This homemade marinara sauce recipe takes one can of crushed tomatoes, garlic warmed in olive oil, and a few pantry herbs, and it’s ready in 20 minutes for about $2.69 a batch.
Once I started making marinara from scratch, I never went back to store-bought. The flavor difference is noticeable, and my kids could tell right away. I keep a mason jar in the refrigerator all week for pasta nights, for dipping garlic bread and for stuffed shells. At $2.69 for the entire batch, it is one of the best-value recipes on the site.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Budget Friendly — a full batch of homemade marinara for less than a jar of store-bought
- Ready in 20 minutes
- The flavor is genuinely better than any jarred sauce — no added mystery ingredients
- Stores in the refrigerator all week and freezes beautifully for up to 4 months
After 14 years of developing recipes, I know the best homemade sauces are simple to make yet taste impressive. This Marinara Sauce does exactly that for just $2.69 total.
If you love easy homemade Italian sauce recipes like this one, you will also love our Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe, Creamy Mushroom Sauce Recipe, and Bolognese Sauce Recipe. These are the kind of from-scratch sauces that make every pasta dinner taste genuinely restaurant-quality.
What is Marinara Sauce?
Marinara is a simple Italian tomato sauce made with crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and herbs. It cooks quickly, giving it a bright, fresh tomato flavor.
It is commonly used for pasta, pizza, dipping, and as a base for other recipes.
Marinara vs. Pasta Sauce: Marinara uses fewer ingredients and cooks quickly. Pasta sauce often simmers longer and may include vegetables, wine, or meat for a deeper flavor. Want a heartier, longer-simmered sauce for spaghetti night? Try our Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe.
Ingredients
- Crushed Tomatoes: Use good quality crushed tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are a great option for a sweeter flavor.
- Dried Basil: Adds classic Italian flavor. Fresh basil can be stirred in at the end.
- Dried Oregano: Adds earthy flavor and pairs well with basil.
- Bay Leaves: Simmer whole, then remove before serving.
- Garlic: Sauté briefly in olive oil before adding the tomatoes. This recipe used 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. That’s about 4 fresh cloves, or 2 teaspoons from a jar of pre-minced garlic. Fresh gives a stronger flavor; jarred is the time-saver.
- Black Pepper: Adds a little warmth and balance.
- Salt: Add to taste at the end.
- Olive Oil: Just enough to coat the bottom of the pan and gently cook the garlic. Regular olive oil work great here, so there’s no need for an expensive bottle.
Choosing Your Tomatoes
The tomatoes you use will have a big impact on the flavor of your marinara sauce.
Canned crushed tomatoes: The easiest and most consistent option. They create a smooth sauce with very little prep. San Marzano tomatoes are a great choice for their naturally sweet flavor and lower acidity.
Canned whole tomatoes: Crush them by hand before adding them to the pot. They create a slightly chunkier, more rustic sauce.
Fresh tomatoes: Roma tomatoes work best. Blanch, peel, core, and chop them before cooking. Fresh tomatoes usually need a longer simmer, about 25 to 30 minutes. Plan on about 2 ½ pounds of Roma tomatoes to replace one 28-ounce can.
Carrie’s Tip: Choose plain canned tomatoes without added seasonings so you can control the flavor of the sauce.
How to Make Homemade Marinara Sauce
Follow my simple steps to learn how you can make your own marinara sauce.
Step 1 – Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan. I like to use medium heat.
Step 2 РAdd the minced garlic and saut̩ to cook the garlic. This only takes a few minutes. Your house will smell amazing as it cooks!
Step 3 – Finally, add the other ingredients and bring everything to a boil.
Step 4 – Once the tomato mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. The lid keeps the sauce from splattering all over your stove.
Step 5 – Let this simmer covered for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom. It’s ready when the sauce turns a deeper red and coats the back of a spoon. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Step 6 – Serve over pasta and enjoy!
Smooth or Chunky: How to get the Texture you want
You can easily adjust the texture of your marinara sauce.
Chunky: Leave the sauce as is after simmering. This texture works well for pasta and stuffed shells.
Smooth: Blend the sauce with an immersion blender for 30 to 60 seconds until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Very Smooth: Blend completely, then strain through a fine mesh strainer for a silky texture.
For Dipping: A quick blend makes the sauce smoother so it clings better to garlic bread and cheese sticks.
Variations and Substitutions
This simple sauce is the perfect base for endless variations:
- Red Pepper Flakes: Add in ¼ teaspoon with the garlic for a little heat.
- Tomato Paste: Adds deeper tomato flavor and richer color. We usually start with about 1-2 tablespoons with the garlic and more if needed.
- Sugar or Carrot: If your tomatoes taste sharp, stir in a pinch of sugar, or simmer a whole peeled carrot in the sauce and remove it before serving.
- Fresh Basil: Stir in at the end for fresh flavor.
- Italian Seasoning: Use instead of basil and oregano.
- Red Wine: Add ¼ cup of dry red wine to the pan before the tomatoes for extra depth of flavor.
Cookware Tip
Use a nonreactive pan for tomato sauces, such as stainless steel or enameled cast iron. Uncoated cast iron and aluminum can react with the tomatoes and give the sauce a metallic flavor.
Serving Suggestions
- Skillet Lasagna – this is such a quick meal.
- Stuffed Shells Recipe – Homemade marinara is amazing with this.
- Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole – a family favorite!
- Garlic Bread Cheese Sticks Recipe – We love to dip these in marinara sauce.
- Easy Stromboli Recipe – Dip in marinara for a great meal.
- Olive Garden Toasted Ravioli Recipe – Dip these toasted ravioli for a delicious appetizer.
- Chicken Parmesan Recipe – Spoon warm marinara over the crispy chicken and serve it with spaghetti.
Storage and Freezer Instructions
Refrigerator
- Cool completely and store in a mason jar or airtight container for up to 3–4 days. We actually think it taste better the next day.
Freezer
- Cool completely, then freeze in flat, freezer-safe bags for up to 4 months. Freeze in 1-cup or 3-cup portions so you can thaw only what you need. For dipping sauce, freeze ¼ cup portions in a muffin tin, pop them out, and store them in a freezer bag.
Thawing
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or place the sealed frozen bag in a bowl of warm water for 20–30 minutes for a faster result
Reheating
- We recommend to reheat the sauce in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often. For individual portions, microwave in 30 second intervals and stir between each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
A tablespoon or two of tomato paste, a pinch of red pepper flakes, or a splash of red wine all add deeper flavor.
The two most common mistakes are letting the garlic brown before adding the tomatoes which makes the sauce bitter and forgetting to remove the bay leaves before serving.
Add a pinch of sugar or simmer a peeled whole carrot in the sauce and remove before serving.
No. Pour in the whole can, juice and all. That liquid is what makes it a sauce.
Tomato sauce works in a pinch, but the marinara will be thinner and smoother, so simmer it uncovered a few extra minutes. Tomato paste on its own is too thick.
Yes. Use about three times as much fresh as dried, so use 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil in place of 2 teaspoons of dried. Stir fresh herbs in at the end so they stay bright.
More Classic Italian Recipes
If you make it leave a star rating and a comment below — I love hearing what you served it with first and whether your family will ever go back to a jar after tasting this version!
Marinara Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can Crushed Tomatoes 28 ounces
- 2 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 2 teaspoon Oregano
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, dried basil, oregano, bay leaves, pepper, and salt.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.
- Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend the flavors.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.
- Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy.
