Frank Prisinzano’s Sticky Garlic Marinara

Frank Prisinzano’s Sticky Garlic Marinara! I’m back with another Frank Method recipe! He says after making this marinara sauce, you’ll never buy store bought again. I don’t know about that but this sure it tasty! You have to try it!

After trying Frank Prisinzano’s Spaghetti Limone, some people told me I had to try his sticky garlic marinara. I love his method of pulling different things out of your garlic. Crushing the garlic, leaving the garlic in uneven pieces and cooking the garlic to different levels: toasted, roasted, really toasted, boiled and some more on the raw side. The different textures bring different flavor and complexity to your sauce. 

For the tomatoes, I used canned San Marzano tomatoes, which I’ve always been told are the best. You can use any canned whole plum tomatoes for this recipe. Frank likes to leave the sauce chunky and cracks open the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. I used a potato masher to break mine up but again, you can do whatever you like. That’s the beauty of this recipe I think: cook the garlic to how you like it, leave it chunky or not. It’s up to you! 

For the Sauce

Frank recommends dried oregano, diced up parsley and fresh (not dry) bay leaves. You can also add fresh basil if desired. Use his recipe as a great base and then turn it into what you want. I made a huge batch of the sauce and was able to try it with rigatoni and then again with angel hair pasta and shrimp. It’s so good! 

Print Recipe

Frank Prisinzano's Sticky Garlic Marinara

Marinara sauce is very personal. Don't like too much garlic? This recipe probably isn't for you. . but you can certainly use less. Like your sauce with more oil like Frank does? Add more! The more you make this sauce, the more you'll learn how to make it your way.

If this is too much sauce, feel free to half the recipe. Otherwise, make the recipe as is, freeze some or simply have pasta again the next day. It's delicious. Frank says this is a seafood sauce base, so I highly recommend making this sauce with some shrimp, mussels or clams.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Frank Prisinzano's Sticky Garlic Marinara, marinara sauce, sticky garlic marinara

Servings: 4

Author: hipfoodiemom

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 10 to 13 cloves garlic peeled
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil extra virgin + more if needed
• 2 (28 oz) cans Whole San Marzano tomatoes or any whole canned plum tomatoes
• 2 to 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh parsley + some for garnish
• 3 to 4 fresh bay leaves
• kosher salt
• 1 lb. rigatoni or any pasta
• crushed red pepper flakes if desired

Instructions

• Using a large, wide pan over low heat, place all of the garlic into the pan. Using a potato masher or something that can crush the garlic, smash down your garlic cloves. You want uneven pieces and texture. After a few minutes, add your olive oil and continue to smash the garlic. Let all the garlic continue to cook until some start to brown on the edges.
• Add in the canned whole San Marzano tomatoes along with the sauce. Leave them whole. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring the sauce to a boil. At this point, you can break up and open the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, or use your potato masher and mash them up. Go for the texture and consistency you want for your sauce.
• While the sauce is boiling, using a separate burner, heat a big pot of water heavily salted with kosher salt for your pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente and drain.
• Going back to the sauce, add in the dried oregano, fresh parsley and the bay leaves, stir together and let cook until the sauce until most of the water is gone and "it's mostly pulp and oil." Taste, and add some salt if desired. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve over, or mixed with, the cooked pasta. Garnish with some diced fresh parsley and crushed red pepper flakes if desired and enjoy!