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    Home » Dressings & Sauces » Marinara Sauce

    Marinara Sauce

    Published: Jul 2, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    Learn how to make marinara sauce from scratch, with a few simple staple ingredients, and in just the time to boil the pasta.

    Our homemade marinara sauce recipe is a fast and easy way to give your meals a fresh kick; you can use it as a pasta sauce, pizza topping, on top of veggies, or as a delicious and versatile dip.

    spaghetti with marinara sauce
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Other uses of marinara sauce
    • More Sauce Recipes
    • Storage
    • Recipe

    Check out our best vegan sauce recipes.

    American-Italian marinara sauce is probably the most beloved tomato sauce in the world thanks to its bright and aromatic taste, simplicity, and ease of preparation.

    You can make it with a handful of pantry staples in a skillet, letting it simmer for as long as it takes your pasta to boil.

    In just about 15 minutes, you'll have a rich and tasty homemade tomato sauce you can use with any pasta.

    It's the ultimate last-minute dinner recipe and the best ace up your sleeve when you are short on time but still want to cook a delicious meal.

    And you know what? What's great about this marinara sauce recipe is its versatility. I'll tell you a secret: you can use this easy marinara sauce as the base recipe for any tomato-based sauce you can think of. Try adding:

    • red pepper flakes and chopped flat-leaf parsley to make a spicy arrabbiata sauce,
    • roasted eggplant cubes to make a Sicilian pasta alla norma,
    • lentils to turn it into a quick version of our earthy lentil bolognese,
    • beans to make a fulfilling and nutritious Italian bean stew to serve with pasta or polenta,
    • tofu meatballs to make a meatballs sub or spaghetti with meatballs,
    • sautéed mushrooms to have a quick irresistible mushroom sauce.

    The list could go on, but you get the point. Marinara is the one sauce you've got to master to become a tomato-sauce ninja! Check out the "serving suggestions" chapter below to get more ideas.

    marinara sauce in a skillet

    Ingredients

    ingredients for marinara sauce
    Ingredients for marinara sauce: canned whole peeled tomatoes, water, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onion, dried oregano, salt, pepper, fresh basil, and optionally red pepper flakes.

    Tomatoes

    The best tomatoes to make marinara sauce are canned tomatoes, more specifically Italian imported canned whole peeled tomatoes. If you can find San Marzano tomatoes, it's even better.

    There are many brands of imported Italian tomatoes in US and western supermarkets; finding one won't be a problem.

    Other valid alternatives are diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes, but in this case, we recommend adding a tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken up the sauce.

    We don't recommend tomato passata or puree because they are too smooth for marinara.

    Can you make marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes? Not really; you can make an excellent fresh tomato sauce, but it won't get as rich and creamy. It'll taste great but different from authentic marinara sauce.

    Water

    We use water to rinse the can of tomatoes and add it to the sauce. Nothing gets wasted in traditional Italian cooking.

    Olive oil

    Extra virgin olive oil is best for this sauce. It's richer and more aromatic. We use it to fry the garlic and onion and build a delicious flavor base (soffritto in Italian).

    Onion and Garlic

    Fresh garlic cloves are a must, finely chopped or minced. Onion is optional, but we recommend it to add extra sweetness and flavor to the sauce.

    Dried oregano

    When you eat homemade marinara sauce, you should be able to taste the oregano.

    Marinara sauce originated in southern Italy, either around Naples or Sicily. In both those places, big bouquets or dried oregano are a pantry staple and are used copiously in most recipes.

    If you don't have dried oregano at home, a good alternative is dried thyme or Italian seasoning as a last resort.

    Fresh basil

    Fresh basil is optional and most probably a modern addition to the sauce.

    The original recipe was invented by Italian Sailors - "marinai" in Italian - hence the name marinara. Being at sea for many days, they only had dried herbs on board, so there's no way they could add fresh basil.

    However, we like to add a few basil leaves as they infuse even more aroma to the sauce and are an integral part of modern Italian home cooking. We don't recommend other fresh herbs for this recipe.

    Salt and pepper

    Tomato sauce needs salt and freshly ground black pepper.

    Red pepper flakes

    We like to add a pinch of red pepper flakes or one small dried chili pepper to the sauce.

    However, don't add too much of it, or you'll turn marinara into an arrabbiata sauce, another delicious but spicy Italian tomato sauce.

    breaded eggplants with spaghetti and marinara sauce
    Breaded eggplants with spaghetti and homemade marinara sauce.

    Instructions

    Add olive oil and finely chopped onion to a large, wide nonstick, or stainless steel skillet. Fry on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    In the meantime, finely chop the garlic and add it to the pan. Fry for another minute.

    Optionally you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes to make the sauce a little spicy.

    Tip: use a large skillet as opposed to a narrow and tall pot. The sauce will cook faster, splash less, and build more flavor.

    soffritto with garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes

    Add the canned whole peeled tomatoes. Rinse the can with a cup of water and add it to the pan.

    Crush the tomatoes with a fork, then season them with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.

    crushing canned whole peeled tomatoes

    Simmer on medium heat for 15 to 30 minutes or until you reach your desired consistency. Stir the sauce occasionally.

    Tip: You can boil the water and cook the pasta while the sauce simmer.

    homemade marinara sauce in a skillet

    A few minutes before turning the heat off, add the basil. Tear it up with your hands, stir and turn the heat off. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Your marinara sauce is ready.

    fresh basil on top of easy marinara sauce

    Serving suggestions

    Quick and Easy Pasta

    You can make this two ways. First, drain the pasta, transfer it to a plate, and apply a generous ladleful of sauce on top. This is a great way to use it as a quick spaghetti sauce. We don't think adding (vegan) parmesan cheese on top is necessary, but feel free to do so if you like.

    spaghetti with homemade marinara

    The second way is to drain the pasta very al dente, then finish cooking it in the pan with the marinara sauce for another minute, adding a ladleful of reserved pasta cooking water. This is how pasta is generally served in Italy.

    rigatoni in the pan with the sauce

    Vegan meatballs

    Yes, with our tofu meatballs, you can have meatballs without the meat. This recipe is quick and easy to make with very simple ingredients. It's cozy, incredibly tasty, and satisfying.

    tofu meatballs on top of spaghetti

    Meatballs sub

    This meatballs sandwich is perfect for a quick lunch, and you can make it with our tofu meatballs and marinara sauce leftovers. We make this with freshly baked baguette (the one you can get frozen and bake at home). I have no words to describe this.

    vegan meatballs marinara sub

    Breaded eggplants

    Breaded eggplants are tasty, crunchy, and easy to make, perfect with this marinara sauce. You can serve the sauce drizzled on top of the eggplants and add pasta to make this a complete meal.

    breaded eggplants with marinara sauce

    Eggplant parmigiana

    Use this sauce to make our delicious eggplant parmigiana. We use oven-baked eggplants instead of fried ones. Parmigiana is a classic eggplant Italian recipe served as a starter, main, or side dish.

    Sicilian Pasta alla Norma

    Pasta alla Norma is our favorite eggplant pasta ever. It's super easy to make, with roasted eggplant cubes coated in a rich marinara sauce. It's a must-try for pasta lovers.

    pasta alla norma or eggplant with pasta sauce

    Other uses of marinara sauce

    There are so many ways you can level up your meals with a good marinara sauce! You can also use marinara as a base sauce for other delightful meals:

    • To make meatless lasagna paired with our vegan white sauce.
    • Use as a dipping sauce for breadsticks and crunchy crostini.
    • As a pizza sauce for homemade mini pizzas, focaccia, eggplant pizza, or flatbread pizza.
    • To make a zucchini sauce for pasta, by adding air-fried zucchini or roasted zucchini.
    • Instead of pizzaiola sauce for this delicious pan-fried tofu with tomato sauce.

    Or as a starting recipe for any other tomato-based sauce.

    More Sauce Recipes

    If you're loving this marinara sauce, you will also like our other favorite sauces:

    • Vegan carbonara sauce
    • Easy basil pesto
    • Basil tomato sauce
    • Romesco sauce
    • Tahini sauce
    • Chipotle sauce
    • Sweet and sour orange sauce with tofu

    Or try any of these 25 top vegan sauces, they're perfect for salads and pasta.

    Storage

    Store marinara sauce in the refrigerator, best if in an airtight container, such as a closed jar, for up to 3 days.

    Since this sauce is so quick and easy to make, we don't recommend making a large batch, but rather cook it fresh from scratch every time you need it. As you learn the recipe, it'll take you just over 15 minutes to make.

    To freeze leftovers, let the sauce cool down completely, transfer to a zip-lock bag, jar, or another freezer-friendly container, and freeze for up to 3 months.

    To thaw, add to a skillet and melt with a dash of pasta cooking water. Alternatively, thaw in the fridge overnight.

    For more condiment ideas, check out our dressing and sauces category page.

    Recipe

    homemade marinara sauce

    Marinara Sauce

    Author: Nico
    Our homemade marinara sauce recipe is a fast and easy way to give your meals a fresh kick; you can use it as a pasta sauce, pizza topping, on top of veggies, or as a delicious and versatile dip.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Dressing & Sauces
    Cuisine American Italian
    Servings 5 people
    Calories 89 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 onion chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
    • ¼ teaspoons red pepper flakes optional
    • 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 10 leaves fresh basil

    To serve with pasta

    • 1 pound Italian pasta any shape

    Instructions
     

    • Add olive oil and chopped onion to a large skillet. Fry on medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
      Add finely chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and fry for another minute.
      Tip: use a large skillet as opposed to a narrow and tall pot.
      soffritto with garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes
    • Add canned whole peeled tomatoes. Rinse the can with a cup of water and add it to the pan.
      Crush the tomatoes with a fork, then season them with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.
      crushing canned whole peeled tomatoes
    • Simmer on medium heat for 15 to 30 minutes or until you reach your desired consistency. Stir the sauce occasionally.
      Tip: You can cook the pasta while the sauce simmer.
      homemade marinara sauce in a skillet
    • A few minutes before turning the heat off, add the basil. Tear it up with your hands, stir and turn the heat off. 
      Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Your marinara sauce is ready.
      fresh basil on top of easy marinara sauce

    TO SERVE WITH PASTA

    • METHOD 1: Drain the pasta, transfer it to a plate, and apply a generous ladleful of sauce on top.
      This is a great way to use it as a quick spaghetti sauce. We don't think adding (vegan) parmesan cheese on top is necessary, but feel free to do so if you like.
      marinara sauce on spaghetti
    • METHOD 2: Drain the pasta very al dente, then finish cooking it in the pan with the marinara sauce for another minute, adding a ladleful of reserved pasta cooking water. This is how pasta is generally served in Italy.
      rigatoni in the pan with the sauce

    Notes

    This amount of sauce can be used for 1 pound (450 grams) of dried pasta. That's enough pasta for 5 people. Remember to cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water.
    Nutrition information is for five portions of the sauce only, without the pasta.
    For more ideas on how to use homemade marinara sauce, check out the "serving suggestions" chapter above.
     

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Marinara Sauce
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 89 Calories from Fat 54
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 6g9%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Trans Fat 0g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 4g
    Cholesterol 0mg0%
    Potassium 349mg10%
    Carbohydrates 9g3%
    Dietary Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 5g6%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin A 277IU6%
    Vitamin B6 0.2mg10%
    Vitamin C 17mg21%
    Vitamin E 2mg13%
    Vitamin K 15µg14%
    Calcium 68mg7%
    Folate 19µg5%
    Iron 2mg11%
    Manganese 0.2mg10%
    Magnesium 23mg6%
    Zinc 0.3mg2%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

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