Marinara Sauce
84 Comments
Feb 24, 2023
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Nothing outshines a fresh batch of this homemade marinara sauce. Bonus — it’s super easy to make with just 5 simple ingredients!
This is a friendly reminder to make your own marinara sauce! Sure, it’s easy to grab a jar at the store, but making it at home really does make a difference. The flavor is just… fresher. And fresher always equals better.
In my homemade marinara sauce — tomatoes, onion, garlic, thyme, and basil meld together beautifully for an easy recipe that’s enormously flavorful and super versatile in the kitchen. Just check out my ways to use it below!
Marinara Sauce Ingredients
The reason why I love Italian recipes so much is that they prioritize a handful of fresh, ripe, simple ingredients. It’s about celebrating the deliciousness that Mother Nature serves up with no fuss but tons of flavor! Here’s what you’ll need.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes rather than whole tomatoes create a smoother marinara sauce (which I prefer). But I’ll share some variations in the next section below.
- Onion & Garlic: The ultimate aromatic duo to give your marinara sauce depth of flavor.
- Thyme & Basil: Fresh thyme and basil have a gentle yet pronounced flavor that give a nod to the Italian roots of this recipe, especially over a long simmer.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
The Best Tomatoes for Marinara Sauce
I prefer canned organic crushed tomatoes as they’re easy to find and make for a smooth sauce. Can you use canned whole tomatoes? Of course. If you use canned whole tomatoes just squish them between your hands or use a spatula to break them down while they cook. The texture will be a bit chunkier, but if that’s what you prefer, go for it.
You can also make marinara sauce from fresh whole tomatoes, it just takes a bit longer. Dice the tomatoes up and add them to your pot. They’ll take a bit longer to break down and you might want to use an immersion blender to make them smoother, but it’s always fun to see which texture you prefer best.
How to Make Marinara Sauce
The great thing about this recipe is that after the chopping is done, you have time to enjoy a glass of wine or aperol spritz while the marinara sauce simmers. And if we’re going to be true Italians with this recipe, we must relax and enjoy the process, right?
Cook the aromatics. Cook the onion with a bit of olive oil. Then add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds. Don’t cook for too long otherwise, the garlic can burn!
Add the tomatoes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and thyme, and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes. The sauce will slowly start to thicken as you stir occasionally.
Stir in basil. Remove the sauce from the heat, stir in the basil (you don’t want to add it earlier as basil is delicate and its flavor is most potent right after it hits the heat), and enjoy!
Ways To Use Marinara Sauce
- Toss with veggie pasta. My personal favorite is to make a batch of my baked meatballs with marinara sauce. Then toss with zucchini noodles for veggie-heavy pasta!
- Use as a base for pizza. You can never go wrong with a marinara pizza base, especially on my cauliflower pizza or these pizza zucchini boats.
- Serve as a dipping sauce. Yes, you can dip it with appetizers like baked zucchini fries!
Storage Tips
- To store for the week: Make a batch to store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I like to use these glass jars, but any container will work!
- Freeze for later: If you plan to use this in the near future, you can freeze it for up to 3 months! When you’re ready to use, thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Marinara Sauce Recipe Video
For some visual guidance, watch how I make this marinara sauce in the video below!
More Classic Sauces
These homemade sauces are the key to elevating your meals!
- Basil Pesto
- Romesco Sauce
- Chimichurri Sauce
- Tzatziki (or try this Vegan tzatziki for a dairy-free option)
- Hollandaise Sauce (or this Béarnaise sauce)
Once you make this marinara sauce, you’ll never buy them again! Give this recipe a whirl and let me know your thoughts and how you used it in the comment box below.
Easy Marinara Sauce
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 (28-ounce can) crushed tomatoes
- 1 small onion, finely diced (approx 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more.
- Add the can of crushed tomatoes, salt and thyme. (Don't add the basil as it will overcook). Once the tomatoes have started to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, stir in the basil and enjoy.
Lisa’s Tips
- This recipe makes approximately 4 cups of marinara sauce.
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally posted November 2014, but updated to include new information.
It would be nice when you suggested using it for pizza sauce you could have directed us to a recipe.
You can use this sauce to make my cauliflower pizza recipe!
Fantasties
Glad you love this marinara sauce recipe, Judy!
Hi Lisa. In one of your previous recipes you introduced me to Fire-Roasted Organic Tomatoes. These are soooo good! and add such wonderful layer of flavour to a recipe. I am just curious if you have ever made your marinara sauce with the Fire Roasted Tomatoes? I can’t wait to try this recipe.
I haven’t done so, but I’m sure it would be super delicious!
I just wanted to let you know that I made the marinara sauce tonight with the fire-roasted tomatoes and it was absolutely delicious!!! It had such a rich flavour and was super easy to make. I also turned your turkey burger recipe into meatballs and added Italian seasoning as well as an egg and some almond flour to help form the meatballs. I cooked the meatballs and then added it to the marinara sauce and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Quick and delicious!!! It was a big hit tonight! Thank you once again!!!
Thrilled to hear this turned out great with fire-roasted tomatoes!
Hi Lisa, thanks for a simple recipe. I halved it and used dried herbs because I’m cooking for one. I will use oregano and basil next time since the thyme flavor was quite strong. Other than that the sauce was pretty tasty. Thanks again!
This is my favorite Marinara sauce recipe
It’s perfect, easy and delicious. I even use it as pizza sauce.
Thank you!
Hi Stephanie – Happy to hear you’re loving this homemade marinara sauce!
Can I use dried herbs in this recipe?
Yes, you can.
Delicious! I used my own canned tomatoes.Made million $ spaghetti!
Everyone loved it! Thank you!
So happy you loved it, Charmaine!
I have no onion can I use onion powder
Hi Jane – yes, you can. Though I do think a fresh onion is best in this recipe.
Hey, mine is simmering as I type. I’m putting mine over chicken parm. With a side of angel hair pasta. Thanks
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Can this be canned? If so, how long for a water bath? And how far up does it need to go on the jar? Thank you!
I made this recipe for baked ziti with cheeses only…no meat.
It is easy, Excellent! It was done in about 25 min, low simmer. Took it to a Pot Luck. Everyone enjoyed it.
Hi Lori – That sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing and leaving a review.
Really easy straightforward recipe to follow using ingredients already in cupboard and fridge. I did end up adding about a teaspoon of sugar just for balance. We had with arancini balls..delicious! Thank you for a yummy recipe
Hi Rebecca – I’m glad you found a winning marinara sauce you love!
This recipe is delicious and so easy.
I’m happy to hear you love this marinara sauce, Nancy!
I made it with just 3 fresh roma tomatoes so adjusted the ingredients, threw them in a food processor to create a purée. Also only had dried basil and thyme and added oregano. It still came out SO good! Idk if anyone has been to tapas restaurants and gets tomato bread as an app, this tastes JUST like that and I love tomato bread. I simmered it for 25 min, also forgot to sauté the onions and threw all the ingredients in the pot and then simmered. Put it on pita bread with fresh mozzarella and turkey pepperoni. Threw it in the toaster oven for 12 minutes. My new fave quick easy light dinner. Now just to get gluten free pita bread :) thank you!
I’m so glad this marinara sauce turned out great with your minor adjustments, Kim!
Lisa, I’m not sure I’ve ever written to say how much I appreciate your recipes. Simple to make and always healthy. I recommend you often to friends. My mother was Italian so I’ve made her Marinara Sauce all my married life, but this recipe is simple and comes out beautiful. Thanks for giving us healthy options and variations.
Thanks so much for leaving a review Cathee! Happy to hear this marinara sauce compares to your mother’s.
This is great information for recipes. Thanks so much 👍😊
This is not easy marinara sauce. Easy is made with the spices in your cupboard, NOT going to the store to buy a plethora of fresh vegetables.
Easy also means good. There’s absolutely nothing difficult about using “fresh” anything. If you’d rather use dried, then do so. Just use about a third of what this recipe calls for. And, by the way, make sure you use “fresh” dried herbs.
Since all these herbs grow in my backyard, it is easy to go pick a handful. But Lisa would tell you that dried herbs are always an option, so don’t sweat it. Use whichever you have.
Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Jeffrey, it is easy, if you don’t have fresh, use dried, if that’s still to hard for you, I suggest you buy a bottle or two and keep them in your pantry , that’s easy too.
The meatballs and sauce are simply amazing so yummy
I’m happy you enjoyed both the meatballs and marinara sauce, Debby!
Can this recipe be multiplied and canned?
Yes, it sure can!
Hi! I’ve been searching for a limited ingredient marinara sauce to can, and I’d love to use your recipe. Do you know how long to water bath quarts or pints? I can whole romas, so maybe the same time as those? Also, should I add citrus acid to each jar? Thank you so much for any advise.
Such a simple recipe and so good! I’ve used it over ground Beefalo and over chicken. Great way to get more vegetables.
This was so simple and tasty that I made a double bath for the freezer. We’re pasta eaters so fresh marinara with lasagna or pasta always makes everything taste fresher. Love this recipe.
Happy you loved the homemade marinara sauce, Lori!
Glad you enjoyed this marinara sauce Lori!
Delicious. Easy recipe to make.
So happy you loved it, Mary!
Hi,
I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Can it be frozen to have some on hand?
Yes, you can freeze this!
Nice recipe. Do you think it would taste good without onions? I’m allergic to onions.
Hi Deborah – I always recommend doing what’s best for your body, so if you need to omit the onions that’s what’s best!
This looks great but how many fresh tomatoes would you need instead of canned ones.
This marinara is delicious! I used 2 cans diced tomatoes and blended it (all i had) and used Italian seasoning instead of fresh thyme. I was afraid it was going to be too acidic so i added 1 tbsp sugar and will cut that in half next time. Another winner Lisa! Thank you!
Happy to hear this marinara sauce turned out to be a successs!
Can red bell peppers be substituted for the tomatoes to cut the potassium ?
Hi Laura – I’m actually working on a roasted bell pepper sauce in the future! But yes, you can sub them, but they’d need to be blended.
This recipe was simple and tasted great! I added fish pieces fir just a few minutes at the end and it was beautiful.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Hello! I am wondering what the recipe is for whatever it is you’re using to dip in the marinara sauce. Is that zucchini? Could you please share the recipe? Btw this marinara sauce is astounding!
Hi Darian – Yes! Those are my baked zucchini fries, which you can search for on my website :)
Excellent flavor and simple to make. Red pack crushed tomatoes are the best
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Easy, delicious, and much healthier than store bought. Thank you.
Its looking Nice and so spicy. Thank you for sharing such an amazing things to us.
What is the best way to keep the sauce to use for different things in the future? Small mason jars in the freezer? Or can it or something and leave in the pantry or refrigerator? How long does it last in the refrigerator?
Hi Kristen – If you are to keep this for future use, I would store in an airtight jar or freezer safe bag and place it in the freezer. Otherwise, if you store it in the fridge, it will last for up to 3-4 days :)
Hi Lisa, this recipe is more a Neapolitan style tomato sauce (alla napoletana) as it has basil (the original one doesn’t have thyme). Sugo alla marinara is made with oregano.
Both are delicious!
This is super easy to make and soooo much better than a jarred version from the store!
I heard about this recipe for the first time and it seems interesting I am going to try this.
Great. I hope you enjoy it!
We grow a garden just for sauce making. This year the garden consists of plum tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic, eggplant and onions. In NJ we harvest late summer/early fall and jar sauce for the year.
I agree, no sugar! Fresh herbs keep the sauce from going bitter.
Your recipe is just the way we enjoy fresh sauce.
Oh, I’m so jealous! I want a sauce garden, that sounds amazing! Agree on not needing sugar in this recipe. I’m all about letting those fresh flavors shine. Enjoy!
I always prefer home-made dips/sauce. The difference is pretty clear the moment it reaches ur mouth! Thanks for this pone!
I couldn’t agree more! Thanks Lola!
Thank you for sharing a simple and to the point sauce recipe, so glad to see that you have not added sugar to your sauce. Never in all of my Grandmother’s years did she use sugar to mask sour/bitter tomatoes. She used our homegrown tomatoes and they were always organic and right off the vine. In this day and age, there are some really good organic tomatoes that are so sweet and wonderful. Great recipe.
Agree! You definitely don’t need sugar in marinara sauce and it’s amazing to me how many recipes call for it. If you use fresh ingredients it’s best to let those flavors shine! :)
Could I use fresh tomatoes from my garden as a substitute for a jar of crushed bought tomatoes?
I love marinara sauce! Looks so delicious and perfect for having in the freezer!
Yes, it’s a great meal prep recipe and perfect to have on standby.
This marinara sauce sounds so good, and so easy too!
Thanks Kate! It really is an easy recipe packed with so much flavor.
I love this recipe for marinara sauce. So easy and with only a few ingredients. Perfect for dipping or over my pasta.
Thanks Stephanie! It really is a versatile recipe and a great way to get a dose of healthy tomatoes and herbs on a variety of recipes. Enjoy!
I love a good marinara sauce, it’s so simple and delicious to make! I’ll have to try your recipe soon, saved and pinned for later!
Awesome! That’s great you pinned it so you have it for the future. I hope you enjoy the recipe Michelle!
What brand of canned tomatoes do you use?