Instant Pot Marinara Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe makes a big batch of delicious sauce that you can use as spaghetti sauce, or any recipe that calls for a flavorful pasta sauce. Pressure cooker marinara sauce from fresh tomatoes is a great way to use up your summer bounty of garden fresh tomatoes!
Originally published 8/26/18
Homemade Instant Pot Marinara Tomato Sauce
My garden is doing very well this year, and the tomatoes are ripening, with some to pick every day! I like to make tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes, and I especially enjoy making Instant Pot Marinara Fresh Tomato Sauce.
This year I planted several varieties: Early Girl, Whopper, Beefsteak, Roma, Cherry, and Yellow Pear. Paul likes to snack on the cherry tomatoes, and I like the Early Girls and Whoppers for cheese and tomato sandwiches! Yum!
So far this season the plants have yielded about 15 pounds all together. We will get a few more pounds as the growing season is coming to an end. The Yellow Pear tomatoes will keep going for a while yet as they come on later in the summer than the others.
You can tell how much I enjoy growing my own tomatoes! They just taste so perfect when they are homegrown. The ones in the store don’t have any flavor, as far as I’m concerned. So I don’t make Instant Pot Marinara Fresh Tomato Sauce from store bought. Ever.
I like to buy Newman’s Own Marinara® if I don’t have any of my own homemade tomato sauce.
Making marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes in the pressure cooker is easy, and faster than the stove top. I love the results!
Here’s how to make Instant Pot Marinara Fresh Tomato Sauce
How To Deal With Acidic Marinara Sauce
Using fresh tomatoes to make your Instant Pot Marinara Sauce can sometimes yield a sauce that is too acidic for some tastes. It happens sometimes. Your results will vary by how sweet the tomatoes are.
The cocoa powder in the sauce helps the acidity, and it adds a nice complexity to the sauce. You will not notice it is in there. Don’t use dark cocoa as it is more bitter. Please don’t omit unless you have to!
Here are a few more ways to fix acidic marinara sauce
- Sweeter wine will yield a sweeter sauce. Not like a dessert wine, but not a sour one either. Something you enjoy drinking.
- Stir in some sugar. Sugar doesn’t reduce acidity, but it does help mask it.
- Add some Baking Soda. Baking soda is an acid neutralizer, and works very well (I drink it mixed with water when I have an acid attack in my tummy). When adding it to your sauce, start with 1/4 tsp and sprinkle it on the sauce. You will see it get fizzy. Just let it do that and then stir it. Taste, and add another 1/4 tsp if necessary. Be careful not to add too much as baking soda is bitter tasting.
- Add some salt. Adding some extra salt sometimes does the trick, however you need to be really careful not to add too much. I have only used salt once for this, and that was because I added too much sugar.
- Toss in a sliced carrot before cooking. My reader Cara learned that from an Italian neighbor she had (thanks, Cara!)!
You Might Also Like These Recipes that Use this pressure cooker Fresh Marinara Tomato Sauce
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Instant Pot Lasagna
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Instant Pot Meatball Pasta Dinner
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If you make this wonderful pressure cooker marinara sauce, please leave me a comment below. I’d love to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Marinara Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe makes a big batch of delicious sauce that you can use as spaghetti sauce, or any recipe that calls for a flavorful pasta sauce. A great way to use up your summer bounty of garden fresh tomatoes!
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 5 lbs Tomatoes*, chopped, about 9 1/2 cups (any variety or mix)
- 1/2 cup Red Wine
- 1/2 cup Water** (optional) see Notes
- 3 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder, unsweetened (cuts acidity and adds a complexity. You won't notice it). Don't use dark!
- 2 tsp Basil, dried
- 2 1/2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (or more for spicier)
- 2 tsp Oregano, dried
- 2 Tbsp Parsley Flakes, dried
- 3-4 (6 oz) cans Tomato Paste
- 2 tsp Sugar (optional, if needed)
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp Baking Soda (optional, if needed)
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Before you begin the cooking process, have all of your veggies chopped & ingredients measured and ready to go.
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Turn on the Sauté setting. When the pot is Hot, add the olive oil. Don't add the oil to a cold pot. Then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until turning translucent.
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Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.
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Add the chopped tomatoes and stir.
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Add the red wine, salt, pepper, cocoa powder, basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, oregano, and parsley flakes. Stir well to combine.
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Add the tomato paste, but do not stir it in. Leave it sitting on top. If you stir it in it will be too thick and the pot may scorch and not come to pressure.
Also, you will not have to add any additional liquid as the red wine and juice from the tomatoes is plenty to get the pot to pressure.
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Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position. Then press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button or dial to select 25 minutes (You can cook less time, but I tested and liked this time best).
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After the cook cycle is finished, turn the pot off so it doesn't go to the Warm setting. Then leave it to Naturally Release the pressure until the pin in the lid drops down. Then open the lid and give the sauce a stir. Careful of the hot sauce splattering, so stir slowly!
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Taste, and if the sauce is too acidic, either add the sugar, or add the baking soda. Stir it in and let it sit a while. Then taste and adjust as necessary.
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Let the sauce cool, then use an immersion blender, food processor, or blender to puree it nice and smooth. It is best to do this when the sauce has cooled.
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Transfer the sauce to jars with lids and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze it as well.
*Don't bother peeling the tomatoes. The skin cooks down and the immersion blender or food processor takes care of it. You won't even notice!
**If your tomatoes are not very juicy, add 1/2 cup of water when you add them to the pot. This will help the pot come to pressure easier. You can use the sauté setting to cook off extra water after pressure cooking if the sauce is too thin.
Canning: If you want to can this sauce, please look up how to adjust for canning as you will need to add citric acid or lemon juice, etc.
Resources to make Instant Pot Marinara Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe and more
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Hi Sandy,
Is there anything I can substitute in place of the red wine?
Thanks
Unsweetened Grape Juice, Cranberry Juice, or Pomegranate Juice work very well. Just make sure there is no sugar added. You can add sugar after the sauce cooks, if necessary.
Could you use broth or stock instead of red wine or any of the other listed substitutes?
You can use water, tomato juice, or white grape juice.
The cocoa powder, is it unsweetened? I’m doing the low carb thing and am trying to stay away from sugar.
Yes, unsweetened.
I have never heard of cocoa in a tomato sauce recipe? But I’m willing to try! My Roma tomatoes are coming in, I can my Roma Tomatoes for sauces, nothing better than using fresh vegies from my own garden! All organic no preservatives!
Made this today with the tomatoes from our garden and it is delicious! So quick and easy. I will be making another batch tomorrow to freeze. Thank You for sharing your recipes!
I’m so glad you like it, Barb! I made another batch today, too! Then we had spaghetti and meatballs. I am so glad I froze some of this because it is so much better than store bought! I think I have enough tomatoes for one more batch! Thank you for leaving your review!
I made this yesterday and it was incredible! So flavorful and rich– you’d almost think it was a meat sauce. Or at the very least think that the tomatoes were roasted. All that flavor and it was so so easy. I realized we had drunk all of our red wine, so I used half Marsala and half Chardonnay and it was still divine. I used a food mill to get out all the seeds and skins, so it ended up pretty watery, and I was still surprised by HOW MUCH flavor it still had! This is my new favorite summer tomato marinara recipe. Bravo!
Hi Justine! I’m so very happy that you liked this marinara sauce recipe! I worked hard to create a sauce that would be very easy to make, and have good flavor. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
Hmm, mine came out really thin and quite bitter. It took a bit of adjusting (thanks for the info on how) and my husband just doused it with cheese and ate it anyway, so I’ll still rate it a 4. Would you recommend removing any water/moisture for certain types of tomatoes? (I would love to tell you exactly what kind I have, but they are all from a free plant he got at the hardware store… large, round, and red…)
Hi Kate. Well, ripe, sweet tomatoes make the best sauce. Another way to sweeten them is to cut them in half and coat with olive oil and a little salt, and roasting on a baking pan 400° for about 45 minutes before making the sauce. Using an immersion blender helps it become thick, or if your tomatoes have that much water, add another 1/2 cup (small can) of tomato paste and sauté on Low to cook the raw taste out of the paste. For the flavor you can add some fresh rosemary leaves and fresh basil leaves (about 1/2 to 1 cup packed). Basil is sweet and adds a great flavor.
I’m thinking about the tomato seeds… does the immersion blender just blend them all up? Seems like it will be full of yellow and brown specks and be grainy.
When I first tested this recipe I just mashed the tomatoes and it wasn’t as good/thick as with the immersion blender. I have been eating this sauce for weeks and haven’t even noticed any seeds, lol! Not grainy at all!
I was wondering the same. Hope we get an answer.
Kim, just do it seeds and all. I use the immersion blender and have never even noticed the seeds.
Hi, I am wondering about adding other veggies into the sauce. Carrots, celery, mushrooms, spinach, you get the idea. Would that work with this recipe? What kind of changes might I need to make?
You can just add in the veggies you like. Since it will be blended at the end, no texture concerns.
This sauce is amazing and my family loves it. I have made it twice this month and will continue to make it yearly with my garden tomatoes. I really enjoyed the tips & tricks you provided in your recipe like not stirring in the tomato paste and using cocoa to cut the acidity. I can tell you are a great cook by the quality and details of this recipe. Thank you so much!!
So glad to know that! I’m glad you and your family liked it! Thank you for the review!
This is so good. I follwed recipe exactly. Used up lots of tomatoes out of the garden. The consistency is perfect, really clings to the pasta , and so easy to make. Thanks !!
Hi Sue, I am so happy to know that you liked this marinara sauce recipe! I can’t wait until next year so I can grow another crop of tomatoes! Thank you for your review!
Thank you for this–I’ve been looking for a real marinara sauce recipe with some body and complexity. The other “simple” recipes taste like pureed tomatoes and basil. I didn’t have so many leftover garden tomatoes at this point, so put in a couple of cans of tomatoes, and I stirred in the tomato paste before reading carefully. It still tastes rich, like a gourmet marinara that I can use on pasta, lasagna, vegetables or meat. Thank you!
Hi Desi! You are very welcome. I was also needing a more complex, flavorful sauce. I’m so glad this worked for you! Thank you for your review!
I am curious if anyone has tried this recipe without the pressure cooker? Instead just simmering on the stove for a few hours? Thank you.
You can definitely do that, however I would just watch the moisture level. Since the Instant Pot doesn’t lose moisture through evaporation like cooking on the stove top. Maybe reduce the tomato paste by 1/3 and add it in only if it is too thin.
Can you tell me how to adjust the recipe for canning? Thanks!
To can the sauce: Add 1/4 teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice (it must be BOTTLED lemon juice, not fresh) in the bottom of each sterilized pint-sized jar (double this quantity for quart sized jars). Per the USDA guidelines as a requirement for safe canning. Ladle the hot marinara sauce into the jars with a funnel in the jar to keep it a clean as possible. Leave 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a damp cloth. Screw on the clean lids and rings finger-tight. Place the jars in the boiling water canning and process for 35 minutes for pint sized and 40 minutes for quart sized (let the water to return to a boil before you begin the time). Turn off heat & let jars rest 5 minutes before you remove them. Then, carefully remove the jars from the water and leave them undisturbed on your counter for 24 hours. Check to make sure the jars are sealed.
Thank you so much for providing canning instructions! Very few recipe bloggers are willing to go out on that limb due to food safety concerns. It’s really not that hard if you have the specifics. I’m even more excited to get started with your recipe now! We have a bumper crop of Romas this year. I look forward to trying many more of your recipes, your thorough instructions are much appreciated!
I have 6qt IP. Were these amts for a 6 or 8qt? I may try to make some.
This is for the 6 qt, or the 8 qt. But I used the 6.
This sauce is amazing! Love the complexity the cocoa adds. I used it to make chilli mussels, served with a lemon wedge and some fresh parsley on top. Amazing!
Amazing marinara sauce. Love the depth of flavour the cocoa adds. I used it as a sauce for chilli mussels, served with parsley and some bread to mop up the sauce.
Hi Sian, that sounds divine! I love mussels! Thank you for your review.
Could you possibly adjust this recipe for the 3 quart instant pot?
Yes, Nancy. You can halve it.
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I made this with whole frozen tomatoes and it worked really well. I put the tomatoes in straight from the freezer. My son said it was the best sauce yet!
That’s great! I’m glad this recipe worked for you, and that you and your son enjoyed it!
Hi Sandy ~ I agree with you on the total lack of flavor with store bought tomatoes. Always so disappointing, I’ve stopped buying them. Since I don’t have any home grown tomatoes, and I would love to make your recipe, I was wondering if you would have any recommendations as to using canned tomatoes to make the sauce?
Hi Julie, I do like canned tomatoes as they are canned at the peak of ripeness, and therefore have good flavor. You want about 9 cups of chopped/diced/crushed tomatoes.
Hi again, thought I would update. I did make the sauce using a combination of crushed, stewed, and diced canned tomatoes. (I wasn’t sure what to go with 🙂 Everything else, I followed exactly, including adding the water. I got the burn message twice. Not sure if I didn’t mix it well enough before adding the paste (I did let the paste sit on top), or if it was the choice of tomatoes, or if it is my IP. I just got it at Christmas ~ it’s the DUO. I even added more water after the first burn message. After the second one I just switched the pot to slow cook and let it sit for several hours. I didn’t want to ruin anything. Had some of the red wine, too. 🙂 While it was cooking my son said, “What you are cooking is making me hungry!” Put it in the food processor afterwards. Great, deep flavor and I like the addition of the cocoa powder. I used it in lasagna and had plenty, with some to freeze. Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Julie, I wonder if the cans of tomatoes just didn’t have enough water, or the juices were too thick. I’m glad you liked it, though.
Do you peel the tomatoes.?
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No I don’t. The immersion blender purees them and you can’t tell they were in there!
5 stars! (Seems the rating stars aren’t working for me) Great recipe! I followed the ingredients and amounts exactly in an 8 quart Instant Pot and the sauce turned out great. I used thawed romas from the freezer, I have a lot left from last year’s garden. I did have to add baking soda after cooking, it was a little acidic, but that probably speaks more to my tomatoes than it does the recipe. The sauce is quite brown rather than red, not sure why that happened (cocoa powder perhaps?). And it’s a bit thin, even though I did not add any water, the red wine was the only added liquid. But the flavour is wonderful! I will be making more with the rest of those frozen romas. Have to use them up before this year’s bounty! Thank you for the recipe. I look forward to trying more recipes from your site.
Thank you, Laurie! You can add another can of tomato paste to thicken it. Also, a little sugar on top of the baking soda is nice. Looks like the stars worked, so thank you!
Another can of tomato paste made did the trick! Excellent sauce, keeps disappearing from the freezer though, everytime one of the kids come for a visit! LOL Thanks again!
That’s great! I’m so happy that this sauce is a hit in your home!
Great recipe, reminded me of the sauce I had in Italy! The only things I did differently were to precook the tomato paste to increase sweetness and reduce acidity, tripled the garlic and used 3 large shallots instead of onion, again to reduce acidity and increase sweetness. I also added 3 tablespoons of Better than Bouillon beef paste in place of the salt. I’m at 6200’ so I also increased the time to 30 min. The texture was spot on and stuck beautifully to the pasta. I cooked 4 pounds of organic hamburger separately with Montreal steak spice and added it at the end. Perfect meaty sauce. I used a combo of frozen vine ripened tomatoes and fresh and it was perfect! Thank you so much for our new go to sauce!❤️
That’s awesome, Christine! Thank you for your review, and for the tips!
Hi,
Just discovered your site and can’t wait to try this tomato sauce recipe first!
I did want to share that you can toss in a carrot to absorb or balance out the acid.
I learned that trick a long time ago from an old Italian neighbor from the home land.
Hi Cara, I hope you like it! What a great tip about the carrot. Thank you!
Question, what does “toss in a carrot” actually mean? I always have issues with sauces being too acidic. So do you.shred the carrot and toss it in before cooking? Thanks in advance.
I would slice it and add before cooking.
I just made this recipe and it tastes fantastic! So much easier than peeling and seeding tomatoes. I was hesitant about adding cocoa powder, but now I am a believer! The sauce has a savory flavor that I favor. I had 16 cups of chopped tomatoes from my garden, I upped the ingredients, but did not double. I also had dried herbs from my garden, so that adds some freshness as well. This will be my go to recipe from now on! Thank you!
I picked up some locally-grown tomatoes at the farmers’ market yesterday, and made this today. It is now cooling on the counter so I can finish it. I tasted it and I think it’s the best I’ve ever made! I did add some mushrooms and a diced carrot. I hope there will be some left for the freezer! Five stars!
Hi there, this sounds delicious…..However, Is it necessary to add the tomato paste?
Only if you want it thick. Otherwise maybe cook it down on sauté.
Have you ever added other veggies such as diced fresh carrots or bell pepper? I think I might try it.
Yes, it’s a very versatile recipe.
Love this sauce. do you freeze it right in the jars? Can’t wait to make it again
This is great sauce !! Do you freeze it right in the jar?
I like to use freezer zip baggies and freeze in 3 cup amount. That is how much I normally use in a recipe. But you can freeze in a jar if you have the proper jar and leave some head room for expansion.
Is it 3 to 4 cans of tomato paste? Planning on making this today. Thanks in advance.
It depends on how thick you want it.
This sauce was awesome!!! Thank you! I’m always looking for ways to use the over abundance of tomatoes in my garden every year. Delicious!
I meant to give 5 stars, unsure how it only gave 4!
I have made this recipe twice now for canning. I have however had to fight the dreaded burn notice e both times. Following the recipe to a tee, without stirring the tomatie paste in. It is a great recipe otherwise.
Hi Stephanie, Maybe add a little water to the mixture before pressure cooking? Some tomatoes are juicier and may not need water, but as I say in the notes, add some water if they are not very juicy.
5 stars. This is so much better than any store bought sauce. I follow the recipe just as written. Great way to use tomatoes, yum! Thanks for all the work you put into this.
I love the flavors in your recipe! I had Madeira for the wine, and I had no tomato paste so I opened the IP and set to sauté until it was as thick desired. This worked and it was about 2 hours garden to plate. Really pleased with the outcome! Thank you!
This recipe is amazing! I love that you don’t have to peel the tomatoes,. It is perfect as is. I don’t have to feel bad when I can’t use all the tomatoes from my garden anymore, now I just make marinara. Thanks again for the wonderful recipe❣️
5 stars! So glad I found your recipe. I love homemade tomato sauce but HATE to peel and seed the tomatoes. What a mess! This absolutely had me amazed on how everything blended into a robust sauce. Made two batches. The first exactly as directed (delicious) and a low salt batch. There is enough flavors going on I could easily pass as a full salt version
Another winning recipe for my beloved Instapot! Thanks. Cheers
I followed the recipe, except that my cocoa was dark chocolate. The sauce was bitter tasting. I added some sugar, and then a little more Oregano, still bitter. Not sure if it can be salvaged . Any suggestions ?
Hmmm, I’d say more sugar, and maybe add a large can of crushed tomatoes, as they are usually sweet. I hope it works. Dark cocoa powder is definitely more bitter than regular, so I don’t recommend it.
Good afternoon
I usually can my tomatoes but saw your wonderful recipe and would love to try it. The only problem I have is we only use a quart at a time. I am not savvy with freezing. Can you please tell how you freeze your sauce.
Thank you
Roxanne
Hi Roxanne, I freeze my sauce in a heavy freezer baggie, laid flat in the freezer so it takes up less space. I freeze mine in 3 cup portions as most of my recipes call for 3 cups.
I’ve been using this recipe for months. I make and freeze this sauce in the form of ice cubes and its delicious in every type of use. Thanks a lot for this recipe.
My husband cannot have any type of canned tomato product. Can I leave out the tomato puree, or substitute something else for it? Your recipe looks wonderful and I’d really like to try it!
The canned tomato paste is just to thicken the sauce. You can try using the sauté setting on low and cook it down after pressure cooking. Keep an eye on it!
Love this recipe! It’s really easy to modify. I regularly include 1 medium bell pepper and 1 large celery stalk (both chopped). I sometimes include a small jalapeno (seeded) up the heat level. I’ve also used fresh basil, parsley, and rosemary, depending on what I have available and my mood. I substituted canned tomato paste with homemade sundried tomato paste too. That was really good. I’ve made this with both roma and San Marzano tomatoes. (We’re growing both in our garden.) The San Marzano sauce was superior, but definitely requires additional liquid.
This recipe worked exceptionally well as a guide. We are very happy with the sauce we were able to create. Thank you!
I absolutely love this recipe. It is so easy and tastes great. I used baking soda at the end each time for acidity and worked like a charm. Thank you for the great recipe. I made 9 batches using fresh tomatoes and froze the marinara.
I just opened up my instant pot. I’m waiting for the sauce to cool so I can blend it, but I had to take a taste because it smells so good. It is absolutely delicious! It’s rich, and perfectly spiced, although I’m not sure if it’s a little too salty. I’ll have to wait and see when it cools, but either way, this recipe is a winner. Thanks for the recipe.
Last Sat I spent over 4 hrs making sauces from my fresh tomatoes and used almost all of my pots and pans. Let’s just say I was not looking forward to doing that again with yesterday’s harvest! I found your recipe and will not use any other! All I needed was a knife, cutting board , immersion blender and the instant pot. The ingredients made the sauce rich, silky and thick! I did throw in a carrot and a green pepper, but other than followed it exactly. My husband loves it! We’ll be enjoying the sauces all winter long! Thank you!,,
Made last week with my grandson. It was easy and very tasty and thick.
This is a fantastic recipe for marinara sauce – I have made about 20 batches (4-5 pints each) over the past three summers when tomatoes are plentiful from the garden and farm markets, freezing most of it to use later for all my “red sauce” dishes from eggplant parm, to spaghetti to braciole – you name it. It’s great as is but I’ve tweaked it a little based on our preference and ingredients I have on hand. Here are my modifications, in case anyone wants to try any or all: Omit the wine and cocoa powder; add a little fennel seed; use fresh parsley and basil; rather than add sugar to cut the acidity, I use one carrot, shredded and sauteed with the onion – it blends up nice and smooth with the rest of the ingredients; I’ve played with the amount of canned tomato paste and found that if I use meaty plum tomatoes, one small can will result in sauce that is thick enough. Thank you for sharing this recipe – it’s a real winner!
I’ll join the chorus of people like this recipe a lot. I’ve used a stovetop pressure cooker for over 50 years, and just purchased an automatic electric one this week. given that it is the peak of the tomato crop in a good year, making marinara sauce was an obvious way to try out my new toy. I used your recipe as my pattern; I added a bit of carrot and celery, and I had fresh parsley and basil that I could use instead of the dried. It smelled wonderful and has very good flavor; I have Frozen it in 1 quart containers with a thin film of olive oil on the top to guard against freezer burn. I got three and a half quarts of sauce from 5 lb of tomatoes; I expect to have enough tomatoes to do at least one and perhaps two more batches; I look forward to enjoying the brighter flavor of this sauce (as compared with grocery store brands) when I prepare a pasta dish in the middle of a cold Minnesota winter! I look forward to trying more of your recipes, and have already recommended this one to some Facebook friends.
Oh my word, this is great! Yesterday I stopped at a local farm produce stand and lucked onto a 15 pound box of imperfect home grown tomatoes for $10. I made a triple batch of your sauce and it is amazing! I portioned it up in ziploc bags and it’s going in the freezer. Thank you so much for this recipe. I didn’t change a thing and it’s so darn good. We will be having some amazing pasta and sauce for months to come.
This marinara sauce is simply delicious! I was thrilled to put to use all the different tomatoes from the garden at once. I used balsamic vinegar instead of red wine which was delicious and I halved all the ingredients and it worked out perfectly.
I love this recipe! I also like using this as my base recipe and adding in olives, mushrooms, zucchini, fresh basil….whatever I have on hand. Delicious!
Turned out great. Had to use fresh basil, oregano, and parsley, had none dried. Nice way to deal with an excess of Campari tomatoes.
OMG this was INCREDIBLE- SOOOOO much better than any jarred pasta sauce. I was a little skeptical about the cocoa- but it’s totally what makes it— I used the end of the season cherry/grape tomatoes. I didn’t have red wine- so i used Sherry. I also used Penzy’s frozen pizza spice instead of italian- cuz that’s what i had– SOOO easy and SOO delish- Thanks so much