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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?
Please add the number of servings or quantity to your recipes. Thanks !
Hi Judy, We are currently working on adding measurements to all of our recipes but it is taking some time to get to our older recipes as we have to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient!
Hi Judy, I wish I had measured it out now, but I would estimate maybe 1 1/2 quarts or about 8 cups.
Why why why does everything have to have liquor in it? For those of us who don’t use it, it makes the recipe unusable. So tired of seeing this in so many recipes.
Hi Jeanine, the wine really works best because of the flavor profile it brings to this recipe. I can’t think of a good replacement that could provide a similar flavor profile but you can experiment with it. Broth tends to work best but I have read that red wine vinegar can be used as a replacement (reduced amount I assume). Let us know if you experiment.
The alcohol burns off during cooking, leaving only the flavor. Most of us who are sober know this.
Indeed it does but some folks don’t want to purchase wine or have it in their home. A nice beef broth works in many of my sauces as a substitute. Gonna test it out on this recipe tonight.
Question! If I were to substitute the wine…what would be the best replacement? A vinaigrette?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Meg. The wine really works best because of the flavor profile it brings to this recipe. I can’t think of a good replacement that could provide a similar flavor profile but you can experiment with it. Broth tends to work best but I have read that red wine vinegar can be used as a replacement (reduced amount I assume). Let us know if you experiment.
This is my base for making sauce using fresh home grown tomatoes. There is no need for a time consuming blanch and peel and can. I blanch the tomatoes then lightly chop, skins and all in a food processor and freeze for later use in the marinara sauce.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Ed!
i made this over the summer and it was the best marinara sauce i have ever made. i will definitely make it again this weekend.
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for the feedback, Monica!
I’ve made a lot of your recipes. They have always been a big hit with my family.
I’m looking for a little guidance on making marinara from the Roma tomatoes I’m growing in my garden and then canning them.
Hi Gwen, I have my recipe for Marinara Sauce HERE but I have not tried to can it.
In regards to using Roma tomatoes, here is what one of my readers said, “ my wife and I made this marinara sauce and it came out excellent she just added a little extra sugar to it and that’s all but one thing we did differently was use fresh tomatoes out of my garden I blanch them cool them down peel them and smash them up and that’s what she used and it is delicious five stars delicious One more thing we use fresh basil.” I hope that helps!
I made this recipe as-is, and it was outstanding! I’ll have to admit I was wary about the amount of wine (seemed like too much) and the unorthodox way of adding raw mushrooms instead of sauteeing them first, but it all turned out wonderfully. Definite keeper and thank you for sharing!
Hello Amy! Nice to know that you loved the result of this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Sometimes I find recipes that are great to start with… and then I remember the things I used to add when I last made such a dish. I did add a TBSP of sugar and also used two 28oz cans of San Mariano crushed tomatoes and three fresh ones, and the also added a tsp of Thai Fish Sauce. You can’t taste the fish but it adds the ever-sought-for Umami…
Spell Check Sucks..! That’s San MARZANO crushed tomatoes…
Thank you for sharing that with us, I hope you enjoyed this recipe and all the other recipes that you will try!
I made this last night. It was so easy and so DELICIOUSLY AWESOME! My husband lived it. This will be my “go-to” from now on…. No more jar sauces for us.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Amy!
Just made it!! The taste is exquisite! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that!
Before I try this I just want to make sure that the recipe is correct…1 tablespoon of kosher salt? Thank you in advance
Hi En, that is correct, but I suggest starting with less and then adding more to taste.
I have made this 4 times and had my son make it once. I have eaten it as a soup, my sister added Italian sausage and used it as a Lasagna sauce, Today I made it for the first time with fresh basil.it is so damn delicious, I double the recipe every time and freeze half so that I can add it to meat raviolis in a pinch.
Hi Therese, great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for your review, Therese.
I made this with garlicky mashed potatoes instead of pasta…it was seriously yummy!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Karen!
This was my first time cooking with fresh mushrooms and tomatoes. The sauce was delicious. I don’t cook a lot of pasta sauces because they scare me due to the complexity. This one gave me step by step and delicious
.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
used this recipe for Eggplant parm..Portobello mushrooms used
How did it go?
This looks delicious! Any ideas on how to make this in an Instant Pot?
It is so yum! I haven’t tried making this in an instant pot yet to advise but I imagine it will work well too.
I made this sauce last night and served it over chickpea pasta topped with Parmesan cheese. This is the best homemade sauce I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe exactly except for adding a teaspoon of honey and cut the basil in half. Thanks Natasha!
Thank you for sharing this with us! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Can you preserve/jar this recipe? If so, would it need to be refrigerated?
Hi Glenna, My cousin who shared this recipe with me did preserve it using the waterbath canning method.
I am getting ready to try this recipe. If I like it I would like to make it in batches and can it. Do you know how long she water bathed it for?
HI Jennifer, unfortunately I don’t have those instructions and I haven’t tried canning it for shelf storage myself.
Can I use fresh wild mushrooms in this recipe? Have a local grower that provides me with mushrooms, blue oyster, lions mane, royal trumpet, just to name a few.
Hi Kandee, I have not tested that but I bet that would work great! I would love to know how you like that recipe.
Made this sauce today and we absolutely loved it. I was so happy to be able to use some of our own garden plum tomatoes to make this. It has been added to the collection of go-to recipes for our family. I always look forward to seeing anything you post… always sooo good! Thanks Natasha !
I bet this was so good with fresh garden plum tomatoes! Yum! Thank you for that wonderful review Carrie!
I used this as the base for a lasagna roll ups recipe. It was exceptional. I look forward to using it again and again.
Nice! Thanks for sharing that with us, I’m glad that worked great with the lasagna roll ups.