Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe
This easy marinara sauce transforms a handful of simple ingredients into a rich, flavorful sauce from scratch.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 finely minced garlic cloves
- ½ cup peeled and small-diced yellow onion
- 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed
- 4 to 5 fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a medium-sized sauce pan and heat over low-medium heat.
- Place in the garlic and onions, gently season with salt, and sauté while occasionally stirring for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Once browned, add in the hand-crushed tomatoes, basil leaves, optional oregano (I like to), and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Stir together and simmer over low to medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Serve.
Notes
When making marinara sauce from scratch, you must use the highest-quality ingredients. There are so few ingredients here that the quality of the items can make or break your sauce. You may need more money or extra time picking out the best ingredients at the farmers market, but I promise it’s worth it.
Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned: The best tomatoes for marinara are ripe San Marzano, Roma (plum), or vine-ripened tomatoes. Blanch 10 to 12 of the fresh tomatoes of your choice in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then immediately transfer them to an ice bath. Peel off the skins, remove the cores, and crush them by hand before adding them to the sauce.
Don’t burn the garlic: Burnt garlic can make the sauce taste bitter. If you notice the garlic is browning too quickly, immediately remove the pan from the heat and lower the temperature before continuing.
Adjust the flavors to your liking: You can always add a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, a bay leaf or a sprig of thyme for complexity, or even a splash of balsamic vinegar to enhance the sweetness. If the sauce is too acidic or tangy, stir in a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity.
The consistency of the sauce is up to you: I like this sauce’s chunky and rustic texture, but you can use an immersion blender to puree it if you prefer a smooth consistency.
Make it in the slow cooker: To make marinara sauce in the slow cooker, sauté the onions and garlic in a pan as directed, then transfer them to the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, herbs, and seasonings, cover with a lid, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
Make-Ahead: The sauce can be kept warm in the covered saucepan over low heat for up to an hour before serving.
How to Store: Transfer the cooled sauce to an airtight container or mason jar and refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. If freezing, leave some space at the top of the container for expansion. Thaw the leftovers in the fridge overnight before reheating.
How to Reheat: Reheat the marinara sauce on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed. You can also microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring in between.
Nutrition
Calories: 197kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 554mgPotassium: 630mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 457IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 3mg