Mushroom Marinara Sauce with Fresh Herbs

It's not often that I use store-bought sauces, preferring instead to make my own at home to ensure freshness and control over the seasonings used. In this case, I wanted a sauce to go along with quinoa goat cheese and Parmesan cakes and so I cooked up a succulent mushroom marinara sauce that included some fresh herbs from my garden. It also makes for a delicious chunky pasta sauce or pizza sauce. The possibilities are endless. An added bonus is that it's easy to make too. The sauce will keep in the fridge in a well sealed jar for roughly 4 days or freeze it in airtight containers for up to 6 months.

Mushroom Marinara Sauce with Fresh Herbs

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Italian Published on June 27, 2013 Easy-to-make zesty and robust chunky homemade marinara sauce filled with pieces of tender portobello mushroom and seasoned with fresh herbs Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Print this recipe Ingredients: 3 sun-dried tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, grated 14 oz (400 g) portobello mushrooms, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup red or white wine 10 large plum tomatoes, finely chopped (about 6 cups) 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped 2 tablespoon fresh basil or lemon basil, chopped 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste fresh ground black pepper to taste Instructions: Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, then drain and chop. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and stir for 3 to 4 minutes to soften. Add the carrots and continue to stir for another 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the heat slightly and add the mushrooms, garlic and jalapeños, and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and wine and simmer to reduce, stirring frequently — about 5 minutes. Now add the sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomatoes, chili powder, cayenne, oregano, basil, sugar and salt and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened — about 45 minutes. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months. Makes 5 to 6 cups

More irresistible sauces from Lisa's Kitchen:
Gingered Tomato Sauce
Devil's Nightmare Pasta Sauce
Tomato Sauce with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

On the top of the reading stack: Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky