This easy Marinara Sauce recipe is rich with tomato, garlic and basil. The aroma of marinara dipping sauce cooking on the stove top is amazing! Its classic simplicity is the reason why the recipe is so delicious and famous. You may never buy grocery store pasta sauce again.
As many of you know I am a pasta and tomato sauce fan. Sometimes I’ll make a big simmering pot of marinara sauce, and it lasts for a couple of weeks. By then, I’m sauced out and its back to grilled chicken and mashed potatoes for a while.
My pasta marinara is a family favorite, but rated at the top of everybody’s jarred marinara list is Rao’s, and I acknowledge it is delicious, but pricey. However, your homemade sauce is going to be less expensive and so much better because you made it fresh!
Table of contents
How Do You Make Marinara Sauce?
For the recipe for the best marinara sauce, you will need crushed tomatoes with basil, olive oil, garlic and fresh basil.
Start the marinara sauce by heating extra virgin olive oil (4 tbsp) in a large sauce pot. Crush fresh garlic (5 cloves) and add it to the pot. Bring the pot to medium heat and let the garlic cook for a minute or two. Be careful not to brown the garlic.
Add the crushed tomatoes (28 ounces), salt (1 tsp), freshly cracked black pepper (½ tsp) and bring to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When ready to serve, garnish with fresh basil.
I ended up grilling a couple of Italian sausages to go along with our dinner. I topped the fettuccine marinara with some freshly shaved Parmesan Reggiano and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Our marinara sauce was the star of the dish for sure. It just screamed fresh. The garlic balanced the acidity of the canned tomatoes and the basil added just the right amount of intrigue. Finally, Parmesan elevated the whole pasta dish by bringing in those wonderful salty notes that only good Parmesan can do.
Jeannette made some quick cheesy garlic toast to go with dinner and an easy side salad of baby romaine with balsamic vinaigrette. All in all, a really nice way to end the weekend. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Can You Make Marinara Sauce For Pizza?
Pizza sauce is a sweeter and thicker cousin of marinara sauce. Pizza sauce should be a simple sauce consisting of crushed tomato, sugar, garlic and Italian seasonings. To use marinara sauce as a substitute on pizza, add sugar and dried oregano to the marinara. Let the sauce simmer until some water has evaporated from the sauce, about 15 to 20 minutes, creating a thicker marinara for pizza.
Game Day Marinara Dipping Sauce
The best way to make marinara dipping sauce is to thicken it. Let the marinara sauce simmer on the stove until it has reduced enough that the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Dipping sauce can be used for many game day bites. Try these ideas at your next tailgate.
- Meatballs Marinara: Fill a crock pot with meatballs and then cover with marinara sauce. Put the crock pot out with mini sandwich rolls, sliced provolone and sliced deli pepperoni. For some more spice, a dish of crushed red pepper flakes and some shaved Parmesan takes your appetizer to Meatball Bar level. Your guests can make meatball marinara sliders. Don’t forget extra napkins!
- Fried Mozzarella Sticks: Fried mozzarella with marinara dipping sauce seems to be on every bar menu in the country. Something magical about the crispy coated cheese sticks dipped in a spicy marinara.
Can You Freeze Marinara?
You can freeze marinara by letting the marinara sauce cool completely. After the sauce has cooled, fill freezer bags with sauce, label them with the name of the sauce and the date it was made. Lay the freezer bags flat in the freezer until ready to use. For best result, thaw the frozen marinara in the refrigerator overnight.
Watch How To Make Homemade Marinara {YouTube}
Equipment
- Sauce Pot
Ingredients
- 28 ounces Crushed tomatoes with basil
- 4 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 5 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
Instructions
- Start the marinara sauce by heating extra virgin olive oil (4 tbsp) in a large sauce pot. Crush fresh garlic (5 cloves) and add it to the pot. Bring the pot to medium heat and let the garlic cook for a minute or two. Be careful not to brown the garlic.
- Add the crushed tomatoes (28 ounces), 1salt (1 tsp), freshly cracked black pepper (½ tsp) and bring to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When ready to serve, stir in finely chopped basil (1 tbsp)
Nutrition
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