You'll love this Hearty Marinara Sauce recipe! Not only is it made from scratch, but it's so much more flavorful than anything you can buy at the store! Just a few simple ingredients and a gentle simmer make for a delicious homemade marinara sauce that can be made ahead and frozen for simple meals later on. Includes a variation for making with fresh tomatoes if you love that ultimate from-scratch experience.
Homemade, from scratch food just tastes so much better than the store bought stuff, am I right!? I mean, there is certainly a benefit to store bought foods (convenience, easier clean up, quicker prep), but the taste that comes from making your own is almost always worth it in my opinion.
I LOVE making my own foods from scratch, and even foods that are pretty common to buy like crème fraiche, cultured buttermilk, milk kefir, and ranch dressing. While it may seem like it takes a lot of time and effort, a lot of homemade food actually takes very little time when it comes down to it.
Marinara Sauce From Scratch
This Hearty Marinara Sauce is one of those recipes that may seem like it takes a long time, but most of that time is completely inactive! All you really need to do is add your ingredients to a Dutch oven (like this one that I got for Christmas and am IN LOVE with) and let them passively simmer away for 35-45 minutes, occasionally stirring and crushing the larger pieces.
It's a good chance to wash up some dishes, or take on a new organizing project, or even get a little bit of reading in. It's not difficult in the least, and the payoff is DEFINITELY worth it. I mean, who doesn't love a fresh, homemade batch of hearty marinara sauce?
Best of all, you can double, triple, or quadruple the batch and freeze some for later. That way, you get all the "work" out of the way and can stash your marinara away for another day when you have a little less time on your hands. Nice!
Let's get started!
Ingredients
- Canned Whole Tomatoes: Get the best quality you can find! Even if they are way outside of what you would pay for canned tomatoes, they are the base of your marinara sauce recipe and so the better the quality, the better the flavor! I found mine at a local grocery store and they are made by Mutti. I chose the whole tomatoes canned in tomato juice, and unsalted. It's my preference to buy my tomatoes unsalted and salt them to taste, and with a quality salt that I have at home.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You don't have to go crazy expensive on the olive oil front, just make sure it is extra virgin and has a pleasant taste. I used the brand I always keep on hand in my kitchen for general cooking.
- Onions and Garlic: Fresh is best of course! These aromatics contribute both to the taste and texture of this hearty marinara sauce. While onion isn't traditionally used IN the marinara, I left the onion in to create a hearty, chunky texture. You can remove the onion after simmering if that is your preference.
- Fresh Basil: There is no substitute for fresh basil! While many dried herbs are excellent stand ins, I just can't do it with basil! Use freshly chopped basil, OR leave it out. I keep a plant on my windowsill just for fresh basil year round!
- Oregano: Dried oregano is completely fine for this recipe, and I used it since it's Winter here and that's what I have on hand. If you have fresh, use considerably less and adjust for your likeness. Fresh oregano can be very strong!
- Salt: I like to use a mineral salt like Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt.
How to Make Hearty Marinara Sauce
To get started, add all of your ingredients (except the fresh basil; we'll add that at the end!) to a large non-reactive saucepan or Dutch Oven. I have this 6qt model enameled cast iron Dutch oven that I use almost daily.
Stir everything together really well, and place the Dutch oven over medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, and reduce the heat to maintain the sauce at a low and steady simmer. For my stovetop, that was almost all the way to low.
Stir frequently, crushing the whole tomatoes against the side of the Dutch oven with the back of a wooden spoon.
Simmer for 35-45 minutes, or until beads of olive oil separate and start to rise to the top of the hearty marinara sauce.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the fresh chopped basil. Taste and adjust for saltiness.
Serve and enjoy, or cool and store for later.
Marinara Sauce Storage Tips
- Allow your marinara sauce to completely cool before adding to storage containers or glass jars. This will prevent condensation and premature spoilage.
- Once the sauce has cooled completely (chilled if possible), transfer your sauce to glass storage containers or glass jars (glass does not stain with tomatoes like plastic does) and add an airtight cover or lid. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, you can store them in glass and freeze them, but there is a risk of the glass breaking in the freezer. I recommend using silicone molds (like Souper Cubes) to freeze them in the desired portion size, and then transfer to a freezer bag. Store for up to 1 month in a fridge-top freezer or up to 3 months in a deep freezer.
Variations and Substitutions
With Fresh Tomatoes: Using 4-5 pounds of Roma or San Marzano tomatoes, score an "X" in the bottom of each tomato. Dip each tomato into boiling water for 20-30 seconds, until the skin start to come up. Remove the tomatoes and allow them to cool briefly before removing the skin. Add the tomatoes to a Dutch oven, and crush them just enough to get juices to run. If the tomatoes are not very juicy, add ½-1 cup of tomato juice. Follow the recipe as written.
Instant Pot: Bring all of the ingredients (except for the basil) to a simmer using the "Saute" function on your Instant Pot. Reduce the heat to "low", and let the sauce simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the tomatoes using a wooden spoon. Once the cook time is through and beads of oil have appeared, turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the fresh chopped basil. Taste and adjust for seasonings and salt.
Slow Cooker: Add all of the ingredients (except the basil) to a slow cooker set to "high" and stir well. Once a high simmer is reached, reduce the heat to low and cover. Stir occasionally, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as you do. Cook on "low" for 1 ½ hours, removing the lid for the last 30 minutes to reduce the sauces volume and concentrate the flavor. Once beads of olive oil begin to come to the surface, turn off your crock pot and add in the fresh basil. Stir to combine and taste and adjust for seasonings and salt.
Marinara Sauce Uses
- As a sauce for spaghetti or other pasta
- On pizza
- In casseroles calling for marinara or spaghetti sauce
- Italian baked eggs
- Baked meatball subs
- Pureed as a cold or hot soup
- Dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks or bread
- In place of spaghetti sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
While marinara sauce is not the same as pizza sauce, it can be used in place of pizza sauce if desired. Marinara sauce is fresh in flavor, and tends to be on the thicker side, so it makes for a very hearty (and very delicious) pizza sauce substitute.
Yes! Just note that marinara sauce is much thicker and will not spread as thinly or as evenly as pizza sauce. It will make for a very rustic (albeit delicious) pizza.
Most marinara sauce is vegan, but it's important to check the labels of any prepared sauce, OR check the labels of the ingredients you're using for your homemade sauce. Rarely, something will be labeled Marinara that has parmesan or Romano cheese, although traditionally marinara sauce does not.
No! Marinara sauce is a tomato sauce that is free from meat and dairy, while spaghetti sauce often containers ground beef or pork, or even cooked meatballs. Generally, marinara is more simple and fresh in flavor, while spaghetti tends to be meaty and substantial with a longer cook time.
More From Scratch Recipes
- How to Make Crème Fraiche
- Homemade Cultured Buttermilk
- How to Make Milk Kefir at Home
- Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Instant Pot Bone Broth
- Chicken Taco Seasoning
- Homemade Taco Seasoning
- Homemade Seasoned Salt
Hearty Marinara Sauce
This homemade hearty marinara sauce is surprisingly simple to make, and tastes way better than anything you could buy from a store.
Ingredients
- 2 (28oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes in tomato juice
- 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (optional, if tomatoes are unsalted)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Add both cans of tomatoes (undrained) to a large Dutch oven or non-reactive stockpot.
- Add in the chopped onion, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and oregano. If your tomatoes are unsalted, add about 1 teaspoon of the salt, and adjust for taste after the sauce has simmered.
- Stir your ingredients together, and bring them to a simmer over medium heat.
- Once you have reached a high simmer, lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Depending on the model of your stove, this may be med-low, or low.
- Simmer for 35-45 minutes, stirring often, and gently crushing the whole tomatoes against the side of the Dutch oven as you go.
- Once your sauce has simmered for 35-45 minutes, you should see droplets of oil floating freely to the top. When this happens, remove from the heat and crush any remaining tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
- Stir in the fresh basil, and taste and adjust for salt.
Notes
Storage: Allow your marinara sauce to completely cool before adding to storage containers or glass jars. This will prevent condensation and premature spoilage.
Once the sauce has cooled completely (chilled if possible), transfer your sauce to glass storage containers or glass jars (glass does not stain with tomatoes like plastic does) and add an airtight cover or lid. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze, you can store them in glass and freeze them, but there is a risk of the glass breaking in the freezer. I recommend using silicone molds (like Souper Cubes) to freeze them in the desired portion size, and then transfer to a freezer bag. Store for up to 1 month in a fridge-top freezer or up to 3 months in a deep freezer.
With Fresh Tomatoes: Using 4-5 lbs of Roma or San Marzano tomatoes, score an "X" in the bottom of each tomato. Dip each tomato into boiling water for 20-30 seconds, until the skin start to come up. Remove the tomatoes and allow them to cool briefly before removing the skin. Add the tomatoes to a dutch oven, and crush them just enough to get juices to run. If the tomatoes are not very juicy, add ½-1 cup of tomato juice. Follow the recipe as written.
Instant Pot: Bring all of the ingredients (except for the basil) to a simmer using the "Saute" function on your Instant Pot. Reduce the heat to "low", and let the sauce simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the tomatoes using a wooden spoon. Once the cook time is through and beads of oil have appeared, turn off the Instant Pot and stir in the fresh chopped basil. Taste and adjust for seasonings and salt.
Slow Cooker: Add all of the ingredients (except the basil) to a slow cooker set to "high" and stir well. Once a high simmer is reached, reduce the heat to low and cover. Stir occasionally, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as you do. Cook on "low" for 1 ½ hours, removing the lid for the last 30 minutes to reduce the sauces volume and concentrate the flavor. Once beads of olive oil begin to come to the surface, turn off your crock pot and add in the fresh basil. Stir to combine and taste and adjust for seasonings and salt.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 103Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 810mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is an estimate only.
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