Marinara sauce originated in Italy and gained popularity in America through Italian immigrants in the mid-twentieth century. References to marinara sauce can be found throughout the 1900s. The sauce was first mentioned in the Italian cookbook Lo Scalco alla Moderna, written in the 1690s, describing a sauce similar to salsa. The word “marinara” is the Italian feminine singular form of “marinaro”, which can mean “seafaring” or “sailor”. The exact origin of marinara sauce is uncertain, with theories suggesting it was either created by Neapolitan sailors who encountered tomatoes in the New World or by the wives of these sailors upon their return from voyages. The term “marinaro” is derived from “marino” and Latin “mare”, both meaning “sea”, ultimately coming from the Proto-Indo-European root “mer” also meaning “sea”.
