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–+ servings
Marinara sauce in mason jars garnished with fresh basil leaves.
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5 from 1 vote

The Best Homemade Marinara Sauce

You must be wondering, not another homemade marinara sauce recipe! But if you grow your own tomatoes like I do, this recipe is the only one you’ll need! Use it on pasta, as pizza sauce, or as a dipping sauce. It also freezes beautifully to be enjoyed all winter long!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 12 Servings
Author: Luay Ghafari
Cost: $10

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 Garlic bulbs - Garlic cloves separated, peeled and roughly crushed
  • 5 lbs Plum tomatoes - Roma, San Marzano, or Paste tomatoes
  • 4-5 Fresh basil stems
  • 1 tbsp Kosher salt - Plus more depending on preference

Optional Ingredients

  • Chopped onions, hot pepper flakes, dried herbs. - Optional

Instructions

  • Fry the garlic. In a large nonreactive pot, add the olive oil and crushed garlic. Fry on medium heat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Don’t burn the garlic!
  • Crush the tomatoes. Take the pot off the heat and place a food mill over it. Halve the Roma tomatoes and pass them through the food mill and directly into the pot. Look at the notes below for alternative methods.
  • Season. Add the basil and 1 tbsp of salt to start.
  • Simmer. Place the pot back on the heat and simmer on low until thickened and reduced by about half, about 45-60 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Remember this sauce can be used as is, or as a basis for other sauces, so don’t be too heavy-handed with the salt.

Notes

Refer to the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.
Ingredient Notes:
  • Tomatoes: For this recipe, you must use paste tomatoes! Roma tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes, oxheart tomatoes, or other fleshy tomatoes are the basis for this sauce. If you only have access to very juicy slicer-type tomatoes, I recommend you try my roasted tomato sauce recipe instead, as the roasting step helps some of the juice evaporate.
  • Fresh herbs: Basil is the only acceptable her to flavor marinara! And it must be fresh!
  • Garlic: Another key ingredient, garlic ads depth of flavor.
 
Other additions: Chopped yellow onion, chopped shallots, or red pepper flakes.
This recipe should yield about ¾ to 1 quart of sauce. 
No food mill? No problem! Start by marking a small x with a paring knife on the bottom of each tomato and then drop it in a pot with boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and peel away the skins. Chop the peeled tomatoes and add them to the fried garlic and continue with the recipe. You may want to blend the peeled tomatoes in a blender or food processor if you’re looking for a less chunky consistency.
 
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 12 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 55kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 591mg | Potassium: 449mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1574IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg