They are both made with tomatoes and red and work flawlessly with spaghetti. So, aren’t marinara and tomato sauce the same? Well, it’s not that simple.
Yes, marinara and tomato sauce look similar, use the majority of the same ingredients, and might even taste similar. However, there are some major differences between them.
Ingredients
Basic marinara sauce uses tomatoes, garlic, basil, and some other herbs. Tomato sauce has the same ingredients but also numerous others like stock, other veggies, and even meat.
Cooking
Marinara sauce can be ready in under an hour. For tomato sauce, you need to cook it for hours, simmering it in order to combine all the different ingredients and flavor profiles.
Flavor
Speaking about the flavor, tomato sauce has a much more complex flavor that could be described as sweet, acidic, and slightly savory. Marinara is tangier, with tomato flavor dominating.
Texture
The difference in ingredients and cooking process also causes different textures. For example, tomato sauce is thick and heavy, while marinara is thinner and runny.
Uses
You can interchangeably use marinara sauce and tomato sauce with pasta and similar dishes. However, when it comes to pizza, you are better off with marinara. Seafood and meat are better with tomato sauce.
