Our homemade classic marinara sauce recipe is just so good. It incorporates Italian flavors so well, and a perfect balance of quality tomatoes and oregano with just a pinch of red pepper flakes will be a real treat to your taste buds. This is a recipe designed to be easy; you can set this off to simmer while you unwind after a day at work.
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Why you’ll love this homemade marinara sauce recipe
- Our tomato sauce has a fresh vibrant Italian flavor that you can’t get out of a jar with store-bought sauces.
- It’s SO easy to make marinara sauce, just put the ingredients in the pan and let them simmer until they are done – that’s it!
- Make it ahead, it’ll keep in the fridge for 4 days in an airtight container.
- It’s 100% vegetarian and vegan.
Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to make marinara sauce with step-by-step instructions
Making our easy marinara recipe is easy if you follow our simple instructions.
A full printable recipe, along with the measurements in both US customary and metric is available in the recipe card below.
Tip the canned tomatoes into a medium saucepan.
Add the chopped onions, garlic cloves (or minced garlic), dried oregano, pepper flakes, and extra virgin olive oil.
Over medium-high heat, bring the sauce to a simmer, and lower the heat to allow the tomato sauce to gently simmer for around 45 minutes.
Stir occasionally, then, after 45 minutes, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes into small pieces.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and then, using a fork, smash the garlic cloves against the pan and then stir into the sauce.
You can use a food processor to blend your marinara sauce to the consistency you like, but we like a chunky sauce.
Add salt and pepper to taste, your sauce is now ready to serve with pasta; garnish with a little fresh basil!
Your sauce is now ready – enjoy!
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Want to add some heat to your sauce?
If you like a little kick to your homemade marinara sauce, then add extra red pepper flakes, add a little at a time until you get the heat you prefer. - Don’t want to use whole garlic cloves?
That’s not a problem; use minced garlic instead. - Want an extra flavor in your marinara?
Stir in a little fresh basil when you finish cooking the marinara sauce; this will give an extra depth of flavor. - Storage
Keep in the fridge for 4 days in an airtight container.
Should I use canned or fresh tomatoes?
For this pasta sauce recipe, we’re all about simplicity and making everything easy for you.
That’s why we recommend using canned over fresh tomatoes when you make marinara sauce.
When using canned crushed tomatoes, make sure you buy the best you can afford; quality really does count when the whole focus of the sauce is on the tomatoes.
We’ve used canned plum tomatoes, but you can use chopped or crushed tomatoes; using crushed tomatoes will give a slightly smoother consistency.
If you’ve got time, sure, you can use fresh tomatoes; they’ll give a freshness to the sauce, which will be really tasty.
Could I use tomato sauce instead of canned tomatoes?
There are many different marinara sauce recipes that do use passata sauce, along with tomato paste.
We prefer either crushed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes above passata and tomato paste, purely because they give a more fresh and vibrant flavor.
However, there’s nothing wrong with using passata sauce and tomato paste, so if you prefer using them, then by all means, do so!
We apologise, we know that once you taste this delicious homemade marinara sauce, you’ll never want to buy store-bought again, we’ve ruined you. Sorry about that. Not sorry.
What do you serve it with?
Our fresh marinara sauce is so flexible, and you can use it with so many different foods.
- With our awesome pasta bake with veggie meatballs.
- Marinara sauce tastes great when used as a pizza sauce.
- Try it in a hearty baked pasta dish, pasta al forno is perfect for a marinara sauce.
- Simple but delicious, spaghetti marinara is a great quick and easy dish, it makes an incredible spaghetti sauce with a little chopped fresh basil and vegetarian grated parmesan cheese on top.
- It makes a great dipping sauce; you can dip mozzarella sticks, cauliflower buffalo wings, or breadsticks!
How do you store this?
It keeps very well.
If you store it in an airtight container and keep it refrigerated, then it’ll keep for up to 4 days.
Store it in a freezer bag, which will last up to 3 months.
This means that it’s a perfect recipe to batch cook, so while you’re at it, why not double batch, or, even better, why not triple batch cook and have a supply tucked away for when it’s needed?
More easy Italian sauces and recipes for you to try
If you love our marinara sauce, then why not give these tasty recipes a try? Arrabbiata sauce, Gigi Hadid pasta, pasta alla Norma, cacio e pepe, or pesto pasta.
We hope you enjoy making the best marinara sauce recipe you’ll ever taste!
We’d love to hear how you got on with it, so please do leave a comment or feel free to ask a question.
Marinara Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3½ lbs Plum or chopped tomatoes
- 2 Onions chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp Dried oregano
- ½ tsp Red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Tip the canned tomatoes into a medium saucepan and add the chopped onions, garlic cloves (or minced garlic), dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and extra virgin olive oil3½ lbs Plum or chopped tomatoes
- Over medium-high heat, bring the sauce to a simmer, andr the heat to allow the tomato sauce to gently simmer for around 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, then, after 45 minutes, use the back of a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes into small pieces
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and then, using a fork, smash the garlic cloves against the pan, then stir into the sauce and you have a chunky sauce, If you prefer a smoother sauce, then blitz it in a food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste, your sauce is now ready to serve with pasta, garnish with a little fresh basil. Enjoy your marinara sauce!
Notes
- Want to add some heat to your sauce?
If you like a little kick to your homemade marinara sauce, then just add extra red pepper flakes, add a little at a time until you get the heat you prefer - Don’t want to use whole garlic cloves?
That’s not a problem, just use minced garlic instead - Want an extra flavor?
Stir in a little fresh basil when you finish cooking the marinara sauce, this will give an extra depth of flavor
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.
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lynn polito says
Oh I love this recipe! Nothing better than homemade tomato sauce!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
Thank you and it’s so versatile, isn’t it!
Donna says
You are so right, once you try this delicious marinara there is no going back! So much flavour!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
Thank you! We’re so pleased that you enjoy making our marinara sauce!
Jennifer says
What a terrific recipe – and I love all the step by step help, too!
Robin Donovan says
Looks great! I’ll try this recipe!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
Hope you enjoy it!
Cindy says
Absolutely delicious! Definitely will make this again!
laura says
Always looking for THAT one AMAZING recipe for a good sauce and this is it!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
Thank you!
Aimee B. says
Such a delicious marinara!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
Thank you, we love it!
Sherry says
This recipe is delicious!! Who would have guessed that you can make a great marinara sauce in under an hour.
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
We’re glad you like it! Once you realise making marinara sauce is so easy, you really will never buy another jar again!
Kim says
I have always wanted to make marinara from scratch and this recipe was perfect. I now have my go-to recipe!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
We’re very pleased to hear that you love this! There’s nothing more satisfying than eating marinara sauce that you’ve made from scratch – enjoy!
Sachiko says
I love how easy it is to make this sauce, it goes great on everything.
Jean switzer says
Your recipes sound good. I don’t like Oregano and Curry.
Can you tell me what I can substitute them with.
Do you have a cookbook I can buy?
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
We’re so pleased you like our recipes! Generally speaking, basil is a good substitute for oregano. For the curry, what recipe are you looking at? We don’t have a cookbook at the moment but are working on one for next year 🙂
vivian says
For the Marinara Sauce what size cans do I use for the tomatoes?
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
You could use 4 x 14oz cans. Hope you enjoy it!