Homemade Marinara Sauce
With a few simple, fresh ingredients, this homemade marinara sauce is one of the easiest things to make and ideal to keep on hand for those nights when you want it for something quick and easy, like pasta!
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Why use store-bought marinara sauce when you can make your own? Not only is homemade marinara sauce easy to make, but it also tastes much better than the ones lining the supermarket shelves. Many of those bottles of marinara are too sweet, and the superior ones cost more than anyone should spend on what is essentially pureed tomatoes enhanced with spices. Amirite? Which brings me to my next reason for making your own sauce: affordability. And a fourth? You can double the amount and freeze portions of it to have on hand when you want to make something quick and easy for dinner.
I’ve made different variations of marinara sauce over the years, adapted from how my mother–and her mother–made it. Nowadays, I usually prepare it by crushing some garlic cloves and pressing them into the olive oil to infuse it before removing them. I think it flavors the tomatoes better than if I mince and add them directly to the sauce. I also include some yellow onion to sweeten the tomatoes, which always seem to contain some level of bitterness no matter what brand I use–and I’ve used quite a few. If the onion–and fresh basil–don’t sweeten it enough, I’ll add a pinch of sugar for good measure.
Shopping List
- Canned Whole Tomatoes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Granulated Sugar
- Fresh Basil
Pro Tips
Use whole tomatoes: Even though you’ll puree them, whole tomatoes retain more flavor straight from the can than crushed.
Use an immersion blender: This is the best tool to break down the whole tomatoes and requires the least amount of cleanup, but you can also pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor.
Suggestions for Variations and Substitutions
- Add this to pasta with some bits of cubed mozzarella, which will melt upon contact with the hot sauce and pasta.
- Garnish the sauce with some fresh minced parsley along with the fresh basil.
- Sprinkle some red pepper flakes into the sauce for an “arrabbiata” vibe.
Leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can also freeze it for up to two months.
Double this homemade marinara sauce recipe for these classic Italian meatballs.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 can whole tomatoes (28 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, peeled and minced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, or more, torn
Instructions
- Puree the canned whole tomatoes using an immersion blender, food processor, or traditional blender.1 can whole tomatoes (28 ounces)
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium-low to medium heat. Add the minced onion and crushed garlic, stirring the onion periodically and cooking until it becomes soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, press the garlic cloves into the olive oil to release their flavor (it's OK if any cloves break). Remove them once they start to turn a golden color.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup yellow onion, peeled and minced2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- Pour the pureed whole tomatoes into the pot. You may want to lower the heat or temporarily remove the pot from the heat in case it's too hot and causes the tomatoes to splatter. Add the salt, ground black pepper, and basil.1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to tasteFreshly ground black pepper1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, or more, torn
- Turn the heat to low so that the sauce simmers gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once it's been simmering for a bit and is hot, taste for salt and add more if needed. If the tomatoes taste bitter, add a pinch of granulated sugar. Serve on top of your favorite pasta. Enjoy!