This tasty marinara sauce is my take on a classic Italian marinara sauce. While it might stray away from an authentic Italian marinara sauce recipe, it is still my favourite homemade sauce to make. It reminds me of when I lived in Montreal and had the privilege of spending time with a close friends Nona in the kitchen.

A little background to this recipe…

She grew up in southern Italy and I learned so much from her. From her stories of growing up to her passion for cooking. Nona loved being in the kitchen and was always was making the most delicious Italian food. She taught me the importance of using quality ingredients. She would always send me home with the best marinara sauce, a bolognese sauce or another of her favourite Italian dishes. I never had to go to an Italian restaurant with the amount of food she would send me home with! She opened my eyes to the versatility of Italian cuisine.

Is Marinara Sauce the same as Spaghetti Sauce?

A simple marinara sauce is different than a spaghetti sauce. A homemade marinara sauce recipe is considered a quick sauce, which is why I love this easy marinara sauce. It all comes together in just a little time and all you need is a few basic pantry ingredients for this recipe. Spaghetti sauce is a much more complex recipe that is thicker and richer. Many recipes call for a blend of herbs, ground beef or ground pork, celery, carrots, and bay leaves and is simmered for a longer period.

How to use Marinara Sauce…

This homemade marinara sauce can be used in so many dishes and is way better than a jarred sauce. I like to use this sauce on my favourite pasta, on chicken parmesan, as a base of a creamy tomato soup or meat sauce, and my favourite is with meatballs. You can even use it as a pizza sauce! You get such versatility from this easy marinara sauce.

How to store Marinara Sauce…

How long does Marinara Sauce last in the fridge?

Unopened jars will last up to 5-6 days in the fridge. If you have leftovers from an opened jar, make sure to keep in in an airtight container and use within 3 days.

How to freeze Marinara Sauce…

First, make sure the jars have cooled to room temperature. Then store the jar of marinara sauce in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Let’s make this delicious Marinara sauce…

There are a couple of variations that you can do while making this simple tomato sauce. Ideally, for the best marinara sauce, you’ll want to use fresh tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are the top choice here, but sometimes I have a hard time finding them here. Tomato season in Canada ranges between mid to end of July and finishes toward the end of September. Most of the tomatoes in Canada are grown in Ontario. So in this case, I have to use canned tomatoes to make this classic Italian sauce. You can also use any brand of tomatoes based on what is available near you.

Here is your grocery list for this easy marinara sauce…

• one large carrot

• garlic cloves

• fresh basil

• fresh oregano (dried oregano will work too)

• one can of whole plum tomatoes

• one can of crushed tomatoes

• tomato paste

• red pepper flakes

• pesto (easy recipe here, but you can also use store-bought)

• sugar

• salt & black pepper

Steps to making the delicious marinara sauce

In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the diced onion and grated carrots with extra virgin oil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until they soften. Then add in your minced garlic. Now, I like lots of garlic in my dishes so I usually add 4-5 garlic cloves. But, if you are unsure…you can stick with 3 cloves the first time. Then adjust according to your taste buds.

Next, we are going to add in our whole tomatoes or canned tomatoes with crushed tomatoes. I like to use a wooden spoon and break down the whole tomatoes a little bit during the cooking process because I prefer a smooth sauce. After cooking this sauce, to have a smoother texture, I’ll use a hand blender or immersion blender for the best tomato sauce.

We can now stir in the tomato paste, pesto, red pepper flakes, water and sugar. This is also where we add in your fresh herbs and start bringing together that authentic Italian flavour. You are more than welcome to omit the sugar in this step. I think I added it in by mistake once, and it turned out to be a good thing. It added a touch of sweet flavour to this marinara recipe…which I loved.

We are then going to reduce to low heat and let simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes. We want to let all the flavours work together and come to a thicker consistency. This is also the part where you pour yourself a glass of red wine, and simply stir every few minutes until you have the perfect sauce.

Do you see? You just made the perfect marinara sauce and it didn’t take a long time. The entire sauce came together in less than 30 minutes with only using a handful of ingredients. I love the variety of pasta dishes you can make with this sauce. If you are looking for a simple weeknight meal idea, simply use this as a pasta sauce, top with some parmesan cheese and garnish with some fresh parsley.

If you are looking for other easy weeknight pasta dinners, try this Cheese and Sausage Pasta Bake or this super simple Sun Dried Tomato and Ricotta Pasta.