Ultimate Marinara Sauce

This is hands down the ultimate marinara sauce recipe! Perfect served over pasta or used as a dip. Made with simple ingredients in under 30 minutes!

If using this sauce as a dip serve it with cheesy garlic bread or pizza monkey bread.

This classic Italian-American marinara sauce is super easy to make and it’s extremely versatile. You can adjust this sauce completely to your liking. If the sauce is too acidic, add more sugar. If you want it spicy, add extra red pepper flakes and etc. You can also incorporate some ground sausage or beef and make a meat sauce. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredient Notes

• Tomatoes – I highly recommend using San Marzano canned tomatoes. Both crushed tomatoes and whole peeled tomatoes work for this recipe. For a simple marinara sauce like this one, I don’t recommend fresh tomatoes.
• Basil – Adds fresh flavor!
• Garlic – For best results use fresh garlic. Avoid peeled or store-bought minced garlic.
• Sugar – San Marzano tomatoes are sweet so if you’re using those, you can omit the sugar. The sugar helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. You may use brown or white sugar.
• Olive Oil – Use a good quality oil for best results.
• Onions – I used a large yellow onion but feel free to use white onions or shallots instead.
• Red Pepper Flakes – Adds a little bit of heat and flavor.

How To Make Marinara Sauce

1. Add olive oil and onions to a large pot and cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
2. Stir in the fresh garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 20 seconds.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, and a splash of water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Once the 15 minutes are up, season the sauce with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Top Tips

• Use good quality canned tomatoes, it really makes a difference.
• Allow the marinara sauce to cool completely then transfer it to a mason jar and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. If you want to freeze it, transfer the sauce to a large freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Feeding a crowd? Double or triple the recipe.
• Want to make this marinara sauce extra flavorful? Add a parmesan cheese rind to the sauce while it simmers. It adds so much flavor!
• Bread and pasta aren’t the only things you can serve this with. Serve this marinara sauce with mozzarella sticks, chicken parm, pizza, meatballs, crackers, roasted vegetables, or fried calamari. You can also use it as a base to make soups.
• If using whole peeled tomatoes, crush them with your hands or a potato masher before adding them to the pot.

More Homemade Sauce Recipes…

• Lobster Ravioli Sauce – A creamy tomato sauce that’s perfect for any type of pasta!
• Tartar Sauce – Perfect for seafood.
• Remoulade Sauce – A spicy creamy sauce that goes great with fried food.

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