Easy Marinara Sauce
Discover the perfect Marinara Sauce recipe for any day of the week. Made with simple pantry ingredients, it’s rich, authentic, and perfect for pizza too.
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Meet the perfect Marinara Sauce for ANY DAY of the week (not just Sunday).
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What Makes This Recipe the Best?
Five reasons to love this recipe:
- This marinara sauce recipe requires simple pantry ingredients everyone likely has in their cupboards or fridge.
- It yields a rich, authentic marinara flavor, without having to stress on “special” or fancy ingredients.
- It makes up quickly and easily.
- The recipe freezes well, making it perfect for you meal preppers.
- BONUS! This marinara also makes the BEST pizza sauce.
QUICK OVERVIEW
Cooking Instructions
This is just the cooking directions for my Easy Marinara Sauce. For the full recipe, keep scrolling down.
Step one: On medium-low allow the garlic to heat up with the olive oil. Once you start to smell the garlic (about 1-2 min), add the onions and a pinch of salt. stir and cook until slightly translucent (about 5 minutes)
Step two: Add the paste, oregano and parsley, and continue stirring around until fragrant (about 1-2 min)
Step three: Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, and sugar. Using your spoon, break apart the tomatoes a little. Continue to cook until bubbly (this is the longest part and will likely take about 30 minutes).
Jenn’s Note:
Mise en place (the French culinary phrase which means “putting in place” or “gather”) is essential for this recipe. Have everything ready to go so you can add right away. It makes up quickly, but it can also end badly quickly if you don’t have everything ready.
Step four: Once it’s heated and starting to bubble take off the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree everythingt together until it’s the consistency you want.
Step five: Serve with your favorite pasta noodles (or use as pizza sauce)
Serve immediately with your choice of pasta.
Tip for Successfully Adding Pasta
For either of these techniques, make sure to cook your pasta just under al dente. you will be cooking the pasta a bit in the sauce.
For freshly made Marinara Sauce: Add about ¼ cup of pasta water to the sauce before adding your pasta to ensure that it covers and coats the pasta properly. Let the pasta cook in the now slightly watered-down sauce until it re-thickens.
For Marinara Sauce from the fridge. Add about ¼ cup of pasta water to the sauce and stir to warm up the sauce. Add the pasta and heat on medium continuously stirring. Let the pasta cook in the now slightly watered-down sauce until it re-thickens.
One of my favorite ways to add the pasta is to simply take a spider and quickly add the pasta (water still draining) into the Marinara Sauce. you’ll get a good amount of pasta water with the noodles.
Cooking with Kids
DISCLOSURE: These tips are generalized, and meant to be suggestive. Everything I’m sharing I do with my kids, and they are all different even within my own five. So please take these as suggestions or ideas and if you think your child needs more or less help, then go with what you and your child are comfortable with. Ultimately, you know your kids, do what YOU think is best.
Storage Details
This pasta sauce is not only quick and easy it’s freezer friendly!!!
- It will last 3-4 days in a food-safe jar/container in the fridge.
- Freezer in a freezer and food-safe container for up to 3 months.
Did you try it, have questions?
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Looking for a different Sauce Recipe?
Check out these yummy pasta sauce recipes:
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Easy Marinara Sauce
Looking for a versatile Marinara Sauce recipe? This one is made with basic ingredients and can be used for pasta, pizza, and more.
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 [28 ounces] can of whole peeled tomatoes (see notes 1 for substitutes)
- 1/2 medium yellow onion (peeled and chopped)
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (see notes 2 for substitutes)
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- On medium-low allow the garlic to heat up with the olive oil. Once you start to smell the garlic (about 1-2 min), add the onions and a pinch of salt. stir and cook until slightly translucent (about 5 minutes)
- Add the paste oregano and parsley, and continue stirring around until fragrant (about 1-2 min)
- Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, and sugar. Using your spoon, break apart the tomatoes a little. Continue to cook until bubbly (this is the longest part and will likely take about 30 minutes).
- Once it’s heated and starting to bubble take off the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree everything together until it’s the consistency you want.
- Serve with your favorite pasta noodles (or use as pizza sauce)
Equipment
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Global 7-piece Ikasu Knife Block Set
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KitchenAid Universal Bamboo Short Turner, One size, Wood
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Buy Now → Notes
Ingredient Substitutes
- 1 [28 ounces] can of Crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce can be used instead
- anchovy paste or 1 whole anchovy/sardine
Tip for Success
Mise en place (the French culinary phrase which means “putting in place” or “gather”) is essential for this recipe. Have everything ready to go so you can add right away. It makes up quickly, but it can also end badly quickly if you don’t have everything ready.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian, Italian American
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