Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce
This easy homemade marinara sauce is fresh, flavorful, and made with just a handful of ingredients. Ready in about 35 minutes, it’s quick enough for a weeknight but delivers a rich, balanced tomato flavor that tastes as if it had simmered for hours.
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 137kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large yellow onion chopped (around 3/4 cup)
- Kosher salt to taste
- 3 cloves garlic chopped or pressed
- 36 ounces Italian tomatoes with basil jarred, undrained – see Note below
- 5 tablespoons red wine
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Italian seasoning
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, season very lightly with salt, and cook about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
- Stir in garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in tomatoes, red wine, and Italian seasoning, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Season very lightly with salt, bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally; continue breaking up the tomatoes as you stir. The sauce is done when the tomatoes are very soft and slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Using an immersion blender or food processor, pulse the sauce 4 to 5 times until slightly chunky - don’t purée.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding the salt gradually and tasting as you go.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Make ahead: This sauce can be made up to 4 days in advance; the flavor often improves as it sits. Reheat gently before serving.
Freeze: Let cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or zip-top freezer bags. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator (if needed) and reheat on medium-low heat on the stovetop. The sauce may be slightly thinner after thawing; simmer briefly to bring it back to the desired consistency.
Success Tips
- Use high-quality Italian tomatoes. They’re the foundation of this sauce. I like using 2 (18.7-ounce) jars of Masseria Mirogallo Pomodori Pelati whole tomatoes for a total of about 36 ounces. If using another brand of canned Italian tomatoes, which typically comes in a 28-ounce can and often doesn’t include basil, add 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) and reduce the amount of red wine to 3 tablespoons. The yield will be slightly less, around 2 3/4 cups.
- Pay attention to when you add salt. Season lightly with salt during cooking, then more generously at the end. Salt balances the tomatoes’ natural acidity and brings out their full flavor. Add gradually at the end, tasting as you go, until the sauce tastes rich and well-rounded.
- Don’t let the garlic brown. Cook just until fragrant. Browned garlic can turn bitter, affecting the entire sauce.
- Simmer gently, not rapidly. A low, steady simmer allows the flavors to develop without over-reducing or concentrating the acidity.
- Pulse, don’t purée. A few quick pulses create a slightly chunky, more flavorful sauce with better texture than a completely smooth purée.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 674mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2139IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg