Easy Marinara Sauce
This easy homemade marinara sauce can be made quickly and easily, and it’s the perfect red sauce for pasta, as well as pizza, lasagna, and more. Plus it can be made ahead and stored or frozen, so you’ll have a fresh and flavorful sauce ready to go any time.
About this Easy Marinara Sauce Recipe
If you’re looking for a simple, flavorful, quick and easy marinara sauce, then this is the recipe for you!
Made with a short list of pantry ingredients, and ready in under 30-minutes, this simple sauce recipe will elevate everything from spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, and my personal favorite, meatballs!
I especially love this easy marinara sauce for meatballs in this slow cooker meatballs recipe and this healthy twist on slow cooker turkey meatballs.
And, if you happen to have homemade or store bought pizza dough on hand, this easy marinara sauce for pizza is the best thing to have on hand to take pizza night over the top.
But really, when it comes to pasta night, this nearly effortless homemade red sauce for pasta can’t be beat.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience of a good store bought sauce (especially the Washington Post best marinara sauce winner, and my personal favorite, Rao’s homemade marinara), but making a homemade version is often more cost effective and even more flavorful than jarred.
Plus, it’s more versatile since you can control the quality and amount of ingredients that go in.
So, if you’ve never made the best marinara sauce from scratch, this is definitely the time to give it a try!
Visual Guide: How to Make Marinara Sauce
Process & Tips
The process for how to make this pasta sauce couldn’t be easier, and if you love Rao’s homemade marinara sauce as much as I do, you’re going to love this homemade version!
Simply finely dice an onion (check out the visual guide for tips), then quickly saute with olive oil, salt, freshly minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Then add hand crushed whole tomatoes – I like using whole San Marzano tomatoes if you can find them, but any whole tomatoes will work.
Once the whole tomatoes are crushed, add them to the sauteed onion and garlic, then cook until slightly thickened.
Follow with a sprinkling of fresh basil and you’re good to go!
How to Crush Whole Tomatoes
Be sure to start with adding your whole tomatoes to a big bowl to catch any juices and avoid spraying tomato juice across your kitchen. Then gently squeeze each tomato until it breaks into very small pieces. Continue with the remaining tomatoes.
How to Store & Freeze
This marinara sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container. It also freezes well, stored in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 3 months.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Olive oil: Adds depth of flavor and authenticity to this sauce, so I recommend using either olive oil or extra virgin olive oil if possible.
Yellow onion: Yellow or white onion will work in this recipe, as will red onion in a pinch.
Kosher salt: Look for kosher salt with the regular iodized salt at the grocery store, as iit has a subtle flavor. Use less iodized salt if that’s what you have on hand.
Garlic: Use freshly pressed or finely minced garlic for the best flavor.
Oregano: Dried oregano adds plenty of flavor and that signature marinara flavor, but no-salt Italian seasoning will also work.
Whole tomatoes: Look for whole San Marzano tomatoes if possible, but any whole canned tomatoes will work, as will crushed tomatoes in a pinch.
This Recipe Is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoVeganVegetarianWhole30
More Easy Sauce Recipes
Easy Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup finely-diced yellow onion, about ½ medium or 1 small
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or finely-minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes with juices, San Marzano if possible
Instructions
- Pour the whole tomatoes along with the juices into a medium bowl. Using clean hands, squeeze the tomatoes until they are all crushed into small pieces. Set aside.
- Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, the onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook the onions until translucent but not browned, about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic, oregano, and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the crushed tomatoes with juices and two sprigs of fresh basil. Bring to a strong simmer, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
- Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Use immediately or allow to cool and store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Serve with remaining spring of fresh basil, thinly sliced.
A teaspoon of oregano is excessive. It renders a slightly sharp bitterness that’s unnecessary and takes away from the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. Just a pinch of oregano, if any at all, is more than plenty. The basil is key, though. Otherwise, excellent recipe. We’ve been preparing sauce like this all our lives, and it’s fresh-tasting, unlike most jar sauces that are over-seasoned. Just go easier on the oregano!
Linda, thanks for your feedback! I’ve found that oregano is definitely a strong flavor, and can be overpowering for some people. I appreciate your note, as I think it will help others who might not like the flavor to be so strong. Thanks for leaving a review!
So good, best and easiest sauce ever!
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Ellie. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Any suggestions for subbing garlic and onion? I’m allergic. 🙁 I’ve seen some store bought versions for folks with these allergies that includes celery root powder? Perhaps I can just skip the garlic and onion and add some basil along with the oregano. Looking forward to trying this recipe as it is so hard to find sauces without garlic and onion.
Christianne, can you eat celery and/or carrot? If so, try swapping in 1 cup very finely diced carrot and celery for the onion and garlic in the olive oil. You should still end up with fantastic flavor. If you give it a try let me know how it turns out!