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 marinara sauce in their cooking arsenal and I just know you guys will LOVE this recipe. 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 sauce and while you know I love my Raos, 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 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 (in my opinion)
- 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, red pepper flakes (for a little heat!), kosher salt and 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! Simply sauté your shallots and garlic with a little olive oil, then add in the tomatoes and seasonings and let everything simmer for about an hour. Once the marinara is ready, taste and adjust any seasonings as-needed, stir in some fresh chopped basil and it’s ready to serve!
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.
How To Store Marinara
This homemade marinara sauce will last about 5 to 7 days in a sealed airtight container in your fridge, but it also freezes really well too! This sauce makes a TON, so I like to divide it up into individual servings in mason jars to freeze and just thaw out as needed. This marinara will last up to a year in your freezer, just make sure to cool completely before storing.
Recipes to Use Marinara Sauce
- Cheesy Keto Meatball Casserole
- Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Skillet Veggie Stuffed Shells
RECIPE
Simple Marinara Sauce
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!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
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 Facts:
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 69
- Sugar: 8.1 g
- Sodium: 175.9 mg
- Fat: 1.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.2 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
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