Homemade Marinara Sauce

Name: Homemade Marinara Sauce
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp. olive oil; 4-5 garlic cloves (minced (about 1 1/2 tbsp)); pinch red pepper flakes; 1/2 tsp. dried oregano; 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes; 1/4 tsp. salt; 3-4 fresh basil leaves (sliced or torn)

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Forget about the jar! Homemade Marinara Sauce is an amazing, multi-purpose Italian sauce that’s ready in just 20 minutes! This garlicky, tomato-based sauce is perfect for pizza, pasta, calzones, or dipping bread sticks!

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If you’ve never made your own Homemade Marinara Sauce before, you’d be surprised to learn just how easy it is to make from scratch.

For some reason people think it requires a million ingredients and needs to simmer on the stove all day. Nope.

With ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, you can make your own fabulous Homemade Marinara Sauce in only 20 minutes!

In addition to being absolutely delicious and super easy to make, the ingredients for this marinara sauce are also inexpensive and easily found.

With the exception of fresh basil leaves, you might already have everything to make it!

Tip: Buy a basil plant and you’ll have fresh basil leaves whenever you need them!

Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):

Olive oil
Fresh garlic
Canned crushed tomatoes
Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Dried oregano
Salt
Fresh basil

Wondering what the difference is between sauce and gravy? You’ll want to check out this post, gravy vs sauce!

How to use Homemade Marinara Sauce:

Perfect dipping sauce for bread sticks, calzones, or stromboli
For making Mushroom Kale Lasagna
Dunking crispy mozzarella sticks or toasted ravioli
A fabulous pizza sauce
A wonderful sauce for your favorite pasta with The Best Italian Meatballs (shown below)!

Jazz up your Italian themed dinner with some Italian Pickled Vegetables (Giardiniera). It’s perfect on salads, or as part of an appetizer with cheese and crackers.

Have a little bit more time? Try my Amatriciana Pasta Sauce. This Italian favorite is made with bacon, onions, and garlic and is sure to be a new family favorite for pasta night!

How long is homemade marinara sauce good for?

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Marinara can also be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months!

NOTES:

Dried basil is NOT the same as fresh basil. The former imparts a sweetness to the sauce that I am just not a fan of. If you don’t have a fresh basil plant, you can get fresh basil leaves in the produce department of the grocery store.
Different brands of crushed tomatoes provide different textures and chunkiness. Some are slightly watery and offer very minimal pieces of tomato, while others are very thick and hearty. Buy what you know you like. I used Muir Glen Organic Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes in these photos.
Dried garlic or garlic powder is not a substitute for fresh garlic in this recipe. This sauce is all about the incredible flavor from fresh garlic.

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