Making marinara sauce from scratch is SUPER easy. It tastes way better than any store-bought version, plus you can customize it to your taste however you’d like! Make it sweeter, make it spicy, make it creamy — the options are endless. The best part is that this homemade marinara recipe is ready to enjoy in less than 20 minutes!
Toss your homemade marinara sauce in your favorite pasta. Try our homemade gluten-free gnocchi for a delicious, mouthwatering meal!
Sure, it is super easy to grab a jar of marinara sauce from the store, but nothing beats fresh homemade marinara sauce! I make my marinara sauce with a few simple ingredients: crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, dried herbs, fresh parsley, and basil. The result is a warm herbaceous, garlicky tomato sauce. Below I share a ton of ways you can use this homemade marina sauce!
Benefits Of Making Marinara Sauce From Scratch
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Organic Canned Crushed Tomatoes
- Onions and Garlic
- Spices: Dried Oregano, Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper, and a pinch of sugar (optional)
- Fresh Parsley and Fresh Basil
HOW TO MAKE MARINARA SAUCE
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 60 seconds more.
- Add the canned crushed tomatoes, spices, and parsley. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 20-25 minutes., or until slightly thickened.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in the chopped basil. Taste the sauce and adjust, adding a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity if needed. Optional: using an immersion blender, or heat-safe blender, blend your sauce until smooth.
Recipe Customization Options
- Garlic Marinara Sauce. Add up to a whole bulb of garlic to your sauce when sauteing the onions. You can also roast a garlic bulb in the oven, then add it to simmer with the tomatoes.
- Creamy Marinara Sauce. Finish your marinara sauce with a 1/2 cup of heavy cream and add freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Creamy Dairy-Free Marinara Sauce. After simmering your tomato sauce, add 1/2 cup of coconut cream and the juice of a half lemon. It creates a luscious dairy-free tomato sauce and is my particular favorite!
- Authentic Italian Marinara Sauce. This recipe is pretty close to authentic! If you want to amp it up a bit, add fresh thyme when simmering the sauce.
Common Questions
What Type Of Tomatoes T0 Use To Make Marinara Sauce?
- If using fresh tomatoes, Roma tomatoes are the number one choice! The next best option is San Marzano or cherry tomatoes. Keep in mind that using fresh tomatoes results in longer cooking times to grant enough time for the tomatoes to soften.
- Canned Organic Crushed Tomatoes are the best option for making a quick and easy smooth marinara sauce.
- Whole Canned Tomatoes work as well. Before adding them to the sauce you can mash them to help them break down while the sauce simmers.
Why add sugar to marinara sauce?
Just a pinch of sugar helps to cut the acidity from the tomatoes and balances the flavor of the sauce. A pinch of baking soda is also a good option.
How do you make marinara sauce taste richer?
For a richer sauce, add tomato paste when sauting the onions. You can also try adding anchovy paste, anchovies, roasted garlic, or a splash of red wine.
Which onion is best for marinara sauce?
Use yellow or sweet onion when making marinara sauce. The onions are caramelized first, amplifying their natural sweetness, which in turn helps create a well-balanced tomato sauce.
WAYS TO USE MARINARA SAUCE
- Toss in your favorite pasta. Try making your own gluten-free gnocchi or sweet potato gnocchi. This would also pair perfectly with spaghetti noodles or ravioli.
- Use your sauce to make a ragu. Make a delicious lamb ragu and use your marinara sauce as the base.
- Enjoy meatballs covered in marinara sauce. Make juicy gluten-free meatballs, bison meatballs, lamb meatballs, or cheese-stuffed meatballs. Each of these recipes would taste great with this marinara sauce.
- Use it as a pizza sauce. Place it on the base of a cauliflower pizza crust or gluten-free pizza crust and top it with your favorite toppings and cheese.
Storage and Rewarming
Store in an airtight mason jar or container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Rewarm on the stovetop in a saucepan until warmed through.
To freeze, allow the marinara sauce to cool completely. Transfer into a mason jar and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight when you are ready to rewarm and use.
I hope you enjoy this super easy homemade marinara recipe! If you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments. Leave a quick review & star rating ★ below! Take pictures, tag #goodfoodbaddie, and share them with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchen.
More Easy Homemade Sauces To Try
- How to Make Cashew Cream Sauce
- Creamy Avocado Pesto Sauce
- Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce (V + GF)
- Easy Jerk Sauce Recipe
- Dairy-Free Tzatziki Sauce (Vegan + Whole30)
Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion (1/2 cup chopped)
- 6 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
- 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Sugar or to taste
- 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons Basil, finely minced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 60 seconds more.
- Add the canned crushed tomatoes, spices, and parsley. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 15-20 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in the chopped basil. Taste the sauce and adjust, adding a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity if needed. Optional: using an immersion blender, or heat safe blender, blend your sauce until smooth.
