Marinara Sauce

This one-pot Marinara Sauce is packed with delicious homemade flavor and is ready in under 30 minutes! Serve on your favorite pasta dishes, use it as a dipping sauce, or for pizzas.

Course sauces

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 26

Total Time 36

Servings cups

Calories 201kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Medium Saucepan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced yellow onion (120g)
6 garlic cloves finely minced
1 (28-ounce/794g) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in basil. Serve immediately or cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Notes

Use San Marzano tomatoes. These tomatoes are known for their sweet, rich flavor and low acidity, making them a popular choice for a great marinara sauce recipe. They can be more costly, but the flavor is superior and worth it whenever possible. Look for them canned at your local grocery store or Italian market.
Adjust the seasoning. Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the seasoning as needed. You may need to add more salt, pepper, or herbs to achieve the desired flavor.
Double the recipe. Easily make a double batch of sauce to enjoy now and freeze the rest for ready-made sauce whenever you want it!
Optional: Add a pinch of sugar. A little sugar goes a long way to help balance the acidity of the tomatoes and enhance their natural sweetness, especially if you are using tomatoes other than San marzanos or the canned ones you have taste especially tangy. A teaspoon is usually enough to do the trick! You don’t want it sweet, just enough to balance the flavor.
For a smoky twist, use fire-roasted tomatoes!

Nutrition