The most delicious homemade Simple Marinara Sauce made with San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, shallots and herbs. This is a family favorite and one I KNOW you’ll make time and time again!
Everyone needs a GOOD homemade marinara sauce recipe in their cooking arsenal and I just know you guys will LOVE this. Rich tomato flavor, so much garlicky goodness and the best part is, this sauce is super EASY to make. All you need are a few simple ingredients, about 10 minutes of prep time and your stove top will take care of the rest! I like to let this sauce simmer for about an hour to really get the most out of all these flavors, but if you’re short on time, this marinara will still taste great after simmering for about 20 or 30 minutes.
Having homemade marinara on hand is perfect for any recipe that calls for jarred spaghetti sauce and while you know I love my Raos sauce, TRUST ME, once you make this you’ll never go back to jarred tomato sauce ever again! Spoon this over pasta, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash, use it in my cheesy meatball casserole, chicken parmesan or lasagna, and you can even use this as a pizza sauce! Super versatile and SO dang delicious!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- San Marzano tomatoes – hands down the BEST canned tomatoes for a good homemade marinara! San Marzano tomatoes just have that perfect balance of sweetness and are less acidic which is what you want in a good marinara sauce.
- olive oil – you’ll want to use good olive oil in this recipe. Doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavorful.
- shallots – nothing smells better than sautéed shallots in olive oil and I just love their light, sweet taste in this sauce. You also use chop an onion as well for a more stronger taste, but both taste great in this!
- garlic – I loaded this marinara with garlic because…it’s GARLIC and I love it. 6 cloves may seem like a lot, but it truly makes this sauce taste amazing! I really don’t suggest substituting fresh garlic with garlic powder, it just won’t taste the same
- seasonings – combination of Italian seasoning (or dried oregano), red pepper flakes (for a little heat!), kosher salt and black pepper.
- sugar – I have tested this recipe every which way and this marinara just tastes BEST with a little good old fashioned sugar. Tomatoes can be really acidic so adding sugar helps to cut that acidity and really bring out the other flavors. Don’t worry though, its just TWO teaspoons for this entire pot so it won’t affect your diet, but you could also use a tablespoon of maple syrup or honey if you can’t have sugar.
- fresh basil – always add your fresh herbs right at the end to maintain that amazing vibrant flavor! If you’re planning on making this sauce to freeze, I suggest adding the basil right before serving.
How to Make Simple Marinara Sauce
Another reason I love this homemade marinara so much is that it really is SO simple to make!
- Sauté. In a saucepan or large skillet over medium heat, drizzle olive oil and sauté the shallots until softened and golden in color, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds then add in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and sugar.
- Simmer sauce. Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour to really get the best flavor. This is important so be patient! Feel free to taste and adjust any seasonings, as-needed.
- Serve or store for later. You can either serve this sauce immediately while warm with your favorite noodles, meatballs or on top of pizza (see below for all my favorite ways to use this sauce!) and top with fresh chopped basil, if desired.
I really like to break up those whole tomatoes to release all that tomatoey goodness so while you could do this with the back of your spoon, I highly suggest just getting in there and crushing them with your hands before adding them to the pot! Either way, the tomatoes will break down nicely as they simmer, I just really like to get a jumpstart on that process and release all that flavor.
Can I Add Meat to This Sauce?
Absolutely! For more of a bolognese-style tomato sauce, feel free to brown some ground turkey, ground beef or even some Italian sausage and mix it in with this sauce once it’s blended for a more savory meal and added protein.
How to Serve
- Use it as a delicious pasta sauce over noodles with fresh basil leaves (my daughter loves this chickpea pasta!)
- Spread it on pizza and add your favorite toppings
- Add it to this Cheesy Meatball Casserole or Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole for a wholesome boost of vegetables
- Use it with my Eggplant Parmesan or Chicken Parmesan
- Serve it as a dipping sauce with these Easy Baked Chicken Tenders, these Sweet Potato Chicken Bites or mozzarella sticks
- These Enchilada Zucchini Boats would taste amazing with this sauce!
Prepping and Storage
To Store: This sauce will last up to 5 to 7 days in a sealed airtight container in the fridge. Just make sure the sauce has cooled completely before storing. This sauce makes a TON, so I like to divide it up into individual servings in mason jars or large Ziplock bags to freeze and thaw out as needed.
To Reheat: When ready to re-heat, simply thaw the sauce out in the fridge and pour into a saucepan on the stove and heat over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
To Freeze: You can freeze this sauce for up to 3 months in your freezer. Thaw out in the fridge before using.
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Recipes to Use Marinara Sauce
- Cheesy Keto Meatball Casserole
- Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Skillet Veggie Stuffed Shells
Hope you all enjoy this Simple Marinara Sauce and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Simple Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (28 oz) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, crush tomatoes with your hands or a spoon
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or less if you don’t like a little heat
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp sugar, optional
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, drizzle olive oil and sauté the shallots until softened and golden in color, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds then add in tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and sugar.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour to really get the best flavor.
- Stir in fresh basil and the marinara is ready to serve!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This marinara is awesome and a true winner! It was easy to make but tastes like it took alpt if time to prepare. My picky sister even raved about it!@
This was so yummy! I pretty much followed the recipe except I added a few splashes of red wine!
Hi! Long time reader, first time messaging. lol. I love your recipes! I keep so many of your recipes that I have a special folder just for them! your marinara, or spaghetti sauce is very similar to mine, but I have a suggestion for those that really don’t want to add any sugar. Adding honey or grated carrots will substitute nicely to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I had always added sugar, but I am really trying to adopt a healthier way of eating, so when I make my big pot of sugo this Fall, I will be using grated carrots in place of the sugar. I will either serve it over whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash. Anyway, thank you for all the deliciousness! keep em’ coming, please!
Made this for my family tonight and everyone loved it! Will definitely be making this again.