My family isn’t really big on sandwich meats, but that does NOT include pepperoni. Don’t get in the middle of us and our ‘roni. By the way, “’roni” is our loving abbreviation for pepperoni. My husband abbreviates eeeeeverything. And while most of the time, I roll my eyes over his abbreviating ways, I am really fond of ‘roni. Don’t tell him that though. Back to the ‘roni… we love ‘roni on our pizzas, we add it to our grilled cheeses. My kiddos aren’t sandwich people, so for their lunches, I usually pack cheese and crackers and ‘ronis. Sometimes I add ‘roni to marinara and serve it over pasta. So I was thinking one day- why not just make a Homemade Pepperoni Marinara instead of just adding it to the marinara. So that’s what I did. And it is fricking delicious.

Have you ever made a marinara from scratch? It is literally one of the easiest things ever. This Homemade Pepperoni Marinara has become a staple in our household. It’s fast, easy, and totally delicious. You’ll never think of pepperoni as “just” a pizza topping ever again!

Let me show you how I made this Homemade Pepperoni Marinara 👇🏻

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. We want to slightly roast the pepperoni so that it is crips on the outside and is soft and chewy on the inside. ** Some pepperoni sticks have a paper wrapping on the outside. If your’s does, be sure to remove it ** Slice the pepperoni into about 1/2” slices.

Cook for 5-10 minutes on the first side (I did 7) and then flip and cook for about 3 minutes on the other side.

While the pepperoni is cooking, start the marinara portion. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat and add the onions and carrots. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, granulated sugar, herbs, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.

Give everything a good stir and bring it to a boil. Then lower the heat and let it simmer on low for about 25 minutes.

When the pepperoni slices are done cooking, remove them to a cutting board and reserve the pepperoni oil. Let the pepperoni cool and the dice them into large chunks.

After the marinara has had a chance to simmer, VERY CAREFULLY use an immersion blender to smooth it out. Keep the immersion blender under the marinara so you don’t spray hot marinara all over yourself. You could also put the marinara into a blender to smooth it out (I’d recommend doing it in 2 batches). Or you can just keep it chunky if you don’t mind chunks of veggies in your marinara.

Once the marinara is smooth, add the reserved pepperoni oil and the diced pepperoni.

Let the pepperoni cook in the sauce for another 10-15 minutes. Serve the sauce over any cooked pasta. Our favorite is cheese tortellini.

Store the marinara in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or let it cool and freeze it in an air-tight container (or freezer bag) for up to 3 months.

Look at all of those chunks of pepperoni in that marinara…

Enjoy!

Homemade Pepperoni Marinara

Roasted pepperoni take this delicious Homemade Pepperoni Marinara to another level. You’ll never think of pepperoni as “just” a pizza topping ever again.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 15

Servings 8 Servings

Author Maggie @ Cupcakes and Sarcasm

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, diced
1/2 Cup Carrots, roughly chopped
5 Large Garlic Cloves, minced
1 32 Oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 32 Oz Can Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil Or 1 tsp dried
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley Or 1 tsp dried
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Oregano Or 1 tsp dried
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
7 Oz Pepperoni Stick, cut into 1/2” slices *be sure to remove any papers or casings

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay the pepperoni slices into a single layer on the baking sheet. Cook for 5-10 minutes on one side, flip and cook on other side for about 3 more minutes.
Let the pepperoni cool and then dice into large chunks once they are cool. Reserve the pepperoni oil on the sheetpan.
While the pepperoni slices are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pot (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, herbs, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to low and let simmer for 25 minutes.
After the sauce has had a chance to simmer, turn the heat off and CAREFULLY use an immersion blender to smooth out the sauce. Keep the immersion blender down in the marinara or you risk spraying yourself with hot marinara. You can leave it chunky if you like. Or you can CAREFULLY put the sauce into a blender (in 2 batches).
Once the marinara is smooth, turn the heat back on low and add the chopped pepperoni and the reserved pepperoni oil. Cook for 10-15 more minutes.
Serve the marinara over any cooked pasta. Can store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Or let the sauce cool and it freezes really well for up to 3 months.

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave me your thoughts in the comments below.

Name: Homemade Pepperoni Marinara
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp Olive Oil; 1 Medium Onion, diced; 1/2 Cup Carrots, roughly chopped; 5 Large Garlic Cloves, minced; 1 32 Oz Can Crushed Tomatoes; 1 32 Oz Can Tomato Sauce; 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar; 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil (Or 1 tsp dried); 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley (Or 1 tsp dried); 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Oregano (Or 1 tsp dried); Salt and Pepper; Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper (optional); 7 Oz Pepperoni Stick, cut into 1/2” slices (*be sure to remove any papers or casings)