Do italians call it marinara?

Widely used in Italian-American cuisine, it is known as alla marinara in Italy, where it is usually prepared with tomatoes, basil and oregano, but also sometimes with olives, capers and salty anchovies. It is used for spaghetti and noodles, but also with meat or fish. As for how a particular preparation of tomato sauce came to be known as “marinara”, we must look to the sea. It was given the name marinara not because it was once a seafood sauce, but because it was the favorite food of Italian merchants during long expeditions at sea.

The true birthplace of marinara sauce has been the subject of debate for generations, although most of the signs point to southern Italy. It is most commonly believed to have been invented in Naples or Sicily during the 16th century, according to the Italian-American family sauce brand Paesana, around the time when tomatoes were introduced to Italy by Spanish conquistadors. However, the origin of the name of the sauce is a little clearer. Because in this, among all Italian salsa and salsa Americans alike, there seems to be only agreement.

In addition to a rich layer of butter and olive oil, marinara is probably the simplest of all the classic Italian and Italian-American pasta sauces. Even companies with sauce in the name use sauce, such as Jersey Italian Gravy, which describes their product as something that comes from a “specially made recipe based on traditional Italian sauces”. Paesana offers a complete line of private label pasta sauces and pasta sauces and other authentic Italian condiments. It turns out that the sauce got this name because it was consumed a lot by Italian merchants at sea, not because it was eaten with seafood, unlike what some may think.

Another theory is that the descendants of the great wave of Italian immigration at the beginning of the 20th century are Salvy People, while those who arrived more recently opted for salsa.

Jeannette Klingenberger
Jeannette Klingenberger

Proud beer fanatic. Freelance web specialist. Subtly charming tv nerd. Wannabe coffee fan. Subtly charming tv ninja.