This easy 10-Minute Homemade Marinara Sauce recipe is the answer to all of your pizza, pasta and garlic bread dipping sauce dilemmas.
There’s just something about the simplicity of my homemade marinara sauce that inspires my inner poet:
How do I love thee, homemade marinara sauce? Let me count the ways.
I love thee spooned atop pizza and beside my garlic bread.
I love thee served with pasta and a big ol’ glass of red.
Don’t worry. I’m not quitting my day job.
While I’m all for tomato sauces that have to simmer longer than my latest House Hunters marathon (cough … 6 hours… cough), sometimes, 10 minutes is all we’ve got. Thus, this easy four-ingredient homemade marinara is the answer to all of your pizza, pasta and garlic bread dipping sauce dilemmas.
How to Make Quick Marinara Sauce
What could be better than a quick, homemade marinara sauce that tastes like it simmered all day? The fact that this sauce only needs four ingredients. You read that right. This sauce is also the perfect canvas for whatever ingredients you might want to add to it. I love to add fresh basil, or sautéed onions and pancetta (for that all’Amatriciana spin.)
How to Make Marinara Sauce with Crushed Tomatoes
The crushed tomatoes you choose are key here, allowing that lush yet fresh-fruity tomato flavor to really shine through. My personal favorites are Cento San Marzano crushed tomatoes. Cento’s San Marzano crushed tomatoes are the best bang for your buck while still delivering that authentic, sun-ripened tomato flavor.
How Long Does Marinara Sauce Last?
That is to say, if you don’t eat it all on day one. If properly sealed, this marinara sauce (without meat added) will last between 5-7 days. If you do go the meat sauce route, be sure to use it up within 3-4 days.
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Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, allowing it to warm for 1 minute, then add the garlic and sauté it for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it’s golden brown and fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper flakes (optional), stirring to combine. Simmer the sauce for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, then season it with additional salt, pepper or sugar, to taste.
Kelly’s Notes:
- The strongest flavor of the marinara sauce will depend on what variety of crushed tomatoes you use. My preferred brand is San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes.
- This recipe can serve as the starting point for many other sauce variations. Feel free to add fresh basil, sautéed onions and any other preferred add-ins.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Wanted a quick, no-fuss marinara a vegan eggplant lasagne made with tofu ricotta: I’d already fussed enough. This was just what I was looking to use. Thanks.
This was so easy and delicious! I doubled the garlic, and was the perfect quick sauce for pasta to go with the pre-made chicken parmesan I had. I shared the link with my dad, and he can’t wait to try it!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lisa! I hope your dad enjoys it, too!