Marinara sauce in America is a red tomato sauce. Something you would get from Olive Garden. In Italy, traditionally, marinara would be tomatoes, onion, spices, and seafood. This acidic mixture the Italians were serving was a staple that would last for a while without refrigeration.
Spaghetti with marinara sauce
My homemade marinara sauce was developed when I got tired of buying jars of sauce. Ragu was my favorite at first, then Classico, Prego, Paul Newman. They all left we wanting something else. They usually had some sugar in them. Sometimes way too much sugar. They just didn’t do it for me. After experimenting for a while I finally hit on a recipe I could live with. And, nothing is set in stone, so I like to mix this up occasionally. You can too. First, try this.
Ingredients for Simple Marinara Sauce
- 1 can 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes
- 1 can 15 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp dry oregano
- 1 tbsp dry basil
- 1 tbsp dry thyme
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp powdered fennel
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
That is my starting point for homemade marinara. From there, anything goes. You could add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Substitute one can of diced tomatoes for a can of spicy Rotel. If you use fresh herbs, you can alter and accentuate the taste to your likes. I just hope that you would make your own sauce and not get something in a jar.
Putting It All Together
Tonight’s marinara sauce was a can of tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes. I minced 2 large cloves of garlic, diced a medium onion, and picked about 8 leaves of fresh basil from my plant, and chopped them up.
I started the marinara in a saucepan with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. I placed the onion in first for about one minute then added 1 pound of Italian sausage. (You could substitute chopped peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, or summer squash for a vegetarian sauce). Brown the meat and add the two cans of tomatoes. I added the garlic and basil and 1 tbsp oregano, 2 tsp thyme, 2 tsp ground fennel, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper.
marinara sauce
Simmer on low while you cook your pasta. Once the pasta was nearly done, I added a can of mushrooms and 20 chopped green olives to the marinara. Tasted the sauce and it still needed more basil, so I added a tsp or so of dry basil.
chopped green olives
Finished. Check your homemade marinara sauce again by tasting it before you serve it. Fine-tune it if needed according to your taste. I must say that sometimes that means adding a teaspoon of sugar. It can smooth an over-acid-tasting sauce. Serve with mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top of your favorite pasta.
This recipe can be adjusted using the ingredients you would like. Give it a try.
Be sure to check out these tasty recipes too:
- Creamy Cauliflower Gratin
- Seared Scallop Salad with Balsamic Dressing
- Simple Basil Pesto
- Homemade Tomato Soup
- Grilled Chorizo and Vegetables
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 14.5 oz . can diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz , can tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a large sauce pan, bring to boil over medium heat.
- Add ingredients if desired: browned Italian sausage, sauteed onion or sweet peppers, mushrooms, green or black olives.
- Serve hot over pasta with mozzarella and parmesan cheese
Notes
- Nutrition information is for one serving of marinara sauce and 2 ounces of pasta. Without sausage, or other added ingredients.
Nutrition
This recipe post was updated on November 5, 2021.
We are Prego fans but just may give this a try!