Super Simple Marinara Sauce
This marinara sauce recipe is the best! It's so easy to make with just 5 basic ingredients and 45 minutes on the stove. No chopping required! This healthy homemade marinara will become your family's favorite.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Meet the marinara sauce recipe of my dreams! I’ve always been intimidated by marinara, maybe because I love it so much that I was afraid of messing it up. I finally faced my fears and tried making marinara every which way. This version is my favorite, no contest.
This homemade marinara sauce offers rich and lively tomato flavor. You’ll need only five basic pantry ingredients to make this delicious marinara sauce: good canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, dried oregano and olive oil. That’s it!
This marinara is exceptionally easy to make, too, so it’s perfect for busy weeknights. You don’t even have to chop the onion and garlic. Yep, that’s right—just crank open a can of tomatoes, halve an onion and peel some garlic. You’re ready to go!
This sauce offers lovely, authentic Italian flavor after a 45-minute simmer. I tried to take shortcuts to make it even faster, but no amount of tomato paste, spices, salt or sugar will make up for lost time.
Bottom line: It’s impossible to achieve enchanting, long-simmered marinara flavor in under 45 minutes. So throw those ingredients in a pot, pour yourself a glass of wine and boil water for pasta. Dinner is almost ready.
After trying many variations on marinara sauce, I adapted this recipe from Deb’s tomato sauce with onion and butter, which was originally sourced from Marcella Hazan’s 1992 cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
I love that tomato sauce, but it doesn’t pass for marinara since it’s missing herbs, garlic and olive oil. So, I added dried oregano and two whole cloves of garlic (which you’ll smash against the side of the pan at the end).
I traded a reasonable amount of olive oil for the butter (you really don’t need to use a ton of olive oil here for rich flavor). I also added a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little kick, but those are optional.
Why is this the best marinara sauce?
Six reasons to love this recipe:
- This marinara sauce recipe requires 5 basic ingredients and yields rich, authentic marinara flavor.
- It’s super easy to make—no chopping required.
- Unlike most store-bought sauces, this marinara is free of added sugar.
- You can load up your pasta with as much of this wholesome sauce as you’d like. Tomatoes are good for you!
- The recipe yields two cups of sauce and freezes well, so you might as well double the recipe. Just cook it in a bigger pot.
- This marinara also makes an incredible pizza sauce. I made pizza with it and my friend remarked that it tastes like real-deal Italian pizza.
Please let me know in the comments how you like this sauce! It’s a new staple in my kitchen, and I hope it becomes a go-to recipe for you as well.
Craving more classic Italian recipes? Don’t miss these:
- Basil Pesto
- Vegetable Lasagna
- Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils & Marinara Sauce
- Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
- Classic Minestrone Soup
- Italian Chopped Salad
Watch How to Make Marinara Sauce
Super Simple Marinara Sauce
This marinara sauce recipe is the best! You’ll only need 5 basic ingredients, and it’s so easy to make. No chopping required! Recipe yields 2 cups sauce (enough for 8 to 16 ounces pasta, depending on how saucy you like it); double if desired.
Ingredients
- 1 large can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes*
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, omit if sensitive to spice)
- Salt, to taste (if necessary)
- Optional, for serving: Cooked pasta, grated Parmesan cheese or vegan Parmesan, chopped fresh basil, additional olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the tomatoes (with their juices), halved onion, garlic cloves, olive oil, oregano and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of oil float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, and use a sturdy wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes against the side of the pot after the sauce has cooked for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and discard the onion. Smash the garlic cloves against the side of the pot with a fork, then stir the smashed garlic into the sauce. Do the same with any tiny onion pieces you might find. Use the wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes to your liking (you can blend this sauce smooth with an immersion blender or stand blender, if desired).
- Add salt, to taste (the tomatoes are already pretty salty, so you might just need a pinch). Serve warm. This sauce keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Freeze it for up to 6 months.
Notes
*Tomato note: Using high quality tomatoes is key here. I recommend Muir Glen tomatoes. They’re organic and the cans are BPA-free.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Made this super simple recipe on Wednesday to accompany my first eggplant of this year! We loved it! Excellent is all I can say. Try it. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. In fact, we had leftovers on Thursday and it was even better when the flavors had a chance to meld. Thanks for posting!
Thanks for the rave review, Nancy!
This is the best and easiest marinara sauce ever. I love the flavour and the texture was thick enough. I used Unico brand canned plum tomatoes. I am not sure whether this brand sells in the U.S. Unico is a family owned Canadian business and I thought as a family business and one with Italian roots the quality would be there. It is. I find their canned tomatoes really nice. I used another well known brand (Hunts) the second time I made marinara sauce, and used a recipe from another site (in error, I had lost the tag for yours). The tomatoes were less firm and more watery. The recipe required chopping and more ingredients and was not nearly as good.
I am about to make marinara sauce for dinner tonight (baked, stuffed canneloni!). Thank you.
Looks great and I am going to try it! Thank you Kate… My only question is can I sub canned tomatoes with fresh?
I specifically created this one to work with canned. I don’t know if you will get the same result. If you try it, let me know!
This was such a simple recipe with amazing taste and so much flavour WOW. I needed a Marinara sauce to used with my Italian meatballs which I served on spaghettini. My husband and I both loved it. I’m from Canada so had to use the canned San Marzano’s whole tomatoes. It worked really well! Thanks, this is now my go to sauce.
I love to hear that! Thank you, Ginette!
Why not use fresh home grown organic tomatoes does that change the flavor ? How about adding honey? What about substituting basil with oregano? Any hints on how to make that work? Anyone?0
Try it!
This is great, quick and easy as stated. Will make again. I added a tiny bit of basil for my husband. He liked the sauce and that is saying something as he is very fussy (he’s Italian) about his sauce. . Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Lucy!
I literally just made (and ate) this and it’s the most delicious marinara sauce recipe I’ve found. So easy to make and it tastes so fresh. This is definitely going to become a staple recipe in my kitchen!
Thanks for your review, Alana!
Hi
Haven’t made your marinara recipe but I will be trying it really soon. Can’t wait! In your opinion, what’s the difference in using whole tomatoes vs. crushed tomatoes?
Thanks
Mark
Hi Mark! It’s a matter of flavor and texture. Does that make sense?
Have made this on several occasions always with great results. It’s become a staple!
Wonderful, Tim!
While this was simple, it was somewhat boring. Maybe I needed better tomatoes – had to use what I had, which was Hunt’s canned tomatoes. Ended up adding carrots while cooking and then blending everything together to add a little bulk.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this! I do find canned tomatoes vary. I highly recommend using good canned tomatoes, organic if possible. I appreciate your feedback, Kendall!
Love this recipe!! Super simple when you’re crunched for time but still want to eat healthy. Yes, San Marzano tomatoes are the very best for that fresh flavour.
Thank for the recipe Kate!
You’re welcome, Cathy!
Made this tonight, added a dash of quality balsamic and a handful of fresh basil leaves. I quartered the onion before I put it in and then just blitzed everything after cooking simmer for 1 hour. Lovely.
Sounds delicious!
Hi – can you blitz with the onion included? Does this change the taste hugely?
Hi Sharon! Blitzing the onion doesn’t change the flavor much, since most of the onion flavor has transferred to the sauce by that point.
I blitzed with the onion and it’s yum..
Posting for people asking about using fresh tomatoes.
I made this tonight with fresh tomatoes and it was delicious! I made 3 batches together but did not use oil and used 5 1/4 pounds tomatoes (skinned and cut into large chunks), 1 T Olive Garden Italian seasoning, 1t oregano, 1/4 t salt, 3 pinches red pepper flakes, a lid full of dried onions (Costco size), and 7 cloves of garlic. The sauce was a little runny, I probably should have cooked it a little longer than the 45 minutes but I didn’t have time, but other than that it was AMAZING!
Thank you for sharing!
I absolutely love it! I could make it even though it was the second or third dish I ever made LOVED IT! it’s easy, simple, tasty and has an incredible smell
Great to hear! Thank you for your review.
This is my new go-to sauce. Marvelous and simple and takes well to improvising. I’ve tossed in basil, butter, or other random veggies depending on the meal and it’s always been great. I do always leave the onions in at the end and let the immersion blender do its thing. Solid.
Thank you, Lola!
This was so yummy!! Kid approved!
I used some tomatoes I had canned from my own garden last year and they basically fell apart. Perfect!
I didn’t have any fresh garlic so I used some minced I had in the fridge. Seemed to be great anyway.
Great, Sueann! Thanks you for sharing. I love you used your own canned tomatoes!
I’ve made this sauce a number of times for different crowds, and I always get asked for the recipe! It’s absolutely delicious, and a staple in my home now. Thank you for such a great recipe!
You’re welcome, Heather!
Your recipes are always fantastic! Making a double batch of this to freeze for when baby arrives. My house smells amazing!
This is an awesome recipe!!! I generally read recipes to understand the flavour combination and then do it my way. I used fresh tomatoes, chopped the onions and garlic and cooked them all in olive oil with some water. Added oregano, chilli flakes, and salt according to taste and also added a bit of sugar. Let it simmer for about 45 mins. I blended the whole thing after it cooled. I used it to make spaghetti with meatballs. It was aahhmaazzziiingggg according to my baby girl…
Thank you for sharing, Bilby!
Billy, thanks for sharing! How many fresh tomatoes did you use for this recipe?
Absolutely delicious! We loved it.
Thanks for your review, Susan!
Sounds really easy to can also . Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Nancy!
Is this a very thick sauce? I usually use crushed tomatoes and a little water or chicken stock, plus tomato paste. Depending on how long I let it simmer, my sauce comes out thick or on the thinner side. Recipe looks good, can’t wait to try it
It can be, depending on your preference. See the notes in the recipe. Let me know what you think!
I made a meatless lasagna with this marinara… wowzers! I thought I was eating at a gourmet restaurant Thank you for this super easy and sensational recipe!
You’re welcome! Try my best vegetarian lasagna sometime, too!
Looks great I’m going to try with fresh tomatoes
Great to hear, Linda!
Very easy and very tasty.
Perfect for one person living alone
Thank you for sharing
Wonderful marinara…such a great taste…Thank you…so delish!
This is my go-to sauce recipe now. I always double it in order to have plenty to freeze. I’ve received many compliments on it. Thank you!
Made this this afternoon. Very tasty. Didn’t have whole garlic cloves. Used chopped garlic. Still very tasty with just a pinch of salt.
I’m sorry you weren’t in love, Marsha! Thanks for your feedback.
I didn’t make it because it’s almost identical to my own version! I use canned San Marzano and also fresh home grown tomatoes from my own garden, including some smokey black Italian Noire. It’s simmering now and I’ll freeze some for another day. The good pinch of dried Chili flakes is a must for me.
Great minds! Thanks for sharing, Brenda.
A-MAZ-ING.
So simple and delicious. I opted to blend everything because my husband isn’t into chunky sauces, but next time I will definitely leave it chunky as it was so beautiful. My house smells amazing and this tastes divine. I can’t wait for dinner tonight!
Thank you, Linda!
This is amazing. I also added Italian seasoning and fresh basil. Its perfect!
I’m glad you loved it, Hoddie!
When you double the recipe do you double the oregano as well?
If you double the recipe, you will want to double everything. I hope this helps!
Thanks! Timing too?
Made this sauce this morning. When I try a recipe for the first time I follow it exactly. I must say there is nothing I would change going forward. I did blend the entire pan with an immersion blender and left it just slightly chunky. This is great as you can tailor the texture to your individual preference. I plan to serve this sauce with homemade turkey meatballs and spaghetti for dinner this evening. Meatballs were in the freezer…a very easy meal. Oh and my house smells simply divine!
Thank you for sharing, Jan!
Thank you for this recipe! I serve it over spaghetti with sautéed mushrooms and my family loved it! Especially my one year old- I couldn’t feed it to her fast enough! Their only complaint was that I didn’t make more!
The one thing I changed was the simmer time, I wasn’t in a rush and wanted a nice thick sauce so I let it simmer for about an hour and a half. It was perfect, yum!
Sounds delicious, Lauren! Thanks for your review.
So glad I found this recipe! It is a wonderful, easy sauce that my family loved. It’s going into my favorite recipes collection! I used organic petite, diced tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes, and the only thing I added was a couple of splashes of red wine to thin it out just a little while it simmered. I served it over ziti with a sprinkle of fresh grated Parmesan. It looked beautiful and tasted amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so glad you found it too, Amelia!
Made this with Canadian brand Unico diced tomatoes turned just as great as promised. Tried again with a different brand, Primo, and the tomatoes cooked down to a less pleasing, denser tecture (was more watery and finely chopped than Unico’s.). As mentioned in your recipe, the type and quality of tomatoes counts. Great recipe. A Keeper.
This was so delicious. Thank you for sharing such a quick and easy recipe. I made it for the Ziti recipe but I just tasted the sauce and it tastes so good on it’s own for pasta! Thank you again :)
Hello, I just discovered this awesome recipe and had to try it . It came out fabulous thank you for sharing , it will be one I’ll use instead of buying the jars .
It makes excellent pizza sauce because it is a pizza sauce recipe.
Thank you, Rudy!
Made the recipe and it was a hit. I started smashing the garlic (about 3x as much of it as called for in the recipe) much earlier than in the recipe while it was still simmering. Otherwise I was pretty faithful to the recipe and everyone loved it.
Thanks for sharing!
I made this sauce tonight but made a few tweaks. I doubled the recipe and put the canned tomatoes and a whole onion (cut into large chunks) into my Ninja food processor. Pulsed until I got the consistency I wanted. Then I threw that and all other ingredients into my pressure cooker. Sautéed for a couple minutes and stirred to make sure everything was well blended. Pressure cooked it for about 45 min and made meatball subs with it. It was a big hit
Thanks for this great recipe!!
Thank you for sharing, Beth! I’m happy to hear that.
I’ve been making this sauce for months and I finally must post….I decided to serve my family sauce from a jar a couple weeks ago and they hated it because they’re used to this recipe! I make it often, and usually add a splash of red wine (not because it needs it but because I want an excuse to open a bottle!) Thanks for a great recipe!
Kate! I’ve never been able to master a tomato sauce and desperately needed a good recipe to save me. Yours did! I’m so grateful! Worked out great and so simple too, thank you so much for testing recipes etc to find a great one! I’m no chef but this makes me feel like one. xxxxx
Hooray! Thanks for sharing.
There is something amiss with your portions. If 28 oz tomatoes are used, you’ll get just short of a quart of sauce. That’s eight 1/2-cup servings, not four.
My “old family recipe” is very similar to yours, but mine includes a 6-oz can of tomato paste, and I saute chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil before adding the tomatoes. Is there a reason why you don’t want to leave the onion in?
Hi Eric, I’m sorry you feel that way. I can triple check the next time I make this, but I did it several times with the same quantity. As for the onion, I like the flavor it adds but the texture wasn’t what I was looking for if added in. I believe some have added it in based on their preferences.
Hi, Kate– “I’m sorry you feel that way” … makes it sound like this is a matter of opinion. It isn’t. A quart is eight 1/2-cup servings. Your recipe may be just shy of a quart, so seven 1/2-cup servings is probably more accurate.
A half-cup is 4 oz. A quart is 32 oz. You don’t have to try it; you just have to “do the math.” But if you insist … enjoy your sauce! (I do!)
Eric – You are confusing “oz” which measures weight with fluid ounce which measures volume. The 28oz of tomatoes is referring to weight. That doesn’t convert to 28 fluid ounces of liquid. I’m sure Kate’s measurements are accurate.
I understand that I was mixing my units (fluid ounces vs avoirdupois ounces), but I was taking a shortcut to avoid all the conversion math. Nevertheless, the fact is that for most foods (which are roughly equal in density to water), one avoirdupois ounce occupies a volume of one fluid ounce. This is true for canned tomatoes. If anything, 28 ounces of tomatoes by weight is slightly — very slighty — *more* than 28 fl.oz. Four 1/2-cup (4 fl.oz.) servings from this plus the other ingredients? I don’t think so.
Eric, I recommend you actually try the recipe and check for yourself. It is a yummy sauce, so it is well worth it, whether it makes 4 half-cups or 8. And like all tomato sauces, it probably freezes well, so you can always pop any leftovers in the freezer.
I did make this a few days ago, and – while you might still not believe me – here are the approximate measurements before and after cooking: I used 800 g crushed, canned tomatoes. That is 28.2 ounces. By volume, it was approximately 800-850 ml or 27-28.7 fluid ounces. I cooked the sauce in a medium pan with a lid, simmering on the lowest setting for 40-50 minutes. I removed the lid a few times during cooking for stirring, tasting and generally appreciating the progress of my sauce. When it was all done, I was left with approximately 550 ml of sauce. That is 18.6 fluid ounces, or 2.3 cups (or 4.6 half-cups). So if you scoop up your half-cups with a little bit of a top, then you’re definitely within the 4 half-cup ballpark range. And the reduction in volume is at least 31%, or close to a third, if you wish. I never weighed my finished sauce, so I cannot give you a reduction by weigth.
I’m sorry, Eric, but you have to think again. What you’ve left out of the equation is the evaporation. Or reduction, if you want to be fancy. After cooking, a lot of the liquid has evaporated, and you are left with a much smaller amount, both in weight and volume, than you started with. So Kate’s portions are correct.
I give up. There is absolutely no way that the sauce will be reduced by HALF(!!) during 45 minutes of slow simmering. Absolutely no way.
But if you want to call it four half-cup servings, fine. There will be enough left over for a second sitting.
Love this simple and delicious recipe. It’s a keeper for sure. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Josane!
For how long can u store this sauce in refrigerator
This sauce keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Freeze it for up to 6 months.
Just made it for my toasted ravioli appetizer delicious and so easy
Thanks for your review, Liz!
This was absolutely delicious, Kathryne! My daughter wanted ‘red pasta’, and I had no tomato paste left, so I told her she was outta’ luck – Until I found this recipe, that is!! Thank you for this!! So, so good! Only made a couple modifications: Doubled the oregano, added the same amount of basil, and added a hefty amount of red pepper flakes. Served it over chickpea penne and topped with nutritional yeast! Beyond amazing! Thanks again :)
I’m glad it was such a hit! Thanks for sharing, Heather.
I’m making this with Muir Glen Fire roasted diced tomatoes, which I love and are usually pretty versatile. I hope they will work in this recipe..I’m going to throw in some frozen meatballs, after removing the onions and using my immersion mixer to …do what it does, and make this a smooth marinara sauce. My review will follow.
I make awful meatballs, so i hope the frozen ones will be acceptable for dinner tomorrow.
I’m so glad I found your recipe for Marinara Sauce!
I made this effortless sauce last for tonight’s Sunday dinner. I buy Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes by the case from Amazon, and used two cans, threw in the halved onion, some garlic cloves, Italian seasoning and a bit of S&P. Super easy!
I didn’t toss the onions, and instead used my immersion blender to mix them and the garlic into a puree with the tomatoes.
Then, I threw a bag of frozen meatballs in and let it all simmer for a little while longer.
For dinner, I’m planning to heat it all up and add a Tb of butter. What an easy and wonderful dinner…..thanks for your recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Joyce!
Added a carrot for sweetness, extra garlic, rosemary, parsley, a bay leaf, and thyme and some white wine…took out onion and bay leaf, used an immersion blender and added some celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper at end. Yummy Tummy.
Thanks for sharing, Krissy!
Had to add extra salt and a lttle of sugar.
It came out ok but a little tasteless. I followed the exact recipe. It gave me a good base.
Thanks
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one, Suzie. I appreciate your feedback and review.
I thought I’d left a comment on this recipe, but it doesn’t appear that I did, so I will now.
This super simple marinara sauce is amazing. Super simple, but super tasty as well.
I buy Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes by the case, and I used two cans of these. I added all the other ingredients and simmered for the time you prescribed. I liked that I didn’t need to dice the onions, but, since I like onions, in the end, I used my immersion blender to whack them up into the sauce.
I really don’t want to go to the store today just to buy sauce, so I’m making your Marinara. I’m serving spinach and mozzarella ravioli with a bit of Italian sausage and artichoke hearts.
So happy that you shared this recipe!
Thank you for commenting, Joyce! Thank you for sharing how you used it.