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This mushroom marinara sauce is so much better than any canned version! It’s perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, chicken parmesan, as a dip for cheese sticks and anything you can think to use tomato sauce for.
You can even add ground meat and make it a meat sauce! It’s delicious! We poured this sauce over spaghetti and topped it with sliced grilled chicken. It’ll leave you craving more! Thankfully, this makes a full pot so you’ll be able to store some in the fridge for later.
My cousin Alla shared this recipe with me. She’s been making it for years. This recipe is a keeper!
Ingredients for Mushroom Marinara:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onions, (about 1 1/2 cups) finely chopped
6 medium garlic cloves, pressed
6 medium tomatoes, diced
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes (Italian style)
1 cup Red Wine (Soft Red, or Cabernet Sauvignon, most red wines will do)
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt, or 3/4 Tbsp Sea Salt (started with 1/2 Tbsp sea salt)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms, rinsed, dried, sliced
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Tools you will need:
A dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot
Hand immersion blender (preferred & easier), or food processor, or blender)
How to Make the Best Marinara Sauce:
1. In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot, add 1/3 cup olive oil and saute onions and garlic together over medium heat until softened (7 mins).
2. Chop tomatoes then add to the pot along with 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice. Boil uncovered over med/high heat for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
3. Add 1 cup red wine Cabernet Sauvignon, ½ tsp Italian Seasoning, 1 Tbsp Kosher salt (or to taste), 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes and 1/8 tsp black pepper then stir well to combine. Pulse a few times with a hand immersion blender to desired consistency (if you don’t have an immersion blender, you can pulse it a few times in a good food processor or blender). You still want to have some tomato chunks (You don’t want a cream soup here.
4. Add fresh sliced mushrooms and 1 cup chopped fresh basil and simmer uncovered another 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms are fully cooked and the sauce is thickened. Total cooking time from the time you start to saute onions is 45 min-1 hr, depending on desired consistency.
If When you make this, let me know how you served it. I’m so curious!
Mushroom Marinara Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onions, (about 1 1/2 cups) finely chopped
- 6 medium garlic cloves, pressed
- 6 medium tomatoes, diced
- 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (Italian style)
- 1 cup Red Wine, Soft Red, or Cabernet Sauvignon, most red wines will do
- 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt, or 3/4 Tbsp Sea Salt (started with 1/2 Tbsp sea salt)
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms, rinsed, dried, sliced
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Tools you will need:
- A dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot
- Hand immersion blender, preferred & easier, or food processor, or blender)
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot, add 1/3 cup olive oil and saute onions and garlic together over medium heat until softened (7 mins).
- Chop tomatoes then add to the pot along with 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice. Boil uncovered over med/high heat for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.
- Add 1 cup red wine Cabernet Sauvignon, ½ tsp Italian Seasoning, 1 Tbsp Kosher salt (or to taste), 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes and 1/8 tsp black pepper then stir well to combine. Pulse a few times with a hand immersion blender to desired consistency (if you don't have an immersion blender, you can pulse it a few times in a good food processor or blender). You still want to have some tomato chunks (You don't want a cream soup here)
- Add fresh sliced mushrooms and 1 cup chopped fresh basil and simmer uncovered another 20-25 minutes or until the mushrooms are fully cooked and the sauce is thickened. Total cooking time from the time you start to saute onions is 45 min-1 hr, depending on desired consistency.
Enjoy this awesome marinara sauce and thanks for sharing it with the people you love! What’s your favorite way to use marinara sauce?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Very good. I added. Little granular Swerve for just a little sweetness. Will def make again!
Just made this and it is delicious. I added some ground beef as well. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kinga.
What an excellent sauce! We used it on our cheese ravioli with some parmesan and it was delicious. I also recommend cutting on the salt a bit and add a pinch of sugar.
Thank you very much. This sauce could be used in fancy Italian restaurants, it is soo good!
Thank you so much for that feedback, Andree! I’m so happy you found this sauce excellent!
This sounds wonderful & making it today. Does this sauce freeze well?
I don’t see why not. It may be slightly runny if not stored properly. Be sure it is sealed well! Enjoy!
This was excellent! I substituted high-quality cherry tomatoes for the tomatoes and added a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. I also just ‘mashed” the sauce a bit where it was time for the immersion blender, as I don’t own one. I would also say the better the wine, the richer the taste. Well done!
Turned out sour. Any tips on what to add to it. I even added 1/4 ts of sugar
Hi Adriana! Adding sugar usually fixes this issue for me. Other sources recommend adding a pinch of baking soda to help.
This is the most amazing recipe for marinara sauce. I’ve made it several times and I put it in almost everything. Lol
Thank you for this awesome feedack!
I’ve made sauce this a handful of times and every time I get rave reviews! Delicious, easy and flavorful! Tonight it’s going on top of spaghetti squash with air fried eggplant! 😋 Can’t wait!
Wonderful! Happy to know that our Mushroom Marinara Sauce recipe is always a huge hit!
Delicious! I made it according to the recipe. The wine gives it a rich and complex flavor, making it taste like authentic Italian as compared to store bought sauce.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Debbie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was excellent. I had a bumper crop of roma tomatoes, so I put them to good use along with my fresh garlic and basil. I added extra mushrooms since we were using this as a meatless meal. I also added about 1 1/2 cups of mashed cauliflower to aid thickening. The only thing that would have improved the dish would have been homemade pasta, which I did not do. My family wants this again!
That sounds delicious, Jill! I’m so glad it was enjoyed by the family. Thank you for sharing.
If you want the flavor of wine and not the alcohol, then gently simmer the wine before you add it, and the alcohol will have evaporated. I love this recipe because putting fresh mushrooms in to cook adds all their native flavor. I used to sautee mushrooms first but adding them raw works great.
Thanks for sharing, Robin!