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! Iโve 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. Youโll need only five basic pantry ingredients to make this delicious marinara sauce: good canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, dried oregano and olive oil. Thatโs it!
This marinara is exceptionally easy to make, too, so itโs perfect for busy weeknights. You donโt even have to chop the onion and garlic. Yep, thatโs rightโjust crank open a can of tomatoes, halve an onion and peel some garlic. Youโre 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: Itโs 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 Debโs tomato sauce with onion and butter, which was originally sourced from Marcella Hazanโs 1992 cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
I love that tomato sauce, but it doesnโt pass for marinara since itโs missing herbs, garlic and olive oil. So, I added dried oregano and two whole cloves of garlic (which youโll smash against the side of the pan at the end).
I traded a reasonable amount of olive oil for the butter (you really donโt 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.
- Itโs super easy to makeโno 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 youโd 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! Itโs a new staple in my kitchen, and I hope it becomes a go-to recipe for you as well.
Craving more classic Italian recipes? Donโt 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! Youโll only need 5 basic ingredients, and itโs 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.ย This sauce keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days. Freeze it for up to 6 months.
Notes
*Tomato note:ย Using high quality tomatoes is key here. I recommend Muir Glen tomatoes. Theyโre 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 nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hi Kate, is it better to leave the saucepan open or to put a lid on?
I did use this recipe once before and it was great but canโt remember what I did previously
Hi Jon! You donโt need to cover this one.
Can I submit another comment, or am I limited to one? Up to you, since this is your website.
I love this super simple marinara sauce, but I can never leave well enough alone.
So. I had some mild italian sausage in the freezer, and marinated artichoke hearts in the fridge, and I thought Iโd do a sauce with your recipe as the base.
I sauteed the sausage and used some red wine to release the browned bits. Added the tomatoes and all the rest in your recipe, and will add the artichokes and sausage in the end.
Yep, I departed from your original Super Simple Marinara Sauce. It was good on itโs own, so, donโt feel the need to share my modifications.
Hi Joyce! You can submit more than one comment, if you like. Are you having issues?
I made this last weekend and am doing it again today because it came out so great! I let it simmer for over an hour and decided to leave the onion in it (I pureed it all in my blender when finished). Added just a little salt at the end. Fabulous! Iโll probably never buy marinara again
I love this recipe. I always double it. So simple and so delicious. I add to ground beef and make a lasagna with it. Or add to spaghetti. It is thick and rich and does not compare in taste to bottled spaghetti sauce at all. I make it all the time. Thank u so much Kate!
I made this several times already in the past few months as my son loves the taste and I love how incredibly easy it is to make ( absolutely great return on investment too ;o))
I would like to make it even more healthy though and make it with fresh tomatoes rather than canned.
Can you please guide me on this? Iโm ready to provide feedback :)
Hi Cristina, sorry I only tested this with canned. I wish I could help! Maybe see in the comments if someone else has used fresh and what they did.
Hi Kate, quick question. Are we meant to cover the pan whilst the marinara sauce is simmering?
No need to cover!
Ridiculous, no italin would eat this
This is very tasty! Itโs also really easy to make. My garlic cloves were quite large and I was afraid they wouldnโt soften enough so I cut them in half, worked great!
I did make it a second time with tomatoes from my garden (frozen whole) and it was even better!
Of course after finding some ground beef on sale I had to try adding meatballs (precooked, added at the beginning so they have a nice long simmer too) and it was amazing!
Thanks for a great recipe! Definitely a keeper. :-)
Super yummy and toasty.Thanks Kate :)
I made marinara sauce for the first time today, and chose to use Cookie and Kateโs recipe to make it. I am absolutely thrilled with the result. The sauce is beautifully rich with a wonderful mellowness to it (I cooked the sauce for 50 minutes). It worked perfectly in a roasted vegetable lasagne that I made for dinner for our family tonight. The taste was delicious.I highly recommend Cookie and Kateโs Marina Sauce recipe โ it is a 5-star plus recipe. The only change I made related to the tomatoes. We live in New Zealand so it is summer here. We have an abundance of home-grown tomatoes in the garden so I used the same weight of freshly-picked tomatoes.(the same weight as the recipe). I used these instead of canned tomatoes. Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous recipe.
Great recipe, better than the venerable New York Times recipe I have been using. The whole cloves of garlic and halves of onion impart better flavor. Immersion blender a must for me. Thanks.
Made it in 7minutes.. technique used OPOS.. tasted yummy. Google about OPOS technique .
I just made this sauce today. Itโs delicious! Growing up, my mom used jar sauce and it wasnโt until I married an Italian that I realized people actually make their own sauce. Over the last 38+ years Iโve tried making my own sauce so many times but it never tasted as good as my mother-in-lawโs, so I reverted to jar sauce since it was so much easier. This sauce however, is so easy and it tastes as close to my mother-in-lawโs as I remember. I think the San Marzano tomatoes make the difference. I canโt wait for my husband to taste it! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I made your ratatouille today. Delicious!
OMG! I was so pleasantly surprised! Spooned it over cheese and spinach ravioli with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan. Garlic bread to mop the plate! Delicious!
Today is the second time I made this recipe. Knowing what I know- thanks to you: Iโll never buy marinara sauce again.
Thank you, humbly.
Jim
Best recipe yet. I am Italian, thatโs how my mum used to make it. Keep up the lovely recipes.
This is terrific. It is the best tasting and easiest marinara sauce I have tried in my almost 87years. Thanks for sharing. Always, Jeanmarie
Thank you so much, Jeanmarie! Thatโs quite an endorsement. :)
This is my go-to site for recipes and this one did not disappoint! My husband and I absolutely loved this sauce paired with lentils!
I made it and it smells delicious, but the big pot of ingredients cooked down to a small little bowl of sauce!
Love it.
This recipe is great! Since I am doing the Daniel Fast with my church, I couldnโt add any sweeteners. I cut the load of salt that I knew I would taste from the tomatoes by swapping out the yellow onion for sweet vadalia onion. Also, after reading some of the comments about the onions I decided to keep them and it didnโt hurt the taste of the sauce at all. I like a little more spice and kick to my sauce, so others may want to remove the onions if they want a milder sauce.
Love this recipe, Iโve started making it in triple batches to freeze as a replacement for store-bought jarred sauce. My only addition is sprigs of fresh basil that I remove at the end along with the onions.
Thanks for sharing and for your review! Iโm glad you are loving it, Nico.
This is so good! Definitely doubling the recipe next time. Canโt wait to try with lentils next!
Why throw away the onion instead of blending it?
Hi Joy, I found the sauce to be better without the added onion. I know other readers who have added it in.
This turned out really good, it was my first time actually making my own sauce and Iโm so impressed! It was very easy, you just have to plan your timing. I really want to make a huge batch and freeze it. I didnโt stray too far from the recipe, except I kept the onion in there and blended everything up once it was done cooking for a smoother sauce, added maybe 1/4 cup of basil pesto, a splash of Worcestershire, and I also added a small can of tomato sauce because it cooked down faster than expected and I needed more sauce yield. Great basic recipe that Iโll keep coming back to, thanks!
Hooray! Yes, this one does take a little more time. I love your idea to freeze it! Thatโs great.
Love this marinara sauce. I added a can of tomato paste. I love the flavor richness that this adds. I will be making this again. Love all your recipes.
Thank you, Karin!
I have made this sauce many times and I think it is fabulous, and my family agrees. I tried it as you make it but recently I changed it around. I blend the lot in the Vitamix and blitz it on the soup setting for five minutes, then simmer it on the stove. It tastes the same, but the order is reversed. The only advantage in my method is it is less messy and less dangerous than putting it in the mixer afterward. The stick blender works fine but is slower and more chunky. There is absolutely no difference in taste. As I am not an experienced cook, I must be more careful and I burned myself the third time I did it the other way.
Love that itโs a family favorite, Dennis! Thanks for sharing how you like this one. :) And yes, be careful!
Delicious! I served the sauce with spinach cheese ravioli.
Simple to make.
Wow! Made this today, just had dinner. One of the best pasta sauces I have ever tasted. Will be making next batch tomorrow.
I love hearing that! Thank you for your comment, Phil.
Iโve made tons of sauces โ I did add a bit of butter, had the onions in quarters and used an immersion blender at the end โ but I was impressed with the brightness and full flavor of this sauce!
This sauce is wonderful!
I made one slight change and added in 1 tsp. of fennel seed. My husband is Sicilian and I learned this from his Grandmother.
Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for this recipe! Right now Iโm not leaving the house for anything except a grocery pick up once a week. If I donโt have an ingredient, I canโt pop over to the grocery store to get it any more. The only thing I didnโt have was the whole tomatoes but I did have a large can of petite diced tomatoes. This recipe was a delight! I used it to make meatball subs. It was perfect. I am just so thankful to you for making me look good at supper time. I certainly gave you credit, though! Thank you!
How is this a marinara sauce with no seafood in it? To me itโs a Napoli sauce.
Iโm sorry you feel that way, Vicky. That is not my experience.
My go to marinara recipe!
Love hearing that! Thank you for your review, Nicola.
Hi! I was wondering if anyone experimented with adding red wine. Unfortunately I only have a large 6lb can of kitchen ready tomatoes, so I wonโt know what this recipe is actually like until I try it with the canned tomatoes recommended. I usually always add red wine or carrots to sweeten the bitter tomato.
Iโve learned if you add a bit of baking SODA to your tomato recipes while it simmers, it balances out the acidic pH and smoothes out the flavor. You have to just start with a pinch and go by taste until itโs where you like it.
Great, I need to go shopping but Iโve do this before and it was so good.
This turned out pretty well and was my first time making marinara sauce (I made this for your lentil marinara sauce recipe). It was indeed simple and easy. It came out a bit bitter though? Not a problem, just something I noticed. I also wonder if there is a way to incorporate the onion instead of throwing it away? I hate to waste food but see that we are just using for the flavor here. Thank you for this recipe!
Iโm sorry it came out a little bitter! It could have been your tomatoes. I find brands can vary and adjusting with some salt at the end can help. I donโt have specific uses for the onions, but I know other readers have used it in the sauce.
Simple and tasty! Iโve made this several times; I bought a case of organic pear Italian tomatoes just for this. I agree with the โpinchโ of pepper; nice enhancement but donโt overpower the sauce.
Thank you for sharing, Thomas!
My partner and I LOVE this recipe! We make it several times a week. Best marinara sauce Iโve ever had.
This was really great and has an authentic Italian taste to it. Itโs my new favorite go-to marina sauce. Printing the recipe for my folder right now. Thank you!
Hello
I have you cook book and a die hard fan of your recipe.
I would like to make Marinara sauce , I would like to use fresh tomatoes instead of 28oz can as listed in the recipe, can you please tell me how much tomatoes should I use and any thing else needed to be added as I would not use the can .
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
I would like to make vege lasagna soon
Thank you
Made this last night with canned fire roasted tomatoes. Can not think of buying pasta sauce anymore! Kate I have tried so may recipes from you and loved everyone of them. Thank you so much!!
I donโt like the idea of throwing half an onion away, so I ended up taking it out of the sauce and dicing it, throwing back in. I also thought the sauce was too liquidy so I added a can of tomato paste.
This was delicious! I tweaked it a little with some basil and garlic powder, but we absolutely loved it! We used it to dip Arancini (risotto) balls in. I will never buy marinara sauce again now that I know how easy this is to make โ thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Michelle!
We made it and it tasted amazing! It was really easy and fast to make. I highly recommend using this recipe!
Such a successful and delicious recipe this is. Iโve made this a few times and it comes out perfect every time!
I really enjoyed making mariana sauce this way. Plus, it was yummy. I kept the onions, and added vegan meatballs when serving. Oh yum! Thank you so much.
My kitchen smells delicious! I did make a few changesโฆโฆI chopped the onion in a food processor and sautรฉed for a few minutes in a combo of butter and olive oil. I then added finely chopped garlic (4 cloves, they were on the smaller side) for another minute and then poured in the tomatoes. Iโm using certified San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes. a 28oz can cost me about $6, but I have a feeling it will be worth it. I also added half a teaspoon of dried basil along with the oregano. Perfect size recipe to make in my le create pot as well!
This is my go to! Great recipe! As is, superb! When I want to mix it up I add chopped celery, carrot and bell pepper (sauteed in the beginning) and puree it all at the end! I agree, Muir GLenn is the only way to go. I prefer the fire roastedโฆ Thank you! I am enjoying all your recipes!