Marinara (Meatless Spaghetti Sauce)
This recipe for marinara boasts bold, robust flavor and requires minimal effort. Sweet crushed tomatoes are infused with smooth olive oil, peppery garlic, and aromatic herbs to create a simple yet sensational sauce — in just 30 minutes!
I am thrilled to share today’s marinara recipe with you. Homemade marinara sauce is fresher, healthier, and more delicious than anything you’ll find in the store. Plus, I have adapted this version to deliver maximum flavor without the hours spent at the stove.
And seriously, this recipe could not be easier. You will need to chop up the garlic cloves and fresh herbs, but aside from that, there is virtually no prep work needed. All that is required is a simple saute, a bit of stirring, and 20 minutes of simmering. Boom! Fresh, fabulous flavor in no time!
Table of Contents
For more Italian-inspired recipes check out my Tuscan Soup, Marinated Mushrooms, and these Lasagna Rolls.
- Olive Oil – I prefer the delicate flavor of olive oil when making Mediterranean recipes. In a pinch, however, canola oil or avocado oil will do.
- Garlic Cloves – Infuse the sauce with a bold pop of pungent zestiness.
- Tomato Paste – Adds thickness and tangy-sweet, umami flavor. If you are feeling ambitious and plan on simmering your sauce for multiple hours, you can omit.
- Red Wine – While optional, wine increases the rich, robust flavors like nothing else. For an alcohol-free alternative, try a splash of red wine vinegar instead.
- Sugar – Adds a balancing, harmonizing dash of sweetness.
- Oregano – Brings an earthy, aromatic element to the sauce.
- Kosher Salt – Brightens and harmonizes all the other flavors without adding too much salty flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Bring a bold, smoky flavor with a hint of heat.
- Crushed Tomatoes – While any brand will do, choose San Marzano for some of the sweetest, most coveted tomatoes on the planet. They were actually grown in volcanic soil at the base of Mt. Vesuvius!
- Basil Leaves – Perks up the sauce with a fresh dose of spicy-sweet pungency.
- Flat Leaf Parsley – Completes the marinara with a clean, peppery flavor and a dazzling dash of green.
- Saute the Garlic. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil for a couple minutes and then add the garlic. Saute for 2 minutes before reducing the heat to medium.
- Stir in the Spices. Now add in the red wine (if you choose) and the tomato paste along with the sugar, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt. Saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add the Tomatoes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes, giving it time to reduce slightly. About halfway through, go ahead and mix in the fresh basil leaves. Taste the sauce and add more salt as desired.
- Leave Chunky or Blend Smooth. If you prefer chunky sauce, your work here is done. However, if you want a smoother sauce, you can use an immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender to blend to your desired consistency. Please be careful during this step, though — hot sauce splatters are no joke!
- Serve. Ladle your marinara over any pasta or meatball dish you have planned with a handful of fresh chopped parsley and plenty of shredded or grated Parmesan cheese.
Marina and spaghetti sauce have several similarities and can be used interchangeably in many recipes. They are both versatile, beautifully spiced, tomato-based sauces. However, they do have a few key differences.
For starters, marinara sauce is far simpler to prepare than spaghetti sauce. It is made from basic, quality ingredients and requires relatively little cooking time compared to pasta sauce. It also doesn’t contain any meat, giving it a thinner consistency.
Spaghetti sauce, on the other hand, includes a host of other spices and different ingredients, and almost always has meat, such as in ragu and bolognese. Some recipes simmer for multiple hours to cultivate a rich, robust flavor and thick, hearty consistency. It is thicker, sweeter, and more complex.
Homemade marinara sauce can add flavor to your favorite dishes in a variety of ways. Whether you want to drip, drizzle, or drench, here are a few ideas to get you started.
– Marinara makes a superb meatless spaghetti sauce. Serve it over any of your favorite noodles — spaghetti, fettuccine, rotini, penne, and beyond!
– Enjoy it as a dipping sauce for Garlic Naan Bread or Cheese Bread.
– Pair with meatball dishes like these Lamb Meatballs, Spicy Beef Meatballs, or Baked Greek Meatballs.
– Incorporate some into your next homemade Flatbread Pizzas.
Store any leftover marinara sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and use within 3-4 days.
You can also freeze your marinara for up to 6 months. Make sure the sauce is completely cooled before transferring it to freezer bags.
Canning to preserve is also an option, but that will need to be a separate post!
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Marinara (Meatless Spaghetti Sauce)
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (See Note 1)
- 1/2 cup dry red wine optional
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 28 oz crushed San Marzano tomatoes (See Note 2)
- 12 basil leaves roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped and garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over a medium-high heat and add the minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the wine (optional), tomato paste, sugar, dried oregano, salt and red pepper flakes, sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, stir and simmer until reduced slightly, about 20 minutes. In last 10 minutes of simmering, add the basil and stir. Season the sauce with more salt to taste.
- At this point you could leave it chunky, or for a smooth sauce, you could use a immersion hand blender and puree, or put in a blender and puree until smooth.
- Serve over any pasta or meatball dish and top with fresh chopped parsley and grated or shaved parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- As this recipe is written, the flavors are amazing, although if cooking this low and slow (3-4 hour simmer stovetop), I would omit the tomato paste as this will thicken on it’s own. I use the tomato paste when time is tight.
- Per The Kitchn, San Marzano tomatoes are grown in the rich volcanic soil at the base of Mount Vesuvius, which gives them a sweet flavor and low acidity and they are coveted for their firm pulp, deep red color, easy to remove skin and low seed count. Feel free to use whatever brand you prefer. This recipe is good for 1 pound of cooked pasta.
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.
Love this easy one, and perfect for dipping breadsticks, too!
Excellent, I do the same!
My new go-to favorite, super easy and thanks for the video, too.
Thanks Jack!
If I were to try this recipe in a crockpot, how long would you recommend and on what setting?
Hi Kelsey,
I’ve not tried making it in a slow cooker, but I would think 3 to 4 hours on low heat would be perfect.
It was good, but a little sour… how can I fix that?
A pinch of sugar goes a long way.
Would it work to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned? Do you think it would be alright to use canola oil instead of olive oil?
Sure Susan, you could substitute 4 cups chopped fresh for the 28 ounce can. As for the oil, that would work, too.
If the salt is going to dissolve, what earthly reason is there to specify kosher salt.
It’s what I’ve been using since working in restaurants and catering John, plus it has no added iodine that table salt has added to it. Feel free to use table salt if you prefer. You could read more about it here.
May the :Spaghetti Sauce (Marinara Sauce) be doubled? Plus, would you have a Spaghetti Sauce that is good for canning/ Thanks. I am looking forward to making this sauce. ~ Kathleen
This can easily be doubled. Hover your mouse over the Servings number on the recipe card on desktop and touch the same on mobile. A slider will pop up to allow you to change it there and the ingredient list changes with that number, too. Also I would follow any canning instructions from Ball’s website.
This is so much better than the store bought stuff. Love this recipe thank you Kev.
Thanks so much Les, glad you enjoyed this one!