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.
Candice
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?
Sandy
You can just add in the veggies you like. Since it will be blended at the end, no texture concerns.
Joanie
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.
Sandy
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!
Jennie
Sandy, do you have any sub suggestions for the red wine, as I don't have any in house? I'll be making a smaller batch with ~3lbs of tomatoes. Would a little bit of red wine vinegar or balsamic add some of that red wine flavour depth...or just make it too acidic? I look forward to hearing your thoughts. My tomatoes are begging to be in this sauce 😁
Sandy
I think just leaving it out would be fine.
Kim
I was wondering the same. Hope we get an answer.
Sandy
Kim, just do it seeds and all. I use the immersion blender and have never even noticed the seeds.
Kate
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...)
Sandy
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.
Justine
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!
Sandy
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!
Barb
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!
Sandy
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!
Cici
The cocoa powder, is it unsweetened? I'm doing the low carb thing and am trying to stay away from sugar.
Sandy
Yes, unsweetened.
Patricia L Rose
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!
Sian
Hi Sandy,
Is there anything I can substitute in place of the red wine?
Thanks
Sandy
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.
Coco
Could you use broth or stock instead of red wine or any of the other listed substitutes?
Sandy
You can use water, tomato juice, or white grape juice.