The 48-Hour Marinara Method

Written By PFC Fitness Camp • 1 min read

Hello friends, I’m Chef Ryan, and today I want to share a kitchen tip that can seriously level up your cooking skills. Let me start with a little background: back when I was starting out as a chef, I had an amazing opportunity to learn from an expert Italian chef in New Jersey. He taught me a special way to make Marinara sauce—one that impresses everyone, from customers to family and friends.

First, let’s talk about how most people usually make Marinara sauce—cooking it, then storing it, and heating it again later. But here’s a new idea: never cook your tomato sauce twice. The real magic happens during the first cooking, where all the ingredients blend together to make a truly amazing sauce. Once we cool and then heat it again, we begin to lose flavor and product quality.

But how do we avoid cooking it twice?

Here’s the secret: mix all the raw ingredients—Canned Plum Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Dried Oregano, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Minced Garlic, and Salt—and let them sit together for 48 hours. This allows the flavors to blend and preserves the highest nutritional value of the ingredients.

The Recipe:
Plum Tomatoes*, 50 ounces
*Canned is fine. Use a premium brand.
Fresh Basil, 15 leaves + stems
Dried Oregano, 2 Tbsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1/2 Cup
Minced Garlic, 2 Tbsp
Salt, 2 Tsp

Cooking Instructions:
In my kitchen, the process is simple: I get all the stuff I need and put it in a big container. Then, I use a stick blender to mix it until it’s just right. After that, it’s time to wait. I let the sauce sit for at least 48 hours so the flavors can blend together and get better. At a minimum, let is gel for 24 hours.

The Bottom Line:

Letting the ingredients mix slowly over time makes the sauce taste even better and keeps the true taste of each item. Yes, you need to be patient, but it’s so worth it. This sauce will have all the good things from each ingredient. So, whether you’re making pasta, pizza, or lasagna, remember this easy way, a nod to the classic Marinara we all love.