Recipes and Cooking Make-It-Mine Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce 3.2 (6) No need to buy jarred marinara sauce! Customize your own at home with your family's favorite vegetables and seasonings, then prepare it in your slow cooker for an easy weeknight meal. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on March 5, 2014 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jacob Fox Prep Time: 20 mins Slow Cook Time: 10 hrs Total Time: 10 hrs 20 mins Servings: 10 Yield: 8 cups sauce Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 3 14.5 ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained* 2 cup coarsely chopped carrots (4 medium)* 1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)* 1 cup chopped onion (1 large)* ½ cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 small)* 1 6 ounce can tomato paste ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed* 1 bay leaf 3 cloves garlic, minced ¾ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper Fresh basil and/or oregano leaves (optional) 16 ounce dried pasta, cooked and drained Shredded Parmesan cheese Fresh herb sprigs (optional) Directions For sauce, in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and sweet pepper. Stir in tomato paste, the water, sugar, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. If desired, stir in fresh basil and/or oregano leaves. Working in batches, transfer sauce to a blender or food processor; cover and blend or process until smooth. Pour sauce over hot cooked pasta; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and, if desired, garnish with fresh herb sprigs. *Make-It-Mine Alternate Ingredients: Options for Diced Tomatoes with Herbs: Three undrained 14.5-ounce cans no-salt-added fire-roasted diced tomatoes or no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, cut up (omit sugar if using the stewed tomatoes)Options for Carrots: 2 cups peeled and coarsely chopped eggplant or parsnipsOptions for Celery: 1 1/2 cups sliced fennel or celeriacOptions for Chopped Onion: 1 cup sliced leeks, shallots, or green onions, or frozen small whole onionsOptions for Sweet Pepper: 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh portobello mushrooms, sliced fresh button mushrooms, or roasted red sweet pepper stripsOptions for Italian Seasoning: 2 teaspoons dried basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, or fines herbes To Store: Spoon cooled marinara sauce into freezer containers. Seal and freeze for up to 4 months. To serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 259 Calories 1g Fat 53g Carbs 10g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 10 Calories 259 % Daily Value * Total Fat 1g 1% Sodium 263mg 11% Total Carbohydrate 53g 19% Total Sugars 14g Protein 10g Vitamin C 12.3mg 62% Calcium 28mg 2% Iron 2mg 11% Potassium 369mg 8% Folate, total 119.6mcg Vitamin B-6 0.2mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.