Marinara sauce, a flavorful and rich sauce that only requires 1 pot, 9 ingredients, and 30 minutes. It’s so easy to make and super healthy!
I absolutely LOVE marinara sauce. It’s delicious and so tasty I could eat it every day. It’s very easy to make and ready in no time, and it only requires simple and inexpensive ingredients. This recipe is out of this world!
I made this sauce with tomato, garlic, onion, and herbs, so you can imagine how good it is. Besides, it’s packed with lots of nutrients and vitamins thanks to the tomatoes, and you could even add any ingredients you have on hand.
If you like tomato sauce, you should give this marinara sauce a try because you are going to love it! It will really make your dishes be something else, and you can try it with plenty of different recipes.
Marinara sauce, made with 9 ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes. It only requires one pot and it’s so easy to make. Customize it however you’d like and enjoy an amazingly good sauce all week long!
How to make marinara sauce – Step by step
- Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the garlic and onion over medium-high heat until golden brown (photo 1).
- Add the remaining ingredients (photo 2) but leave the basil leaves apart. Stir, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes (photo 3). Then uncover and simmer for 10 more minutes (photo 4).
- Add the fresh basil leaves (photo 5), stir, uncover, and cook for another 5 minutes (photo 6).
- Remove from the heat and use immediately or blend it if you prefer a smoother texture.
Pro tips
- Using fresh tomatoes is also okay, but in that case, you may need to add a little bit of water.
- Feel free to add your favorite veggies, dried or fresh herbs, and spices.
- If you want to save some time, you could use garlic and onion powder instead, but I think fresh garlic and onion work amazing for this recipe.
How to use marinara sauce
This marinara sauce works just like any other tomato sauce. It goes amazing on dishes like vegan penne alla vodka, vegan gluten-free pizza, vegan lasagna, vegan meatballs, stuffed eggplant or cannellini bean stew, and you can even use it as a dip with some crudités or bread.
Can I freeze this marinara sauce?
Yes, you can freeze it. Just let it cool first, transfer it into a freezer bag or a sealed container and place it in the freezer. You can either freeze the whole batch together or split it into individual portions.
To defrost, transfer it into the fridge the night before cooking and reheat it in the microwave or heat it up in a saucepan. It will last for up to 1 month in the freezer.
How long will this marinara sauce keep?
It’s very important to store the sauce properly so it keeps in good condition for quite some time. To do it, just keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
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Marinara Sauce
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 30 mins
- 2 cups (32 tbsp) 1x
- How-To, Gluten-Free
- Italian
- Vegan
Servings 2 cups (32 tbsp) 1x
Marinara sauce, a flavorful and rich sauce that only requires 1 pot, 9 ingredients and 30 minutes. It’s so easy to make and super healthy!
Ingredients
- 1–2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (800 g)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (optional)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 6 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the garlic and onion over medium-high heat until golden brown. Add more oil if needed.
- Add the remaining ingredients (crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and oregano) but leave the basil leaves apart. Stir, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Then uncover and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Add the fresh basil leaves, uncover, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and use immediately, or use an immersion or a regular blender if you prefer a smoother texture.
- Serve it with dishes like vegan penne alla vodka, vegan gluten-free pizza, vegan lasagna, vegan meatballs, stuffed eggplant, or cannellini bean stew, or use it as a dip with some crudités or bread. This marinara sauce works just like any other tomato sauce.
- Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
- Using fresh tomatoes is also okay, but in that case, you may need to add a little bit of water.
- Feel free to add your favorite veggies, dried or fresh herbs, and spices.
- If you want to save some time, you could use garlic and onion powder instead, but I think fresh garlic and onion work amazing for this recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp
- Calories: 16
- Sugar: 1.6 g
- Sodium: 122 mg
- Fat: 0.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.6 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 0.7 g
Update Notes: This post was originally published in July of 2018, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions and tips in June of 2020.
Yes, I made it! It was great and so easy. I don’t know why I haven’t considered making my! own sauce before. No more store bought! Next time I will double the recipe and freeze it! Thank you! BTW I used dry basil, did not have any fresh.
★★★★★
Hi Frederika! You’re so welcome 🙂 Yes, homemade marinara sauce is an epic win!
My girlfriend and I really love this easy to make and tasty sauce. We had it over our linguine and loved it.
★★★★
Hi Martijn! So glad you guys enjoyed it 🙂
This is our favorite sauce. We have it all the time. Thanks!
★★★★★
Hi Alocasia! So glad you like it so much 🙂
Half an onion with that quantity of tomatoes is too little in my opinion. We love onions esp in these kinds of sauces. We’re in Malta and onions are used nearly ever day.
Hi Joe! I think it’s okay. We’re from Spain and we also use onions a lot. This sauce reduces a lot while cooking 😉