the ingredients are easy to find. Thanks for sharing and looking forward to another great easy to make recipe.
Thanks so much, Amy!
Such a delicious marinara! Made a huge batch and popped a bunch in the freezer. Thank you for the great recipe... it was so easy!
I have always made sauce from cans but just recently taken interest in using fresh. I first made fresh tomato basil soup. Now I'm ready to skip the cans and use the plum romas in this delicious sauce.
So glad you enjoyed it, Candice!
This looks wonderful and I'm in the mood to make something like this over the weekend. Would be great to double up some for the freezer too.
Definitely add some to the freezer!