Homemade marinara sauce is surprisingly easy to make from scratch. Plus, it is ready in less than 30 minutes! Made with high quality tomatoes, garlic, and oregano, this recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and filled with flavor.
In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes, 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 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.
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.