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This just kind of seemed like a Sunday recipe.

Crockpot Brown Butter Marinara Sauce-1

For one, it’s SO easy. Just throw everything in and go. No peeling tomatoes, no chopping and no splatters all over your stove. Then there is the fact that your house is gonna smell like an old Italian lady’s all day long.

It’s so good.

Crockpot Brown Butter Marinara Sauce | halfbakedharvest.com

To be honest, I am not the biggest tomato sauce person.

I like it in lasagna, or when used as dipping sauce or sometimes even on sandwiches, but not normally with pasta. When I was a kid I always just choose pasta with butter and passed on the sauce. Of course this could have been my mother subconsciously influencing my decision. She apparently grew up on noodles and butter and still loves them to this day. Asher has decided to follow in her footsteps.

You want to know something funny though?

Crockpot Brown Butter Marinara Sauce | halfbakedharvest.com

I have always been a good eater and am willing to try pretty much anything, but my brothers are a different story, especially Kai. To this day the kid has still never eaten a single piece of fruit and the only vegetables that have ever passed through his lips are tomatoes – and they’ve been in the form of pizza, pasta or ketchup. Oh and corn, he does love corn.

Crockpot Brown Butter Marinara Sauce | halfbakedharvest.com

He is going to be eighteen in November and never a single fruit. Unless you count those sugary artificial fruit drinks, he loves those. Oh and remember these zucchini crusted chicken fingers? He did eat those, but he never knew he was eating zucchini.

Muhahaha (as I rub my hands together in an evil way)!

When we were younger he would always go for the red stuff and I would go for the butter. I think it is because I do not really enjoy warm tomatoes or maybe we just bought the cheapy sauce. Ok, we definitely bought the cheapy sauce. I just think it is funny, well not funny, more like ironic, that the vegetable, fruit hating kid went for the color and me, the kid who would munch on broccoli and carrots after school, went for the butter.

Such a funny story, right? Yeah, no. I am stopping.

Crockpot Brown Butter Marinara Sauce | halfbakedharvest.com

I admit that when I set out to make this pasta sauce I had another dish in mind (oh, it’s coming), but it turned out so rich and delicious that I actually ended up serving some of it over pasta for dinner. The brown butter adds so much flavor and richness and when paired with the tomatoes it’s perfect.

I added some jalapeño pepper because I like a little kick, but that part is up to you. I also love adding some parmesan cheese right at the end, I highly recommend doing that part.

Crockpot Brown Butter Marinara Sauce | halfbakedharvest.com

Crockpot Brown Butter Marinara Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 170 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

  • 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled, san marzano tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes draind of the oil
  • 1 sweet onion ends chopped off, peeled and sliced half
  • 4 cloves garlic skin removed and crushed
  • 6-8 pickled jalapeños (optional but it gives it just a a little kick)
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or less
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoon butter
  • 2-4 tablespoon fresh parmesan cheese optional
  • fresh basil sliced

Instructions

  • Add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeños (if using), basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon butter to the bowl of a crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (or 3-4 hours on high) stirring once or twice if possible. After 8 hours remove the onion if you wish (I do, but some people love it left in). Use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to break down the tomatoes. If you like a smooth sauce use an immersion blender to puree the sauce or transfer to a blender or food processor and then return the sauce to the crockpot, leaving the lid off.
  • In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan add the remaining butter, melt butter over medium heat until just browned. Butter will melt, foam, and froth, then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk browned bits off of the bottom of the pan and stir into the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. If desired stir in the parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
  • If the sauce seems too thin allow it to cook 30 minutes longer with the lid off.
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Crockpot Brown Butter Marinara Sauce | halfbakedharvest.com

Told you it was good.

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Comments

  1. For those of you who taste bitterness in the sauce, I stir in a scant half teaspoon of baking soda to the recipe before the butter at the end. It chemically makes the sauce less acidic. It will foam up (just like those elementary school experiments) and sometimes makes the sauce a bit lighter in color – but otherwise still tastes delicious!

    I do this as the higher acid food sometimes irritate the men’s stomachs ; )

    1. Thank you SO much! I always love reading comments and seeing that the recipe was a success! Have a great day! 🙂 xT

  2. 5 stars
    Quick question – I’d like to make this ahead of time and refrigerate until I use it. How long does this last in the refrigerator? Love this sauce! Make it all the time.

  3. 4 stars
    Hi Tieghan, I just tried this for the first time and my daughter and I loved it. The only thing I can’t seem to find a fix for is the acidity/bitterness of the sauce. The parmesan cheese really helped, but I can still taste a great deal of acidity/bitterness. Any recommendations??

    1. Hi Ivonne,
      Thanks so much for making this recipe, so sorry you are having a bitterness. Is there anything you are adjusting? You could try adding a sprinkle of sugar to balance that out. I hope this helps! xx

    2. HI Ivonne –
      My husband has issues with the acidity of tomatoes and I mix in 1/8 tsp of baking soda per 28 oz can of tomatoes at the end of the cook time. In this recipe I do it before I add the brown butter. It will foam up (adding a base to an acid), but as long as you keep the ratio above or a little less, it should help the acidity and not bother the taste. Good luck!

  4. 5 stars
    My husband will not stop talking about how delicious this dinner was. I threw in some raw, frozen Italian sausages at the beginning and it worked perfectly!

    1. Hey Beth,
      Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan

  5. 2 stars
    I’ll be honest, I really wanted to like this recipe. So much so that I tried it twice. But I feel like I get much more flavor out of my sauce when I just add veggies and spices to a store bought one. This recipe would be great for a picky eater or a child, but I am neither of those things. If you want a rich flavorful marinara sauce, you’re better off sautéing some onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and just adding those to a store bought jar. With peace and love

    1. Hey Rosie,
      I haven’t tested this, but I would recommend doing this on high pressure for 10 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy New Year! xTieghan