This is my family’s favorite homemade marinara sauce recipe! It has a short list of ingredients, is simple to make, and tastes way better than store-bought!
We go through a ridiculous amount of pasta around here, so this marinara sauce is always on repeat in our kitchen. It’s so much lighter and fresher than anything you’ll find at the store.
This marinara sauce is my go-to base for so many pasta recipes. I use it in my spinach lasagna, baked spaghetti, and our spinach artichoke baked ziti (trust me, it’s a winner!). For homemade sauce that more similar to jarred sauces, see our homemade pasta sauce.
Key Ingredients
- Olive Oil: The secret to the most flavorful marinara with the best silky texture is using a generous amount of olive oil.
- Garlic, Onion, and Carrot: All three add so much fresh flavor to this sauce. We slice the garlic, chop the onion, and grate the carrot for added texture.
- Tomatoes: We usually use canned whole tomatoes, but you can absolutely use fresh tomatoes (see my tips in the recipe). When using canned tomatoes, I crush them by hand before adding them to the pot. I especially love San Marzano tomatoes as they are usually a bit sweeter and taste amazing in sauces.
- Bay Leaf and Basil: A bay leaf gives the sauce a bit of backbone, and we love stirring in fresh basil at the end.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Marinara Sauce
Tip 1: Cook the onions and garlic until soft. To take the raw edge off onion and garlic, cook them in a good amount of olive oil until the onions are translucent and smell sweet.
Tip 2: Add grated carrots. Since we grate them, the carrots almost melt into the marinara sauce. They don’t make our sauce taste like carrots, but they do add some texture and sweetness, which balances the acidity from the tomatoes. Cook the carrots with the softened onions and garlic until the carrots are also tender.
Tip 3: Hand crush your tomatoes. I love starting with canned whole peeled tomatoes. Then, I channel Italian grandmothers and use my hands to break them apart, giving our sauce a more rustic texture. If you are opposed to using your hands, a potato masher works pretty well, too.
Tip 4: Simmer for about 30 minutes. Marinara is a quick sauce, unlike bolognese, which can take hours. Once you add the tomatoes with all their juices, you’ll simmer the sauce uncovered until it reduces a little, but still tastes fresh.
Tip 5: Add basil at the end. Basil is delicate, so once you are happy with your sauce, stir it in and let it wilt into the sauce.
More Simple Pasta Recipes
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Chicken Alfredo
- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Orzo Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil
- Pasta Primavera
Marinara Sauce
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I use canned whole tomatoes in this marinara sauce recipe, but you can use fresh. See the tips section below the recipe if you want to use fresh tomatoes. I’m pretty generous with the basil for this sauce. Add as much or as little as you like!
You Will Need
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (60 ml)
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Half a medium onion, finely chopped, about 1 cup
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated, about ½ cup
2 (28-ounce) cans of whole peeled tomatoes, see tips for fresh
1 bay leaf
20 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Cook veggies: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook and stir occasionally until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the grated carrots and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots soften.
2Prepare the tomatoes: While the vegetables cook, open the cans of tomatoes and pour them and their juices into a large bowl. Use your hands or a potato masher to crush the tomatoes. I leave it a little chunky.
3Finish the sauce: Add the crushed tomatoes, their juices, and the bay leaf to the pot. Stir the sauce and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes.
4Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove and discard the bay leaf, then stir in the chopped basil. If the sauce seems too acidic, add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavors.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Fresh tomatoes: Use 4 pounds (1.8kg) of fresh tomatoes. Peel them for a smoother sauce. Cut an “X” at the bottom of each tomato, then add it to boiling water for about 1 minute. Then plunge into icy water. The peel should come off easily.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed ½ teaspoon of salt.
I absolutely love this recipe, however, I just used well ripened Roma tomatoes and blended the entire sauce once it was cooked and it was terrific
Roma tomatoes would be great in this recipe!
I went over the top and used the Certified Cento San Marzano peeled tomatoes. This recipe rocked. I doubled it and used with another meatball recipe. We had vegetarians and meat eaters at the birthday dinner and this kept everyone happy. This sauce was killer and will regularly make this with a little custom adjustments. Thanks
I love the meatyness (probably not a word LOL) of the San Marzano tomatoes!
If done with fresh tomatoes, do I need to add liquid? Water or stock?
You should not need to.
This sauce turned out perfect! Didn’t change a thing except I used diced tomatoes (all I had).
I used it in a vegetable lasagna and it was delicious! Thank you!
I made this yesterday as suggested to compliment the sausage stuffed shells recipe. So delicious ?! My mom saved some sauce aside for pasta adventures.Thank you..
I love this sauce for chicken parmigiana and the basil flavour is amazing. I’ve made this three times now!
I am loving this recipe and cannot wait to make it. I only have access to dry herbs. Can you please convert the quantity of fresh basil to dry for me? Thank you. I had over 500 recipes saved and my phone crashed and I lost everything. Now starting over. Perhaps this is why cookbooks are still better. Or write down like my Mom. Lol
Hi Joli, 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil should do it.
Hello, When is the basil added? Thank you.
Hi Joe, We add the basil right at the end.
Great recipe; I’d like to receive other recipes. TY
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I had to used this as a base but unfortunately had to do modifications. I used a can of crushed tomatoes and all my spices were dry. But it is so dang good! We will be making again and again!
Can’t wait to try this!
This recipe is killing me with the desire to make! I’ll gather the ingredients this week and surely give it a try! It looks like a winner!!!!! Anna
Do you mean a total of 56 ounces of tomatoes or 28 in total? Many thanks, Sharon
Hi Sharon, We call for two 28-ounce sized cans of tomatoes — or two large cans of tomatoes.
Fresh tomatoes are the best we always use (Romas) for their flavor & fewer seed which we crush to our desired consistantcy. Season w/onion, garlic. Carrot, Italian seasoning, parsley, Basil, garlic salt, cup of white wine or if you prefer burgundy is good too. Simmer for 2 hrs.
This is my first time making Marinara sauce and Spinach Lasagna. Both are easy and delicious. Next time I make it, I will double the fresh basil in the sauce and add a little more mozzarella in the lasagna. Thanks for a great recipe!
What are a few of the best brand of canned tomatoes?
We really love Muir Glen (Organic version) as well as San Marzano tomatoes (we buy the Cento brand often).
Hi Mary, We simmer the sauce uncovered, which will help it reduce slightly and become extra flavorful.
How can I incorporate fresh tomatoes? I have a lot of fresh produce and would rather not use canned.
Hi Carrie, We use fresh tomatoes often. Cut a little “X” into the bottom of each tomato then plunge them into boiling water for about 10 seconds. After that, add them to icy water to cool them down. This process makes the skins of the tomato peel off easily. Peel the tomatoes then chop. From there, follow our recipe as directed, but replace your chopped tomatoes for the canned. 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes should be equivalent to 1 28-ounce can. So, to make the whole recipe, use around 4 pounds. (Don’t worry if the measurement is a bit off, the sauce will still be great). Hope that helps!
I was wondering if I could add some ground cannelloni beans to the sauce?
Sure! By doing so the marinara will be a little creamy.
Two questions…
1. Do you think I could use fresh garden tomatoes?
and
2. Do you think I could can this instead of freeze?
Yes, garden tomatoes work great — we recommend peeling them first. To do this, cut an “X” in the bottom of each tomato then add to boiling water for about 1 minutes. Then plunge into icy water. The peel should come off easily. As for canning — You can instead of freezing.
Great recipe. I plan to ‘Indianize’ it (Indo-Canadian Spice Girl) by adding homemade garam masala (thanks Mom!) w/ the onions and reducing the amount of carrots.
Joanne & Adam, your site inspires me to try N. American food even if by adding an Indian twist to suit my spicy taste buds. Everything is presented in such a user-friendly (cook-friendly?!) format plus all steps are clear and simple. More flour/chocolate-covered power to both of you! 😀
We are in the exact situation forget the sauce from store 🙂 and now trying on our own.. great recipe ..Thanks.
You are so welcome!
Making your own marinara sauce is so easy and always good!