What Is in the Olive Garden Marinara Sauce?
The Olive Garden marinara sauce contains crushed tomatoes, dried or fresh basil, fresh garlic, black pepper and sugar. It also contains olive oil, Romano cheese and Parmesan cheese. Some Olive Garden marinara sauce recipes also include fresh oregano, Italian seasoning, tomato paste and peeled tomatoes.
To make a copycat Olive Garden marinara sauce recipe, first start by collecting all the ingredients. Then, warm the extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. While the oil is heating, peel the fresh garlic cloves. Add the peeled garlic cloves, tomato paste and can of whole tomatoes to the hot olive oil.
Using a wooden spoon, crush the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil together. Mix the salt, pepper, basil, Italian seasoning and oregano leaves into the tomato mixture. Bring the saucepan’s contents to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, reducing the mixture for approximately 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the garlic cloves and basil leaves using a slotted spoon or strainer. Serve the sauce immediately over pasta or meatballs. Store any leftover sauce in an air-tight container or jar in the refrigerator for one week. Freeze extra sauce in an air-tight bag or container to last longer than one week.
