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A step-by-step process on how to make an easy Homemade Marinara Sauce. It’s kid-approved and delicious served with pasta, chicken, or meatballs. It’s low in calories and carbs, paleo, keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved.
The Best Homemade Marinara Sauce
It takes only a few simple ingredients to make this delicious Homemade Marinara Sauce. It’s so easy to make, you’ll want to make extras for the freezer or take some as a gift for a friend or neighbor. Plus, it doesn’t contain the extra salt and sugar often found in store-bought sauces.
If you prefer homemade sauces over store-bought, be sure to try my Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce or Homemade Pesto Sauce.
Recipe Overview
Why Make this Marinara Sauce?
- Simple ingredients. Uses ingredients you may already have on hand in your kitchen.
- Better than store-bought. Delicious and tasty, but omits the added salt and sugar found in many canned and jarred sauces.
- A family favorite. There’s nothing like a comforting bowl of hot pasta with fresh Homemade Marinara Sauce, and you can make it a meal by serving it with my hearty Italian Turkey Meatballs or alongside my delicious low-carb Avocado-Tomato Salad.
Ingredients needed
Below is a list of ingredients you will need to make this sauce. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.
How to make Marinara Sauce
Below is the step-by-step process on how to make marinara sauce. You can also refer to the recipe card.
Step 1: Peel the onion and the garlic. Then crush the garlic and dice the onion. I recommend using fresh garlic and not garlic powder.
Step 2: Sauté Garlic & Onion: Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes.
Step 3: Pour the Canned tomatoes over the sautéed onions and garlic. Stir in the oregano, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and salt.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by 1/3, and oil gets separated from the sauce.
Step 5: Remove from the heat and carefully transfer the sauce into a stand blender, together with the
fresh basil.
Step 6: Blend until smooth or until it has reached the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the salt according to your taste.
Step 7: Finally, transfer the sauce into an air-tight jar and secure with a lid. Serve with your favorite side. This sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 6 months.
Notes and Tips
- Tomatoes: Any style of canned tomato is fine, but San Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor because they are grown in Italy and picked at their peak of ripeness.
- Garlic: Freshly chopped garlic is preferred, but you can use jarred garlic in a pinch. We recommend not using garlic powder as it can add bitterness to the sauce.
- Onion: You can use a yellow onion, or a Vidalia or Walla Walla onion to give your sauce a little bit of sweetness.
- Oil: You can use Avocado oil, Olive oil, or butter for keto.
- Cheese: For a kick of flavor, add a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to your sauce before pureeing. You could also add nutritional yeast if you want the cheesy flavor but want to keep the sauce vegan.
- Don’t overcook the garlic: you don’t want to burn the garlic so it doesn’t give a bitter taste.
How to store marinara sauce
Marinara sauce can be stored in a container and placed in the fridge for up to 7 days. Reheat in the microwave when ready to eat or added to pasta. You can freeze for up to 4-6 months.
How to Use Marinara Sauce
Marinara sauce can be served or used in many meals like pizza, pasta dishes, and over chicken, and so on. Also, here are a few dishes I made that used marinara sauce:
Common Questions
Technically yes. You can use dried basil if you do not have fresh basil. The flavor will change quite a bit without the fresh basil.
Yes. Follow this process on how to peel tomatoes. You will need 6-8 large Roma tomatoes. If you can weigh them, even better.
Yes. You can add 1/2 cup coconut cream or milk (in a can), half and half, or 1/3 cup heavy cream when you add in the tomatoes and let it simmer.
You may also like
- Keto Creamy Italian Chicken Skillet
- Italian Chicken Veggie Soup
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad
- Italian Spaghetti Squash Boats
- Low Carb Pizza
- One-Pot Chicken Spaghetti
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes, large can
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled
- 2-3 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1- 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- a handful of fresh basil leaves packed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Peel 1 medium yellow onion and 2-3 large cloves garlic, then crush the garlic and dice the onion.
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes.
- Crank open a can of 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes and pour into the pan. Stir in 1- 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, red pepper flakes (optional if you want to make it spicy, add 1 tsp), and Salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by 1/3 and oil gets separated from the sauce.
- Remove from the heat and carefully transfer it into a stand blender, together with the a handful of fresh basil leaves packed. Blend until smooth, or until it has reached the desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust the salt according to your taste. Transfer the sauce into an air-tight jar and secure with a lid.
- Serve with your favorite side. This sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days and frozen for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Tomatoes: Any style of canned tomato is fine, but San Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor because they are grown in Italy and picked at their peak of ripeness.
- Garlic: Freshly chopped garlic is preferred, but you can use jarred garlic in a pinch. We recommend not using garlic powder as it can add bitterness to the sauce.
- Onion: You can use a yellow onion, or a Vidalia or Walla Walla onion to give your sauce a little bit of sweetness.
- Oil: You can use Avocado oil, Olive oil, or butter for keto.
- Cheese: For a kick of flavor, add a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese to your sauce before pureeing. You could also add nutritional yeast if you want the cheesy flavor but want to keep the sauce vegan.
- Don’t overcook the garlic: you don’t want to burn the garlic so it doesn’t give a bitter taste.
- Storing: It can be stored in a container and placed in the fridge for up to 7 days. Reheat in the microwave when ready to eat or add to pasta. You can freeze for up to 4-6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The directions say to add red pepper flakes but the amount is not listed in the ingredients. How much do you use for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi, It is optional if you want to make it spicy. Add 1 tsp. I clarified.
How much is a serving size? I’m assuming its 56 calories per serving?
yes. 1/4 cup
Yummy and easy
Thank you
What is a serving size?