marinara

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   a sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, often served with pasta

   Grammar: Uncountable: say 'some marinara' or 'a bowl of marinara', not 'a marinara'.

   Patterns

   • marinara sauce
   • pasta with marinara
   • a bowl of marinara

   I made a simple marinara with fresh tomatoes and basil.

   The restaurant serves spaghetti with marinara.

   Add a spoonful of marinara to the pan and stir.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   served with or made from a tomato-based sauce

   Grammar: Used before a noun: marinara sauce, marinara pizza.

   Patterns

   • marinara sauce
   • marinara pizza
   • pasta marinara

   We ordered a large marinara pizza to share.

   She prefers marinara sauce to creamy sauces.

   The menu offers chicken marinara with pasta.

Common combinations

marinara sauce

Marinara sauce is made with tomatoes, garlic, and oregano.

pasta marinara

Pasta marinara is a quick and easy dinner.

spaghetti marinara

Spaghetti marinara is on the menu tonight.

a jar of marinara

I bought a jar of marinara for the pasta.

homemade marinara

Homemade marinara tastes better than the store-bought kind.

Synonyms and how they differ

tomato sauce

Tomato sauce is the general English term; marinara is a specific Italian-style tomato sauce, often with garlic and herbs.

napolitana

Napolitana (or Neapolitan) is a similar tomato sauce, but it may include different ingredients and is more common in British English.

Commonly confused: marinara or marina? marinara or mariner?

Practice

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