Homemade Marinara Sauce

Homemade marinara sauce comes together quickly using canned tomatoes and has wonderful depth of flavor from garlic, red wine, and fresh herbs that you just cannot get from store-bought. Use this marinara sauce recipe as a base for your Italian-inspired dishes or even just for a simple spaghetti night dinner.

If my homemade marinara looks good to you, you should try it smoked! Check out my Smoked Meatballs Marinara recipe for a delicious smoky twist for dinner.

zoomed view to show the finished marinara sauce recipe in the pot with a silver ladle

Did you know I have a Pinterest board called I Wish I Was Italian? Yes, I do, because I do. My daughter is 25% Italian. I am 0% Italian. Why couldn’t I be Italian?? Italy has the best food, language, countryside, oyyyy I really do wish I were Italian. At least a smidge.

Anyway, one thing I love about Italian cooking is how simple it is. Rustic. Artisan. Peasant. Love love love Italian cooking. 

Top down view into the pot to show the finished canned tomatoes sauce; fresh herb is sprinkled on top

Where did Marinara Sauce Come From?

Marinara sauce originated in southern Italy, where my daughter’s Italian family is from, sometime in the 16th century.

What’s pretty interesting about this is think…. aren’t like sooo many dishes in Italy based on tomatoes? Yeah right? Well, seems the Spaniards introduced Italy to tomatoes when they brought them from the New World.

Italy, you’re welcome.

But if you ever hear of tomatoes referred to as the “New World fruit” (cuz remember also, tomatoes are in fact fruit), that is where that comes from. Marinara sauce literally means mariner’s sauce.

Top down view into a pot with a wooden spoon to show the browned garlic cooking

I made my own marinara once from scratch using fresh tomatoes, and it was otherworldly delicious. But it was a serious labor of love and just not an endeavor I am able or willing to replicate with frequency.

However, we can just about get there with canned tomatoes by using a couple tricks, and the result is divine.

This is one of my favorite, beloved recipes. I have made it for my family of 4 at home, and I have made it for 80 people at church dinners. Because it is so easy, when I want a meal to be special (but not overwhelming for me to make), it will often involve this sauce recipe.

Clear plastic measuring cup pouring red wine into the pot

Tips for Making Homemade Marinara Sauce

First, is the tomatoes. We use a mix of crushed and diced canned tomatoes in this recipe, and because this is the basis for the entire shebang, we want those tomatoes to be the best quality we can get.

So, in the canned tomato section, I let me eyes go down to the bottom where they have the canned products from Italy, and I grab those. I also find that in using good canned tomatoes, I have to adjust less for the tartness of the tomatoes with salt or sugar. 

Fresh herbs! Bright, lovely fresh herbs literally make this sauce so unbelievable tasty.

Red wine and garlic. Lots of garlic, cooked briefly in olive oil, then we add red wine. We cook off most of the liquid (and hence, the alcohol), leaving behind a luscious beautiful flavor.

Lastly, once all is said and done, taste for seasoning!

collage of 2 photos showing how to make marinara sauce: left: herbs added to the pot with the tomatoes; right: herbs stirred in with a wooden spoon

How to Make this Marinara Sauce Recipe

  1. Saute garlic in olive oil.
  2. Add red wine and cook off. This step is important because we don’t want the alcohol flavor.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer a bit.

Done!

FAQs

Can this sauce be used in baked Italian dishes such as baked ziti or lasagna? Y

Yes and I highly encourage everyone to do so! This sauce is perfect for baked dishes, and I use it in my lasagna every time.

Can this canned tomatoes sauce be frozen? Absolutely yes, this recipe freezes beautifully.

Absolutely yes, this recipe freezes beautifully for up to a month.

What is the best way to freeze homemade marinara sauce?

I like to put my sauce in 2-cup or 4-cup containers, and layer a piece of plastic wrap on top to protect from freezer burn before putting on the lid. Just be sure not to fill the container too full or it will bust while freezing as the sauce expands. Also, wait until the sauce is cool before adding to any kind of plastic container.

Ladle holding up finished marinara sauce out of a pot

Here are More Italian-Inspired Recipes

zoomed view to show the finished marinara sauce recipe in the pot with a silver ladle

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Homemade marinara sauce comes together quickly using canned tomatoes and has wonderful depth of flavor from garlic, red wine, and fresh herbs that you just cannot get from store-bought.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: homemade marinara sauce, how to make marinara sauce, marinara sauce recipe, recipe marinara sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Authur: Erica
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 55kcal

Equipment

  • pot

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 large cloves garlic chopped
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
  • 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh oregano chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning)
  • ¼  tsp fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  • In a large pot, heat the oil.
  • Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes until garlic is very lightly browned.
  • Add the wine and cook until reduced by half.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
  • Simmer sauce on low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove from the heat and check for seasoning (may need to add a little more sugar if the tomatoes were too tart).
  • If freezing, cool completely in the pan before transferring to plastic containers.

Notes

Recipe yields approximately 10 cups marinara sauce. Calorie estimation is based on 20 servings, 1/2 cup sauce each.

Nutrition

Calories: 55kcal

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