Easy Marinara Sauce (with VIDEO)

Homemade Marinara Sauce doesn’t get any easier! This requires just a handful of ingredients – tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, and basil, and a quick 20-minute simmer for a memorable Italian Marinara.

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Marinara Sauce Recipe

Everyone needs a great pasta sauce in their recipe collection, and this one is a keeper. It is a simple tomato-based sauce made with onions, garlic, and herbs. It originated in Italy and is used in many Italian-American dishes like Chicken Parmesan, Spaghetti and Meatballs, or Baked Ziti.

Once you try this, you’ll ditch the canned marinara sauce – it’s fresher, more flavorful, doesn’t have hidden preservatives, excess sugar or salt, etc, and you can customize it. I use this homemade marinara sauce to elevate any recipe that calls for Marinara Sauce.

Marinara Sauce Video Tutorial

I hope this Marinara recipe becomes a new favorite go-to recipe for you.

Ingredients for Homemade Marinara Sauce

The ingredients are pantry staples like canned tomatoes that we always keep on hand, so it’s easy to whip up. Since the ingredient list is very short, make sure to source the best quality ingredients you can find.

• Olive Oil – Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for extra flavor
• Onions and Garlic – aromatics that add sweetness and depth of flavor
• Crushed Tomatoes – “San Marzano Tomatoes.” San Marzano is an Italian variety of plum tomatoes and the gold standard of Italian Marinara. They are known for their sweet flavor and low acidity for a more authentic marinara sauce.
• Simple Seasonings – I used dried oregano because I always keep that on hand, but you can use fresh oregano. To substitute fresh oregano, add 1 1/2 tsp or 3 times the amount of dried oregano. You’ll also need salt and pepper to round out the flavors.
• Fresh Herbs – you can use either chopped fresh basil or parsley, depending on what you have on hand. they both add vibrant Italian flavors when stirred in at the very end.

Can I Substitute Fresh Tomatoes?

Fresh tomatoes would essentially have to be turned into crushed tomatoes with the added steps of blanching and peeling the tomatoes then simmering them down to the correct consistency which will really increase the time for making homemade marinara.

If you’re looking for a marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes, make sure to check out our Mushroom Mariana Sauce.

How to Make Marinara Sauce

A saucepan and spatula are all you need to make a homemade marinara sauce that tastes better than any canned version. Watch the Video Tutorial below, and you will memorize this recipe in no time.

• Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add diced onion and saute until soft (5 minutes), then stir in garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer partially covered for 15 minutes.
• Stir in chopped fresh basil and remove from heat.

Is Marinara Sauce the Same as Pasta Sauce?

They are similar and sometimes used interchangeably in recipes, but they do have some big differences in ingredients and cooking times.

• Marinara sauce – cooks quickly in under 30 minutes with lighter and fresher flavors and a shorter list of ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, onion, herbs, and olive oil.
• Pasta Sauce (Italian tomato sauce) – is slowly simmered for 1 to 4 hours. Includes more aromatics like carrots and celery as well as wine, broth, and sometimes meat as with Bolognese Sauce.

How to Use Marinara Sauce

This recipe is so versatile. Use it for any recipe that calls for Marinara Sauce, from tossing with homemade pasta to casseroles or even instead of pizza sauce on my favorite Overnight Pizza Dough or as a dipping sauce for Stromboli. Here are my favorite ways to use homemade marinara:

• Stuffed Chicken Parmesan
• Lasagna
• Eggplant Parmesan
• Juicy Meatball Recipe
• Spaghetti Meat Sauce
• Meatballs Parmesan
• Lasagna Roll-Ups
• Manicotti
• Zucchini Lasagna

Homemade Marinara Sauce

5 from 693 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Learn how to make the best Homemade Marinara Sauce with simple pantry staple ingredients – tomatoes, onions, garlic, oregano, and basil. You can use homemade marinara sauce in any recipe that calls for Marinara. It also keeps well if you want to save leftovers or make a bigger batch.* This recipe makes 3 cups, or 6, 1/2-cup servings.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

Servings: 6 people

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, 1/2 cup chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, or parsley, finely minced, plus more to garnish

Instructions

• Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add 1/2 cup chopped onion stirring often until soft and golden (about 5 min). Add minced garlic and stir 1 min, or until fragrant.
• Stir in 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 1/2 tsp oregano,  1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a light boil then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes.
• Finally, stir in 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil then turn off the heat.

Notes

*To Store Marinara: Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition Per Serving

90kcal Calories11g Carbs2g Protein5g Fat1g Saturated Fat1g Polyunsaturated Fat3g Monounsaturated Fat369mg Sodium411mg Potassium3g Fiber6g Sugar306IU Vitamin A13mg Vitamin C54mg Calcium2mg Iron

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Amount per Serving

Calories

90

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

5

g

8

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Sodium

 

369

mg

16

%

Potassium

 

411

mg

12

%

Carbohydrates

 

11

g

4

%

Fiber

 

3

g

13

%

Sugar

 

6

g

7

%

Protein

 

2

g

4

%

Vitamin A

 

306

IU

6

%

Vitamin C

 

13

mg

16

%

Calcium

 

54

mg

5

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: homemade marinara sauce, marinara sauce, marinara sauce recipe

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $

Calories: 90