Homemade marinara sauce is surprisingly easy to make from scratch and well worth the effort. This recipe is made with high quality tomatoes and is filled with flavor - it's way better than the store bought stuff!
For years I was intimidated by making sauces from scratch. Little did I know that making a homemade marinara sauce was not only easy but incredibly satisfying! I'll never go back to the store bought stuff.
This marinara sauce is chunky and rich with hints of garlic and oregano. Using high quality tomatoes takes this sauce from 'meh' to amazing - San Marzano tomatoes are key for a quality red sauce.
Use your homemade marinara sauce in any dish that calls for it. It's great in lasagna, baked ziti, and spaghetti and meatballs. It also makes a great appetizer when served with cheese stuffed biscuits or garlic bread!
Ingredients and substitutions
- San Marzano tomatoes - To make a homemade marinara sauce, the most important ingredient is the tomatoes. I only recommend San Marzano tomatoes for this recipe. They are whole tomatoes in tomato juice and are most commonly found in 28 ounce cans. Look for a can that says "DOP" or "DOP certified" - this roughly translates to "protected designation of origin" and ensures you're getting the real deal. Try looking for Cento brand San Marzano Tomatoes - the can has a bright yellow label.
- Olive oil - Can be substituted with butter. Keep in mind the recipe will no longer be vegan if using butter.
- Garlic - Adds a significant amount of flavor to the sauce. I don't recommend omitting it or substituting with garlic powder in this recipe. Fresh garlic cloves are best.
- Seasoning - Salt, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano add savory flavor to the sauce. Dried oregano can be substituted with fresh oregano at a 1:3 ratio. 1 teaspoon of dried oregano would be substituted with 1 tablespoon (or 3 teaspoons) of fresh chopped oregano.
Tips and tricks
Lightly brown your garlic - Add garlic to the pan with the olive oil and cook for up to a minute, or just until it begins to lightly brown around the edges.
Cook your sauce at a low simmer - Reduce the heat and cook your sauce at the lowest simmer possible, usually around medium-low heat. At a lower heat, your tomatoes have time to cook and break down without the sauce sticking to the pan or burning.
Smash tomatoes while they cook - Use the back of your spoon to gently smash the tomatoes as they cook. They'll slowly break down into a lovely, chunky sauce.
Optionally, blend - Prefer a smooth tomato sauce? Your homemade marinara sauce can be blended using an immersion blender or traditional blender once it's done cooking.
Storage
Homemade marinara sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
Marinara sauce can also be frozen in a tightly sealed, freezer safe container for about 3-4 months. If storing in glass jars, leave about ½ inch of space at the top of your jar because the sauce will expand slightly as it freezes.
Transfer frozen sauce to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Sauce can be reheated in a saucepan over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
San Marzano tomatoes are arguably the best canned tomatoes one can buy. They are a variety of plum tomato and grown in Italy, similar to the Roma tomato in the US. They're slightly sweet with an intense tomato flavor and low acidity. If you're going to make a sauce with very few ingredients (like a marinara sauce), your main ingredient should be of the highest quality.
I can't stress this enough - using cheap or inferior tomatoes in this recipe will give you an inferior-tasting sauce. Spring for the San Marzano tomatoes. You won't be disappointed!
Yes, this marinara sauce can be added to any recipe that calls for marinara or spaghetti sauce. I've used this sauce to make ravioli casserole, baked ziti, spaghetti, and more.
This recipe makes about 24 ounces or 3 cups of sauce and can easily be doubled or tripled to make more. Making larger batches of sauce may increase cooking time.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces canned San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until barely beginning to brown around the edges. Add canned tomatoes to the pan, then add about ½ cup of water to tomato can, swirl around to get any extra tomato juices, and add to the pan. Season with salt, red pepper flakes, and oregano.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low (or as low as you can go without losing your simmer), and cook for about 20 minutes. As your sauce cooks, continually smash the whole tomatoes with your spoon, slowly breaking them apart, until no large chunks remain.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- This recipe makes about 3 cups, or 24 ounces, of sauce.
- For a smooth sauce: use an immersion blender, or carefully transfer cooked sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. Make sure to remove the feeder cap of your blender lid and cover lid with a towel to allow steam to vent safely. For your safety, never fill a blender more than half full with hot food.
- Leftover marinara sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or stored for 3-4 months in the freezer. Thaw frozen marinara in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat over medium-low heat on the stove top for up to 15 minutes.
- Dried oregano can be substituted with 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano.
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