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This Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe calls for just 8 ingredients & 20 mins of simmer time. Great for last minute pasta nights, or pizza!
About My Homemade Marinara Sauce
I wanted to come up with a quick and simple marinara that could be whipped up on a whim with on-hand ingredients. With that in mind, I came up with this eight ingredient sauce that lends itself perfectly for impromptu pasta nights! And it only requires 20 minutes of simmer time.
Furthermore, it makes for a great pizza sauce or dipper for mozzarella sticks. So really, what we have here is a *wonderful* multi-purpose sauce.
Where to Use Marinara Sauce
- Pizza is always a great way to use up marinara. Try it on my Air Fryer Pizza, Veggie Deluze Pizza, or my Cast Iron Pizza.
- My cozy Beef Bourguignon recipe calls for marinara, and this one would totally work.
- When I make my Ground Chicken Meatballs, I love to use this marinara sauce as the simmer sauce.
- And of course, there’s pasta!
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Crushed tomatoes
- Sea salt
- Fresh oregano and basil (you could also use 1 tsp of Italian seasoning)
- Bay leaf
- Chili flakes
How to Make Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan.
- Add the onions into the pan and sauté them for about a minute. Stir in the garlic, and continue to sauté for another few minutes or until the onions are softened and translucent.
- Pop the crushed tomatoes into the pan, then bring the heat up to medium-high; let it simmer.
- Sprinkle in some salt and stir in the oregano, basil, bay leaf, and chili flakes.
- Let the sauce simmer, partially covered, for about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and you’re ready to go!
How to Store Homemade Marinara
In the fridge, homemade marinara will last 3-4 days in a sealed airtight container.
In the freezer, it can last up to 6 months in a freezer-friendly airtight container.
Necessary Kitchen Tools
Recipe Tips
- If your sauce tastes too acidic and you want a smoother flavor, sprinkle 1/4 tsp of baking soda into the sauce and stir. Stir it up; you’ll notice the sauce start to fizz. This is the baking soda doing it’s job, making the sauce alkaline! Give it a taste after about 10 minutes. Repeat if necessary.
- For extra flavor and richness, pop a parmesan rind into the sauce as it simmers. I like to keep parmesan rinds in my freezer for this purpose.
Have You Made This Recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!
You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme
Recipes That Can Use Homemade Marinara
- Ground Chicken Meatballs in Sauce
- Grandma Pie Pizza
- Creamy Tomato Instant Pot Pasta
- Cheesy Skillet Pizza Pasta Bake
Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, more to taste
- 3 TBSP chopped fresh oregano
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh basil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp chili flakes—or more, to increase heat to your preference
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and sauté for about a minute. Stir in the garlic and sauté for another few minutes, or until the onions are tender.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a simmer.
- Add the salt and stir in the oregano, basil, bay leaf, and chili flakes. Simmer, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes; then enjoy! Add it to your favorite marinara-friendly recipes.
This is a sauce that is made in under 20 minutes but tastes like it was slow-cooked for hours.
A delicious and tasty sauce perfect for pasta night.
So good! I added in a little more basil at the very end. Wow! So good :)
This homemade marinara sauce is so simple and makes everyone happy! It’s perfect for our meatless Mondays. Thank you for sharing another winner!
This is such a great sauce recipe. My family loved it. Â