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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?
I’ve used this delicious recipe several times and my family has enjoyed it very much. I’ve discovered changing the amount of salt from 1Tsp to 1tsp gives us the wider ability to season to our individual tastes.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Andrew!
I would like to make this with all fresh tomatoes. Could I add some chicken broth to make up for the juice that would be in the canned diced tomatoes?
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried this with only fresh tomatoes. Using fresh tomatoes would require a lengthy simmering down to soften those tomatoes. You might look up a recipe on how to make your own canned diced tomatoes to get an idea of timing and process. You could add broth or water as needed but I would probably wait and see how much juice the tomatoes release and adjust the consistency as needed.
Delicious! ‘just finished making this – for the goluptsi I’ll make tomorrow or the next. ‘had to make some minor adjustments: here the wine is “tempranillo”; no red pepper flakes so I luckily had a little Aleppo which worked a wonder and I had to add some dried basil to add to the little fresh I had. BTW my 20 cm. Dutch oven is filled to the brim – that’s about 10 cups.
Дякую mucho 😁
Thanks for sharing, Jack and I’m glad to know that your adjustments worked great!
I was wondering if the fresh tomatoes are peeled? The recipe looks delicious.
Hi Karen, the long cooking time softens the skins so we do not peel but you can peel if you prefer to, but you would have to blanch the tomatoes in hot water first for them to peel easily.
What is in “Italian seasoning”? We use fresh and individual dried herbs.
Hi Philipp’, Try substituting 1/4 teaspoon each of basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano for each teaspoon of Italian seasoning called for in a recipe.
I have yet to try this but just wondering, if I don’t have an immersion blender, could I substitute the fresh whole tomatoes for tomato purée or paste and then leave the canned diced tomatoes?
How much paste would I need to the 6 whole tomatoes?
Hi Haley, those substitutions would create a different flavor profile and texture (with tomato skins). Without testing that through, it would be difficult to make a recommendation. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes.
Made this tonight. Excellent!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha. I made the arrincchini balls yesterday and would like to make the marinara sauce for dipping. Can I eliminate the mushrooms. Would it have the same consistency.txs. Love your recipes
Hi Donna, we love it mushrooms, I haven’t tested that without it but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Do you peel the fresh tomatoes?
Hi Silvia, we did not peel the tomatoes.
If I want to make and can ten L of this would I just triple the recipe?
Hi Gerald. I wish I had measured it out now, but I would estimate maybe 1 1/2 quarts or about 8 cups per recipe.
Good day. Thank you for your reply. I asked my question wrong. If I want to make a large batch of this for canning. Can I just make this entire recipe and times it my like five or ten.
Hi Gerald! I don’t see why not. Just make sure you have a pot big enough to hold it all 🙂
My husband and I used this as a lasagna sauce and it worked out really well! Definitely a new go to.
I’m happy you enjoyed that. Shali!
Do you think I could freeze this sauce? I planned to cook this last night, but life changes our plans! I need to cook the mushrooms while still fresh.
I don’t see why not. It may be slightly runny if not stored properly. Be sure it is sealed well! Enjoy!
Hi Natasha! I’d love your recipes coz they used easy ingredients that i could buy at the local market and suitable for beginner like me coz of clear construction.
For this recipe, it’s uneasy for me to find canned tomato here and coz of my faith i don’t drink red wine. could i subtitute them? Thanks Natasha
Hi, you could also substitute with whole canned tomatoes and chop them up by hand or crushed tomatoes would also work. The wine does enhance the flavor and you may need to add a little sugar to taste to balance the acidity of tomatoes. I’m so glad you are enjoying our recipes! 🙂
Hey Natasha. I would like to add ground beef to the mushroom marinara. What is the more suitable amount, one or two pounds of meat?
Hi AI, I think one pound would be a good start. Check out our spaghetti meat sauce recipe for instructions on adding ground beef.
Hi! I used store bought crushed tomato instead of fresh tomatoes and followed your recipe. I added 2 tsps of sugar to the mixture as it was a bit sour. Then, I also added at least 1.5 tsps of salt, pepper and italian seasoning, and 1/2 tsp if red pepper flakes. It was so delicious!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
You’re welcome Susan! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review and tips with other readers!
Great recipe! I made it with dehydrated morel mushrooms and added some of the hydration liquid back in during the simmer stage; Also, some diced green pepper for a little crunch. It was so flavorful. This one will be saved and made again!
I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe Dan! Thanks for sharing your great review!
I served it with peas pulao (Indian rice and veg meal). It was a match made in heaven . Thanks for your receipe
My pleasure! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi. Can you tell me how many servings this makes, approximately?
I wish I had measured it out now, but I would estimate maybe 1 1/2 quarts or about 8 cups.
It is the BEST sauce I have ever made!
Thank you!
You are very welcome Pawel, I’m glad you like it 😀.
This was easy to assemble and the results were tasty served over angel hair pasta. I used a variety of mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes in place of the medium tomatoes, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. Will definitely make again. Plenty of leftovers, and I assuming if will freeze well. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Darby, thank you for such a nice review and you are welcome 😀.
This was awesome, I used the sauce to cover portobello mushrooms and topped with goat cheese.
Krista, I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us 😀
Am guessing you sauté onion and garlic in the EVOO. I did not see where to use it in the recipe. Drizzle to finish? Sauté?
Oh goodness, I completely missed that. Thanks for pointing that out! Yes, add it in the beginning with the onion and garlic.