Get ready to enjoy the Best Homemade Marinara Sauce in just 30 minutes with 8 simple ingredients. This rich and flavorful sauce is perfect for pasta and more. Don't miss this easy and delicious recipe!
This marinara sauce combines fresh ingredients to deliver authentic Italian taste. With just a handful of pantry staples, you'll create a sauce that's bursting with flavor and sure to impress.
Use it as a base for pasta, a topping for pizza, or a dip for garlic bread. The possibilities are endless, and the taste is unbeatable. Try it and see why this sauce is a household favorite.
Looking for more vegan sauces and dressings? Try my Vegan Tzatziki Sauce, Vegan Tartar Sauce, Vegan Worcestershire Sauce, and Vegan Vegan Ranch Dressing for seriously tasty vibes!
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🌟 Why you'll love this recipe
- Quick and Easy: Ready in just 30 minutes, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute dinners.
- Simple Ingredients: Made with just 8 common pantry staples, it's both affordable and accessible.
- Rich and Flavorful: The combination of garlic, onions, tomatoes, and oregano creates a sauce that's bursting with authentic Italian flavors.
- Versatile: Perfect as a pasta sauce, pizza topping, or dip for breadsticks and garlic bread. Endless possibilities for your meals.
- Healthy and Vegan: It is naturally vegan, gluten-free, and made without any added sugars or preservatives.
🧾 Ingredient notes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is the best choice because it has a rich flavor that really makes the sauce taste amazing.
Plus, it's full of healthy fats and good stuff for you. Using high-quality olive oil helps give the sauce that authentic Italian taste we all love.
Onion: You can use any type of onion for this recipe. Whether it's yellow, white, or red, each will add its own unique flavor to the sauce. Just use what you have on hand and it will still taste great!
Crushed Tomatoes: You can use also use whole peeled tomatoes. They provide a chunkier texture, while crushed tomatoes offer a smoother consistency.
Tomato Paste: This is optional, but it adds a deeper, richer flavor to the sauce. It helps thicken the sauce and gives it a more intense tomato taste, making it even more delicious.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📋 Variations
- Simplified Marinara Sauce: Replace the fresh garlic and onion with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon onion powder for a quicker and easier version.
- Herb-Infused Marinara Sauce: Add 1 teaspoon dried basil along with the dried oregano for an extra layer of herbal flavor.
- Spicy Marinara Sauce: Include ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes for a spicy kick that adds heat to your sauce.
- Vegetable Marinara Sauce: Add ½ cup (65 grams) finely chopped carrots and ½ cup (50 grams) finely chopped celery when sautéing the garlic and onion for a heartier, vegetable-rich sauce.
- Fresh Basil Marinara Sauce: Include a handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped, and add them in the last 5 minutes of cooking for a burst of fresh, aromatic flavor.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1. Heat oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Step 2. Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Step 3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste (if using), dried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir well to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 4. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed. If you prefer a smoother sauce, let it cool slightly and then blend it with a high-speed or an immersion blender until it reaches your desired consistency.
💭 Expert tips
- Use a Wooden Spoon: Stir your sauce with a wooden spoon. It won't react with the acidity of the tomatoes like metal can, which helps maintain the sauce's pure flavor.
- Simmer Low and Slow: Allow the sauce to simmer gently. While the recipe calls for a 15-minute simmer, if you have more time, let it simmer longer for even richer flavors.
- Add a Pinch of Sugar: If your sauce tastes too acidic, add a pinch of sugar. This balances the acidity of the tomatoes and enhances the overall flavor.
- Adjust Consistency: For a chunkier sauce, mash the tomatoes slightly. For a smoother sauce, blend it until you reach your desired consistency. Or, leave it as is!
- Let It Rest: Let the sauce sit for a few minutes after cooking. This allows the flavors to meld together even more and gives a richer taste when served.
❓Recipe FAQs
It can last in the fridge for up to 5-7 days when stored in an airtight container.
Yes, you can freeze it for later use. Allow the sauce to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
When ready to use, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it on the stove.
To reheat it, simply place it in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until it's heated through.
Alternatively, you can microwave it in a microwave-safe container, stirring every minute until warm.
Yes, you can use fresh tomatoes, but it will require more steps. You'll need to blanch, peel, and simmer them down to the right consistency, which increases the prep time.
This recipe uses canned crushed tomatoes for convenience and cost-effectiveness. Using fresh tomatoes would also require adjusting for extra water and flavor differences.
It can be used in a variety of delicious recipes! You can use it for Vegan Spaghetti, Vegan Meatballs, Vegan Eggplant Parmesan, Vegan Stuffed Shells, and Vegan Lasagna.
It's also great as a pizza sauce, a dipping sauce for breadsticks, or as a tasty accompaniment to Vegan Zucchini Fritters.
You can even use it as a base for soups and stews. The possibilities are endless!
🫙 More delicious sauce recipes
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below!
Best Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste, optional
- 1 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste (if using), dried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir well to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if needed. If you prefer a smoother sauce, let it cool slightly and then blend it with a high-speed or an immersion blender until it reaches your desired consistency.
Notes
- Use a Wooden Spoon: Stir your sauce with a wooden spoon. It won't react with the acidity of the tomatoes like metal can, which helps maintain the sauce's pure flavor.
- Simmer Low and Slow: Allow the sauce to simmer gently. While the recipe calls for a 15-minute simmer, if you have more time, let it simmer longer for even richer flavors.
- Add a Pinch of Sugar: If your sauce tastes too acidic, add a pinch of sugar. This balances the acidity of the tomatoes and enhances the overall flavor.
- Adjust Consistency: For a chunkier sauce, mash the tomatoes slightly. For a smoother sauce, blend it until you reach your desired consistency. Or, leave it as is!
- Let It Rest: Let the sauce sit for a few minutes after cooking. This allows the flavors to meld together even more and gives a richer taste when served.
Bill says
This is precisely the recipe that I’ve used for 70 years that I learned in my grandmother’s kitchen, and that she certainly learned from her nana. Fresh basil makes it transcendent.
Iosune says
Hi Bill! So glad to hear that 🙂
Linda Stephens says
Not yet but plan to. Can this recipe be canned?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Linda! I think yes! Hope you like it 🙂
Annie says
Hi... Does this go good with spaghetti?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Annie! It goes amazing with spaghetti 🙂 Enjoy it!
Frederika says
Yes, I made it! It was great and so easy. I don't know why I haven't considered making my! own sauce before. No more store bought! Next time I will double the recipe and freeze it! Thank you! BTW I used dry basil, did not have any fresh.
Iosune says
Hi Frederika! You're so welcome 🙂 Yes, homemade marinara sauce is an epic win!
Martijn Samuels says
My girlfriend and I really love this easy to make and tasty sauce. We had it over our linguine and loved it.
Iosune says
Hi Martijn! So glad you guys enjoyed it 🙂
Alocasia says
This is our favorite sauce. We have it all the time. Thanks!
Iosune says
Hi Alocasia! So glad you like it so much 🙂
joe says
Half an onion with that quantity of tomatoes is too little in my opinion. We love onions esp in these kinds of sauces. We're in Malta and onions are used nearly ever day.
Iosune says
Hi Joe! I think it's okay. We're from Spain and we also use onions a lot. This sauce reduces a lot while cooking 😉