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Home » Recipes » How to make Basic Marinara Sauce with Fresh or Canned Tomato

How to make Basic Marinara Sauce with Fresh or Canned Tomato

Published: Mar 11, 2013 · Modified: Dec 4, 2021 by LindySez · This post may contain affiliate links

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Basic Marinara Sauce - don't let your kitchen be without some in the freezer! So easy to make a big batch, and it has so many uses!

Fresh Tomatoes

The making of Basic Marinara Sauce

This is a very easy and basic marinara sauce. But it's so simple and so fresh, it makes one wonder why buy jarred?

basic marinara sauce

Basic Marinara Sauce ready for the freezer!

This marinara sauce freezes well too, so when you do make it, double, or triple the recipe and put it into some Tupperware containers; stick in the freezer and you have an easy go-to sauce. Add some meatballs or sausage to make a great Italian spaghetti, or just toss with some pasta for a tasty side dish.

A little red wine makes a tasty addition. In the sauce, or in your mouth.  I like it both places 🙂

You can make this marinara sauce with your own homemade tomato sauce or canned tomatoes.  When using canned tomatoes, I prefer whole tomatoes, preferably from Italy to using diced.  When you put a whole tomato in a can, you have to use a nice ripe whole tomato. Diced tomatoes can be a combo of good ripe ones and those that are not so ripe.

Ripe tomatoes, of course, have rich tomato taste.

Unripe tomatoes, not so much.

If you do use canned tomato, I prefer Italian canned tomato products as they seem to have a richer, deeper, tomato taste.

To make a chunkier version of this sauce, don't blend the whole tomatoes until smooth. Once you add them to the pot, use a potato masher or the end of your spoon to gently mash the tomatoes until they are broken into chunks. If not using whole tomatoes you will need to blend them as the process they use for diced tomatoes does not allow them to fully break down. 

This recipe for Fresh Marinara sauce is used in a number of my recipes including Turkey Shells with Fresh Marinara, a delicious low-fat recipe.

fresh tomatoes of different sizes

Basic Marinara Sauce

LindySez
Basic Marinara Sauce – don’t let your kitchen be without some in the freezer! So easy to make a big batch, and it has so many uses!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Sauces, Dressings & Condiments, Vegetarian
Cuisine Italian
Servings 1 quart

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cups homemade tomato sauce or 1 (35 -ounce) can Italian tomatoes with their juice, blended until smooth
  • 4 large fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dry
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano or to taste
  • Pinch red pepper flakes optional
  • Dry red wine optional (when I add wine, I use about ½ cup)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan; add the onion and garlic, saute until soft. 
  • Add the homemade tomato sauce, or blended tomatoes and remaining ingredients. 
  • Simmer, uncovered on low heat, until thickened, 30 - 45 minutes.

Notes

If you like a chunkier sauce, use whole tomatoes. After adding them to the pot, use a potato masher or the tip of your spoon to gently mash them until they break apart.
Keyword easy marinara, homemade marinara
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
« Linguine and Zucchini
Turkey Meatballs In Marinara Sauce »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Pete

    August 12, 2014 at 10:46 am

    I like your recipes

    Reply
    • Pete

      August 12, 2014 at 10:46 am

      don't understand

      Reply
      • LindySez

        August 12, 2014 at 2:22 pm

        What don't you understand?

        Reply
    • LindySez

      August 12, 2014 at 2:22 pm

      Thank you.

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Lindy.

I am a home-trained chef who loves to cook and eat delicious food. As I like to say, "Life is too short to eat mediocre food". And I find too much food out there is mediocre. I don't think good food needs to be fussy, or difficult to prepare. Most of my recipes are fresh, quick, easy, and tasty while keeping both calories and fats in check. 

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