Every cook should have a heady, quick marinara sauce recipe they can pull together with only a handful of ingredients.
We show you the secret to making the very best homemade marinara and how to dress up a store-bought sauce too.
For a quick sauce, marinara is rich and heady, drawing you in to imagine all the pasta-bilities.
One of the secrets of this simple sauce is the layering of flavors. When making this recipe, the fragrance of sweet onion dancing in the hot oil always makes me want to add the garlic too early.
But if I’m patient, and the garlic releases its fragrance at the right moment before mingling with the wine, I am rewarded.
What is the difference between marinara and spaghetti sauce?
Marinara is a quick, fresh-tasting sauce most authentically made with fresh tomatoes, though canned tomatoes deliver more consistent results. What sets it apart from spaghetti sauce is there is no meat, mushrooms, or other vegetables thrown in, and it is not a long-simmered sauce.
Should I use fresh or canned tomatoes to make marinara?
It is important to choose quality tomatoes, fresh, or canned since this ingredient is center stage. We recommend using canned tomatoes because they are the most consistent year-round.
Our favorite canned tomatoes are Simpson Imports San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes and Muir Glen San Marzano Style Whole Peeled Tomatoes because their acidity, sweetness, and texture are superior and reliable.
TIP: Keep in mind that quality tomatoes should have a balance of acidity and sweetness. If that balance is off, adding sugar in small amounts will soften the acidity. If the sauce tastes flat or like it’s “missing something” add salt to enhance flavors.
Secrets to making the very best homemade marinara:
- quality tomatoes, specifically San Marzano style
- layering flavors with tomato paste and red wine to bring depth and richness
- balancing acids with a bit of sweet
- fresh herbs, especially parsley and basil
- a hint of spice from crushed red pepper (it livens everything up)
- perfectly seasoned with sea salt to enhances all the flavors
How to make store-bought marinara taste like homemade:
- For sauces that taste too sweet, add a little acid like red wine or a touch of apple cider vinegar and let it simmer a few minutes.
- For sauces that taste too acidic, add a small amount of coconut palm sugar, to taste.
- All store-bought marinara sauces are made better by adding fresh parsley, fresh basil, and a touch of crushed red pepper. (You found the secret!)
What to look for in store-bought marinara sauces:
- plum or Italian tomatoes (San Marzano style are best)
- extra-virgin olive oil
- a short list of whole food ingredients like onion, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper
Note: Some brands add carrots to sweeten the sauce instead of sugar, which is fine, but carrots do change the texture of the sauce. Beets can also be used in the same way.
TIP: If you want to add cooked carrots or beets instead of sugar to sweeten your sauce, puree or mash them before adding to the sauce so it will take less to bring the sweetness you desire.
Yes, marinara sauce freezes very well. To bring it back to its peak fresh flavor, add a little more chopped fresh herbs when reheating.
Marinara can be adapted to make pizza sauce, but it is not the same. Marinara is a looser, chunkier sauce. Pizza sauce should be fairly smooth and concentrated, so it doesn’t leach moisture, making pizza soggy.
TIP: Turn marinara into a pizza sauce by adding tomato paste and a teaspoon of dried oregano. Puree in a food processor.
Marinara Sauce Step by Step
- Saute onion and garlic, 6-8 minutes.
- Pour in the wine and simmer 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, dried herbs, black pepper, and crushed red pepper and simmer about 25 minutes.
- Taste to adjust seasoning; add sugar and salt, as needed — the amount of each will depend on the tomatoes used (see notes).
- Stir in basil and parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes to meld flavors, then serve.
Recipe TIPS:
- Quality tomatoes should have a balance of acidity and sweetness. If that balance is off, adding sugar in small amounts will soften the acidity. If the sauce tastes flat or like it’s “missing something” add salt to adjust to heighten flavors.
- Use cooked carrots or beets instead of sugar to sweeten your sauce. Puree or mash the carrots or beets before adding to the sauce so it will take less to bring the sweetness you desire.
- Turn marinara into pizza sauce by adding tomato paste, a teaspoon of dried oregano, and puree in a food processor.
10 Ways to Use Marinara Sauce
- lasagna
- pasta bakes
- over pasta with meatballs
- veal or chicken parmesan
- stuffed shells or manicotti
- Italian-style Sloppy Joes
- meatball sandwiches
- meatloaf
- zucchini sticks
- steamed mussels
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More Delicious Sauce Recipes:
Quick and Easy Marinara
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small sweet yellow onion about 3/4 cup, chopped fine
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 28 ounces San Marzano style canned tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian dry herb blend
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme , or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar , to taste
- 3 heaping tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- Sea salt , to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan (a saucier with sloped sides works best), heat oil over medium-low heat and cook onion until translucent and just beginning to brown at the edges, 6-8 minutes. While the onion is cooking, pulse the tomatoes in a food processor or break up with your hands into small pieces (about the size of a dime), but be careful to not over-process or puree. Add the garlic to the onions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour the wine into the onions and garlic, bring to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, dried herbs, black pepper and crushed red pepper and simmer about 25 minutes. Taste to adjust seasoning; add sugar and salt, as needed — the amount of each will depend on the tomatoes used (see notes).
- Stir in basil and parsley and cook for 2-3 minutes to meld flavors, then serve.
Notes
- Coconut palm sugar is slightly less sweet with a deeper, molasses flavor than refined sugar. If using refined sugar, add 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the desired balanced flavor is reached.
- Use cooked carrots or beets instead of sugar to sweeten your sauce. Puree or mash the carrots or beets before adding to the sauce to take less to bring the sweetness you desire.
- Muir Glen tomato products are among the best in bright tomato flavor and texture, are widely available and reasonably priced. Simpson Imports SAN MARZANO whole peeled tomatoes (the white can with the red tomatoes on the side) is another excellent brand that may be a little harder to find, but definitely worth looking for in stores or online.
mjskitchen says
Still picking large, meaty tomatoes off the plants in the garden. Looks like we’ll be picking up to the first freeze. This is a great way to use them. Plus I have lots of fresh herbs. YAY! I need to make a big batch so I can freeze some for the winter. thanks for all of the information and recipe!
Judy Purcell says
Oh I wish we were still picking tomatoes here in Colorado! Garden grown tomatoes are always the best choice. 🙂