In most scenarios, you can use marinara sauce and ketchup interchangeably. However, the ketchup will be slightly lighter and finer than the thicker and more complex marinated sauce. Tomato sauce may be too thick for a pizza, while marinara may be too thin for dishes such as eggplant parmesan and chicken parmesan. Since both sauces are made with tomatoes as a base, it is possible to replace the marinara with tomato sauce.
Using marinara instead of ketchup can make a recipe vegetarian friendly and is a great way to save time preparing weekday dinners. That said, marinara isn't as heavy or tasty as ketchup, so the flavor and texture of the finished dish will be very different. Because the two sauces look similar (and can sometimes even taste similar), we often use the names marinara and tomato interchangeably. However, the two sauces are not the same thing.
According to Taste of Home, marinara sauce cooks much faster than tomato sauce (often less than an hour) and has a less complex flavor profile that usually consists simply of tomatoes, garlic and oregano. Tomato sauce, on the other hand, requires hours of slow cooking and is made with more abundant ingredients, which often include a creamy base of roux, meat, and other vegetables and various herbs. As a result, ketchup tends to be much thicker and more robust than its marinated counterpart. Marinara sauce is a quick sauce, seasoned only with garlic, chopped red pepper and basil.
It's best when made with whole San Marzano tomatoes or plums, shredded by hand or passed through a food mill. The marinara can be left in pieces; the texture of the finished sauce is quite loose and the flavor is that of fresh tomatoes. In short, after sharing with you how marinara and tomato sauces are made, I would like to say that sauces are not the same thing. There are some alternatives that can be added when cooking the marinara sauce that is included in some dishes such as olives, capers or wine.
Because marinara sauce and ketchup have different textures and flavors, they also have different uses. Next, keep reading the article, as I'll share with you how to make the best homemade marinara sauce and its origin. Since marinara doesn't taste too complex, it's perfect for pasta and pizza (and these other marinara-based recipes). Well, if you want to use fresh tomatoes that you bought at the market, you can use them by making a good marinara sauce at home with fresh ingredients.
Read the article further, as I'll share how to make the perfect marinara and tomato sauces at home and the differences between sauces. If you add these things, you're just making bolognese or a sauce for spaghetti or other dishes that include meat and that's not what marinara is used for. Another thing that's important to know about marinara is that it's very affordable and you can easily prepare it at home. Ragu sauce is usually made with tomato, meat and milk or cream, while marinara is made without meat and tends to be soft without large chunks of tomato.
