Makes about 28 oz
This is a pantry marinara recipe, which means you can make it anytime without a grocery run. Everything in it is a shelf staple, canned tomatoes, garlic, dried herbs, and it comes together in 30 minutes with about 5 minutes of actual work.
Marinara is the simplest sauce to make, yet home cooks have a knack for overcomplicating it. I’ve seen usually law-abiding citizens add everything from vinegar to cumin to their beautiful sauce. Cumin! Well, here’s how I like it. Super basic, super delicious. Tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, and a little thyme. Keep the rest of the spice rack far, far away.
A few things that make this even easier: buy crushed tomatoes with basil already in the can. It’s one less step and the flavor is right there. That said, if you have a can of plain crushed tomatoes, just add a handful of fresh basil at the very end, off the heat, and stir it in. Either way works beautifully. Or you can leave out the basil entirely, don’t worry about it.
The brown sugar is not for sweetness exactly — it’s there to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and round everything out. You won’t taste it as sugar. You’ll just taste a more balanced sauce.
This recipe makes about 28 oz which is enough for a pasta night, but I almost always double it. At minimum. Sometimes I quadruple it and freeze half. It keeps well in the fridge for a week and in the freezer for months, and having a jar of good homemade marinara around is never a bad situation. If doubling it just cook a bit longer, say 10 or 15 minutes.
Customize freely. More garlic is always correct. Want it spicier? Double the red pepper flakes or add more to taste. Want no heat at all? Skip them entirely. This is your sauce now.
USE THIS MARINARA FOR:
Tempeh Meatballs and Spaghetti — the obvious first move. Pictured above.
Pinwheel Lasagna with Lentil Walnut Meat — rolled, not layered, every edge a crispy edge.
Epic Eggplant Lasagna — epic lasagna deserves an epic sauce!
Oh, PS, if you’re looking for a from scratch fresh summer tomato sauce, try this Pomodoro Sauce instead!
HOMEMADE MARINARA FAQ
Why is there brown sugar in marinara? It’s not there to make it sweet — it’s there to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and round out the flavor. You won’t taste it as sugar. You’ll just taste a more balanced, less sharp sauce.
Can I use this as a pizza sauce? For sure. It’s a little looser than a traditional pizza sauce so let it reduce a bit longer and add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste when you add the tomatoes.
How long does it keep? Up to a week in the fridge in a sealed jar, and up to 3 months in the freezer. Having homemade marinara in the freezer is one of the great small joys of life.
What can I use this marinara for? Everything. Pasta, pizza, lasagna, dipping sauce for bread, spooned over roasted vegetables, stirred into soups. Once you have a jar of this in the fridge you will find uses for it constantly.
How did I end up here? You were probably searching for “homemade marinara sauce,” “easy marinara recipe,” or “pantry marinara sauce.” Maybe “simple tomato sauce” or “best marinara recipe.” Bookmark this one. You’re done looking.
Mom’s Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat a 2-quart pot over medium-low heat. Add the oil. Sauté the onion with a pinch of salt until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the brown sugar and cook until dissolved and coating all the onions, about 1 minute.
- Mix in the thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Add the tomatoes and salt and stir everything together. Cover the pot, leaving a little gap for steam to escape, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Taste and adjust for salt and seasoning and serve.
