I grew up in an Italian family, every Sunday we would go over my grandparents house for Sunday dinner. Someone was always cooking, whether it was my grandparents or my great Aunts from Philly visiting for the weekend. Sunday dinner was always pasta first then the main meal like chicken cutlet or a roast, then salad.
Now, you will see me refer to sauce as “gravy”, you can call it what ever you want, gravy, sauce, pasta sauce..etc. Gravy what we called it in my family. There was always a pot of gravy on the stove cooking for hours. Sometimes it was Sunday Gravy with pork, beef and meatballs but that’s a different recipe for another time. You could smell it throughout the house. You always check it by dipping a piece of bread in it to see if it was ready.
Normally I would get out my gravy pot and cook it on the stove for hours just like my family until the Instant Pot arrived in my kitchen! I can have home make gravy done in about 30 minutes! When you release the pressure you still get that smell like it was cooking for hours on the stove! When I have time to cook all day I love making it on the stove but when we are in a pinch or if it’s a weeknight cooking gravy in the instant pot is just as amazing and quick with no stirring involved. To be able to throw together homemade spaghetti and meatballs after work between Tikwando is a win for me!
I am picky when it comes to sauce “gravy”. In fact I rarely eat any type of spaghetti or pasta if it involved red sauce out in restaurants. Don’t even mention a jar, we don’t buy sauce in a jar, it’s always home-made unless it’s an emergency. I do however like the Victoria White Linen which I do use at times if I don’t have the ingredients to my own gravy. I like smooth, not chunky gravy and that is what I make to this day by using my immersion blender.
Now a little disclaimer here. No Italian recipe is ever exact and the same goes for mine. So don’t knock it because it is not how you make it and know that everyone makes it their own way. That is the beauty of good Italian food. Most Italian Nona’s cook with a pinch of this or splash of that. They don’t measure. This is exactly how my family cooked.
I don’t have a written recipe I follow every time but I did take notes on amounts the last time I made my gravy. It’s just in my head and know how I make mine which I learned from my family. So you may want to add or subtract from this recipe based on your tastes buds. If you like it more sweet add more sugar, more spice add more hot pepper..etc. Some people like to add carrots, lentils and red wine too instead but this is how I make it. So make it your own and use this recipe as a guide on cooking time and the basics.
Here is my marinara sauce “Gravy” I use to serve over pasta. Enjoy!
Be sure to make a loaf of “Easy” Artisan Bread-Instant Pot to Oven to dip in your gravy! Yum!
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic cut in half
- 1 small onion cut into large pieces
- 3 28oz. cans San Marzano whole tomatoes
- 1- 6oz can tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tbsp dried basil or 10 fresh basil leaves torn
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of crush red pepper( optional)
- 1 tsp Salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 tbsp sugar ( as needed)
Instructions
- Place Instant Pot on Saute mode and add olive oil to pot. Once heated add onions and saute for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic and saute for 1 minute
- Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook 1 minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes, water, basil, bay leaves, salt , pepper, red pepper ,sugar and oregano to the pot
- Place lid on Instant pot in lock/seal position.
- Cook on Manual setting for 15 minutes. It will take about 10-15 to build up pressure. Once done give it a quick release.
- Remove the bay leaves from sauce.
- With an immersion blender blend sauce until smooth or a consistency your enjoy.
- Add more salt or pepper to taste if needed.
- Serve over pasta
Notes
As I stated in my post sauce is not an exact science. It's to your taste so be sure to taste your sauce and add or subtract from the spices, sugar, salt..etc. Many people like to add lentils, carrots and red wine to cut the bitterness and make it sweeter. I have always used a little sugar.
all good but the sugar…gack. add red wine to cut the bitterness.
Yes, we all have our own version that is passed down from our families as I stated in my post. Its to your liking but you can at least use the basic premise to make your own in the Instant pot if you have your own version. It is a small amount of sugar, wine is fine too, I just don’t use it and sometimes I don’t even need sugar because the tomatoes are sweet enough with basil. Sauce is to taste and not an exact science when it comes to tomato sauce.
What if I wanted to use fresh frozen San Marzano tomatoes. How many cups. My friend gave me about a gallon sized bag from her garden that I cut up and froze.
I have not used fresh tomatoes. I believe you could follow the same recipes but I would think you need about 8-10 cups of fresh tomatoes chopped and not add as much water as the tomatoes have a lot liquid. As far as cooking time my guess would be same time. If you try it let me know how it turned out.
Thank you! I’ll let you know how I do.
I’m trying the recipe now as my first time using my new Instant Pot. I’m so confused by the use of the word “manual”. I have the Duo and do t have that as a selection. Can you help me I stand what to do?
Sure you would use the pressure cook button and set your time manually.
Recipe sounds so similar to our family recipe!!! We love the smell of cooking the gravy for 3 hours and then dipping fresh bread in it! Did you use the 6 qt IPot? What about adding cooked meatballs and sausage? Have you tried it?
I have made it in both 6 and 8 qt Instant pots. I have also cooked Sunday Gravy with is with the meats, pork, and sausage which I browned first then added everything else.
Hi,
I’m making your marinara and have followed every step exactly as you directed. I noticed that my clock on my IP started counting down but was not up to pressure. I know this can happen if there isn’t enough liquid. I assumed the thin marinara would be enough. When I removed the lid, I stirred it and noticed it was scorching. I poured it in a bowl and cleaned my pot.
Can you tell me how you keep yours from scorching? I’m glad I caught it before it ruined the whole batch.
Thanks,
Kathy
I have not had that problem maybe check the seal ring as I know sometimes it is not locked place and can be the cause. As far as scorching on bottom. I would also give the ingredients a quick stir so nothing is sitting on bottom.
My husband is the marinara cooker in the house. However, my 14 year old son wanted to make his Chicken Parmigiana for Father’s Day dinner. So I used your recipe. I did change 3 things, I chopped my onion and garlic and used crushed tomatoes therefore I didn’t have to use the blender! Let me tell you OMG this is the best marinara I have ever had (sorry to my Italian husband)!
If I cooked this on top of stove how long would you cook it.
Thank you
I cook it on the stove top about 1hr on simmer low. Slow and low.