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Marinara Sauce made from scratch tastes like it simmered all day, but it comes together in about half an hour with a can of good tomatoes and a handful of pantry staples. I keep a batch in the freezer at all times, and the first time Lizzie tried it on a rainy Sunday she asked why we ever bought the jarred kind. Spoon it over pasta or a plate of homemade meatballs.
This is the only marinara recipe you will ever need, and it is so easy you will memorize it by the second batch.
Marinara Sauce Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 25 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 35 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 3 cups
- ⚡ Calories: 190kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Bright, garlicky, and rich with sweet tomato and fresh basil
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, simpler than our spaghetti and meatballs
Quick Answer
Saute minced shallot and garlic in olive oil with salt and pepper until fragrant, then stir in crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of sugar, Italian seasoning, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes until rich and thickened, then pull out the basil and adjust the seasoning. The whole thing takes about 35 minutes and tastes far better than anything from a jar.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Crushed tomatoes do the work. Starting with a good can of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano if you can find them) gives you deep flavor without hours of simmering.
- Shallot over onion. A minced shallot melts into the sauce for a softer, sweeter base than a regular onion.
- A splash of balsamic and sugar. Just a little balsamic vinegar and sugar balance the acidity of the tomatoes so the sauce tastes rounded, not sharp.
- Fresh basil at a simmer. Dropping whole basil leaves in while it cooks perfumes the whole sauce, then you pull them out before serving.
- Low and slow, but quick. Twenty minutes of gentle simmering is all it takes to marry the flavors into a sauce that tastes long-cooked.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It comes together in about 35 minutes with mostly pantry staples.
- It tastes worlds better than any jarred sauce, for a fraction of the price.
- It is the base for everything, from a pan of homemade meatballs to a quick weeknight pasta, and it freezes beautifully.
Key Ingredients
A short list of simple ingredients is all it takes for a rich, restaurant-quality marinara.
- Crushed Tomatoes: The heart of the sauce; reach for San Marzano when you can for the sweetest, deepest flavor.
- Shallot and Garlic: The aromatic base that gives the sauce its savory depth.
- Olive Oil: Extra-virgin olive oil cooks the aromatics and adds a silky richness.
- Balsamic Vinegar and Sugar: A little of each balances the tomatoes so the sauce tastes perfectly rounded.
- Italian Seasoning and Fresh Basil: Bring that classic herby, garden-fresh flavor.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Make it your own with any of these easy swaps and add-ins.
- Meat sauce: brown a pound of beef or Italian sausage and stir it in, the way we do for our spaghetti and meatballs.
- Pizza night: simmer it down a little thicker and it doubles as a sauce, though we also love our homemade pizza sauce for that.
- Smooth it out: use an immersion blender for a silky, restaurant-style sauce, or leave it chunky if that is your thing.
- Spice it up: add extra red pepper flakes or a pinch of Calabrian chili for an arrabbiata-style kick.
- No shallot? A half of a small yellow onion, finely minced, works just fine.
How to Make Marinara Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often so the garlic does not burn, until fragrant.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, fresh basil leaves, and red pepper flakes, and stir everything together to combine.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and rich.
- Remove the basil leaves, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Serve warm over pasta or use it in your favorite recipe.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use the best tomatoes you can. The sauce is only as good as the can you start with, so splurge on San Marzano if they are available.
- Do not rush the garlic. Cook it just until fragrant; burnt garlic will turn the whole sauce bitter.
- Taste before serving. Tomatoes vary in acidity, so adjust the salt and sugar at the end until it tastes right to you.
- Make a big batch. This sauce freezes for up to 3 months, so double it and stash some for an easy baked tortellini later.
- Want it smoother? Blend it with an immersion blender for a velvety, jarred-style texture.
- Let it rest. Like most sauces, marinara tastes even better the next day once the flavors settle.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Spoon this marinara over any pasta shape you love, pile it on a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, or use it to sauce a tray of baked tortellini.
It is also a dunking dream, so serve it warm with mozzarella sticks, garlic bread, or alongside a slice of sheet pan pizza.
Use it as the simmer sauce for chicken cacciatore or layer it into a lasagna for a from-scratch dinner that tastes like Sunday at grandma’s.
Marinara Sauce FAQs
Marinara is a simple, quick tomato sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. Spaghetti or pasta sauce often includes meat and simmers much longer. This marinara is a light, versatile base you can dress up however you like.
You can, but you will need to peel and crush about 2 pounds of ripe tomatoes and simmer a bit longer. A good can of crushed tomatoes is faster and reliably delicious year round.
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water if it has thickened.
Definitely. The flavor actually improves overnight, so it is a great make-ahead. Cool it completely, then refrigerate or freeze until you need it.
Just a pinch of sugar balances the natural acidity of the canned tomatoes. It does not make the sauce sweet, it just rounds out the flavor so it tastes smooth.
They are close, but pizza sauce is usually thicker and often uncooked so it does not make the crust soggy. You can simmer this marinara down thicker to use on pizza in a pinch.
Once you have this marinara down, try our homemade Italian meatballs to go with it.
For a restaurant-worthy dinner at home, stir up our Butternut Squash Risotto with parmesan and white wine.
Toss a batch of this marinara with our pillowy homemade potato gnocchi for the coziest Italian dinner.
Dip breadsticks made from our homemade pizza dough into a bowl of this marinara sauce.
Keep both this marinara and our 5 minute basil pesto sauce on hand for easy pasta nights.
Dip crusty bread in this marinara, then warm up with a bowl of our vegetable tortellini soup.
Ready to level up from marinara? Our pasta amatriciana adds crispy guanciale and pecorino.
For a heartier everyday red sauce, our homemade pasta sauce simmers up in 30 minutes.
When tomato season hits, our oven roasted tomato sauce turns 6 pounds of fresh tomatoes into liquid gold.
Another packet you never need to buy again is our homemade onion soup mix.
Bake our Christmas tree pull apart bread and set a bowl of this sauce in the middle for dipping.
It is also the perfect dipper for our homemade stromboli hot from the oven.
When taco night follows pasta night, our five minute green taco sauce has the toppings covered.
Skip the red sauce night occasionally for our pesto tortellini bake.
When you want a meaty Sunday sauce, my slow braised brisket ragu is worth every hour in the oven.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 4 fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat.2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Add the shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper to the oil. Cook for 2 minutes, often stirring to avoid burning the garlic, until fragrant.1 shallot, 3 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Add the crushed tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, basil leaves, and red pepper flakes, stir in to combine.1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 4 fresh basil leaves, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the basil leaves if using and taste, and adjust the seasoning before serving.
Notes
- Choose San Marzano tomatoes for the best homemade marinara sauce.
- For a smooth texture, blend the sauce with a food processor or immersion blender before adding the basil.
- Let the sauce simmer for at least 20 minutes to fully develop the flavor.
- A splash of balsamic vinegar enhances the flavor depth.
- Freeze the sauce in small portions for easy meal prep.
- Fresh garlic and basil bring a robust flavor that is key to a good marinara sauce.
Nutrition
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