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Bowl of homemade marinara sauce on a gray background. Little baby basil leaves scattered around.
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5 from 2 votes

Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe

This homemade marinara sauce recipe is easy and quick to make in roughly 30 minutes with simple ingredients. It's the perfect rustic tomato sauce for pasta, sandwiches, dips, and more!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Carb
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 192kcal
Author: Farrukh Aziz

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • ½ cup Yellow Onion chopped
  • 5 cloves Garlic chopped, pressed or minced
  • 3 tablespoons Fresh Oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes or more for extra spiciness
  • ¾ teaspoon Salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 28 oz Canned Whole San Marzano Tomatoes with juices
  • ⅓ cup Fresh Basil roughly torn / chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a pot or saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add finely chopped onion and garlic, cook for 3-4 minutes until soft.
  • Now, add fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano), red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook for another 30 seconds.
  • Add canned tomatoes, stir and cook until tomatoes starts to boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened. You can crush the tomatoes with back of the spoon (for chunkier sauce) or blend to a smooth consistency using immersion blender.
  • Stir in the fresh basil and sugar, cook for another minute. Turn off the heat.
  • Serve with your favorite pasta, meatballs, or use as a sauce for pizza. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you want smooth sauce, feel free to blend it using hand blender.
  • Increase red pepper flakes for spicier sauce. Totally omit the red pepper for a mild sauce.
  • A few pats of butter towards the end of cooking makes the marinara extra delicious with rich flavor.
  • Use more fresh herbs. In addition to fresh basil you can increase the herb-y zing with some fresh sprig of rosemary or thyme.
  • Store this marinara in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Transfer the cooled marinara to an air tight container and warp it with foil for maximum protection. Keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 936mg | Potassium: 846mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 760IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 4mg