A simple marinara sauce can be exactly what you need in your house, especially if you have picky eaters who love pasta. While spaghetti sauce is a stand by in so many houses, marinara sauce is a little different because it tends to be thinner and have a brighter flavor. This and the texture makes this pasta sauce perfect for picky eaters.
Substitutions and Variations
Add a little heat. By adding in 1/2 a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes in step one when you add in the onion and garlic you get another layer of flavor as well as some heat. Use San Marzano Tomatoes. These tomatoes can be a little tricky to find, but they tend to be very sweet for canned tomatoes and by using these you can get a higher quality of sauce and also skip the sugar.
Freezing Marinara Sauce
This is a great recipe to double or triple and freeze to have for busy weeknight dinners. It freezes really well. Allow the sauce to cool and place in freezer-safe containers or bags, with about an inch at the top for it to expand. Freeze for up to three months. Allow to thaw and reheat on the stovetop before serving.
Tomato sauce: The bulk and base of the sauce. Using canned tomato sauce makes this recipe very convenient and eliminates the need to blend or purée the sauce. Make sure to get plain tomato sauce, this is pureed tomatoes that have had the skin and seeds removed with no added seasonings. Fresh onion and garlic: Adds a flavor profile and will fill your kitchen with the most amazing fragrance. Herbs: Dried oregano and basil infuse into the sauce adding a savory flavor. Red wine: See more below on cooking with wine. Sugar: This is needed to balance the acidity of the other ingredients. I promise it won’t make your sauce sweet.
This classic marinara sauce is made with simple ingredients in one pot on your stovetop. You will love it and prefer it to store-bought! With that being said, this marinara sauce would be delicious on pizza. I would highly recommend avoiding wine that is labeled “cooking wine.” It contains more acid than traditional wine as well as some other preservatives that don’t bring much to your dish you want. But more than anything else, cooking wine enhances its taste. So if isn’t a wine you would want in a glass it is definitely not a wine you want in your sauce. Every time I have a recipe that includes wine, I get asked if the alcohol cooks off. While some of it will cook out, it needs to cook for three hours to be fully removed which does not happen here. If you choose to make this recipe without wine, replace it with chicken or vegetable broth. While the recipe calls for two teaspoons, you may not need all of that. Taste your sauce before adding any sugar. If it is acidic, add just a little sugar, tasting until the acid taste is gone but not adding so much that your sauce is sweet. Additionally, you may decide you want to add more salt and pepper.
How to Use Marinara Sauce
This sauce can be served over spaghetti or your favorite pasta alone or with Meatballs. Use it as a dipping sauce. This would be perfect to dip mozzarella sticks or my amazing garlic bread. Add it to my chicken parmesan. The easy flavors in this recipe would go perfect. It would be delicious in your favorite Baked Ziti with Sausage or Homemade Lasagna.
Other Homemade Sauce Recipes
Looking for other sauces to make from scratch? Here are a few of my favorites! You can check out all of my Homemade Sauces Here.
BBQ Sauce Recipe White Pizza Sauce Pesto Sauce Recipe
If you try this classic marinara sauce recipe or any of my other recipes, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
