This Marinara Sauce recipe is truly my favorite! Not only is it quick — it simmers for just 20 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights — but also it’s made with pantry staples that you very likely already have on hand.
What is marinara sauce? Ah, beloved marinara sauce! We have Italy to thank for one of the most popular sauces in the world. It’s used in everything from pastas and pizzas to dips for Italian rice balls or mozzarella sticks! Slightly thinner than tomato sauce, but a bit chunkier too, it’s made with fresh basil and oregano, high quality canned tomatoes (yes, canned!), an onion, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, Kosher salt, and sugar (but only if you want to add a little sweetness). Yes, please!
I could literally eat this red sauce by the spoonful. When we don’t have a batch on hand, our go-to jarred variety is Rao’s, but I gotta say there’s nothing like a pot of homemade marinara sauce simmering on the stovetop to make your house feel warm and cozy.
For another easy pasta sauce, be sure to try our 30 minute pomodoro sauce next! It’s also made with San Marzano tomatoes, but is thicker and smoother. Both are great on busy weeknights with your favorite pasta! Or check out all of our easy sauce recipes.
Ingredient Notes
- Canned peeled whole tomatoes: We recommend San Marzano plum tomatoes, which are BLANK. In a true pinch, you can make this with canned crushed tomatoes, but it won’t have the same slightly chunky texture that we really love.
- Extra virgin olive oil: To sauté diced onion in.
- Sweet Vidalia onion: Though you can use a yellow onion or a white onion instead.
- Garlic cloves: Finely chop 2 garlic cloves to sauté after the onion is transluscent.
- Fresh basil and fresh oregano: These herbs add so much flavor to the sauce!
- Kosher salt: To season everything!
- Granulated sugar: This is optional, but if you want a slightly sweeter sauce, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar at the end. We always do!
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead? While you certainly can make marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes, they’d basically need to be blanched, peeled, and simmered for a long time to create the same texture. Canned tomatoes are much quicker. Use high quality canned tomatoes for the best taste!
Equipment: grab a large Dutch oven or pot to make marinara!
How To Make Our Quick Marinara Sauce Recipe
- Sauté the onion. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add chopped garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add tomatoes. You can crush tomatoes by hand or with a spatula (or even a potato masher right in the pot!). Definitely wear an apron, as squeezing tomatoes by hand can create a bit of a mess with tomato juice flying all over the place. Worth it!
- Simmer the sauce. Add fresh herbs, then simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If you want a slightly sweeter sauce, add a generous pinch or two of sugar.
We tend not to season marinara sauce with black pepper — or really anything else. Adding red pepper flakes, tomato paste, or vegetables turns the recipe into a totally different sauce.
FAQs
You can use either canned or fresh tomatoes, but we prefer canned. Be sure to crush them by hand or with a fork before adding them to the sauce. We recommend San Marzano canned tomatoes if possible! The drawback to fresh tomatoes is that they need to be blanched, peeled, and then simmered for a long time to achieve the same consistency as canned.
Absolutely! Allow to cool completely, then store the sauce in a refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, simply reheat the sauce over low heat until it is warmed through.
Tomato sauce tends to cook longer (and therefore reduce more) leading to a thicker, almost creamy sauce. Marinara sauce is generally a quick simmer sauce which has a looser, almost chunky texture (thanks to hand crushing the tomatoes).
Expert Tips
- For a richer flavor, be sure to use San Marzano tomatoes, as written in the recipe.
- If you don’t have fresh basil, you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried basil. Note, it won’t have the same light, fresh flavor as when you use fresh herbs. If you don’t have oregano, you can substitute with 1 teaspoon dried oregano.
- To make a thinner sauce, add ½ cup of water or chicken broth.
- To make a thicker sauce, simmer the sauce for an additional 15 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency.
- When reheating the sauce, be sure to bring it to a simmer before serving.
- We love the texture as is, but if you want it smoother, you can purée slightly with an immersion blender.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: Fresh marinara sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Leftovers and storage: Allow the sauce to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To freeze: This marinara sauce recipe can also be frozen for up to 2 months. When freezing, be sure to leave about ½-inch of headspace in the container to allow for expansion. Be sure to label the container with the date so you know how long it has been frozen.
How To Serve Marinara Sauce
Our marinara sauce recipe is a versatile enough to be used with a variety of dishes. Some popular options include:
- As a pasta sauce: we absolutely love the flavor it adds to our lamb and mint ragu! And it makes a perfect spaghetti sauce, seasoned only with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Yum!
- As a pizza sauce: try it with our Italian sausage pizza!
- With gnocchi: replace passata (tomato puree) with marinara sauce in our gnocchi alla sorrentina.
- Alongside zucchini boats (or use it as a drip for our baked zucchini fries!). It’s also perfect with zucchini noodles (which are great if you’re avoiding gluten!).
- With stuffed peppers
- Over meatballs: try it with our ground beef meatballs, cheese-stuffed baked meatballs, or our sheet pan chicken meatballs.
- With chicken parmesan or eggplant parmesan!
You can also use marinara sauce as a dipping sauce for breadsticks, mozzarella sticks, arancini, or other appetizers.
This is truly so flavorful and so delicious that you’ll want to keep a few jars on hand at all times. It’s our favorite homemade red sauce by far!
If you make our Homemade Marinara Sauce recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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Quick Simmered Homemade Marinara Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 (28oz) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Vidalia onion finely diced, about 1½-2 cups
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ¼ cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves, whole leaves or chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves finely chopped (can substitute with 1 tsp dried oregano, if needed)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1-2 tsp granulated sugar optional
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large non-reactive pot. Add diced onion, then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic, then cook 1 minute more.
- Add the tomatoes. Add 2 (28oz) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes either with your hands or with a spatula. When the sauce begins to simmer, add ¼ cup basil leaves (whole or chopped) and chopped oregano leaves. Season with 1 tsp Kosher salt then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning. Taste, then adjust seasoning with added Kosher salt as needed. For a slightly sweet marinara sauce, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of sugar. Serve immediately or store in jars in a refrigerator until needed.
Notes
- To make-ahead: Fresh marinara sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Leftovers and storage: Allow the sauce to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To freeze: Marinara sauce can also be frozen for up to 2 months. When freezing, be sure to leave about ½-inch of headspace in the container to allow for expansion. Be sure to label the container with the date so you know how long it has been frozen.
- Fresh herbs: If you don’t have fresh basil or oregano, substitute with 1 teaspoon dried basil or dried oregano. It won’t have the same fresh, light taste, but it’ll work in a pinch.
- Canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes: If you prefer a much smoother sauce, you can use crushed tomatoes instead of whole (and hand crushed).
Let us know your thoughts!