If making your own homemade marinara sauce intimidates you, fear no more.
This homemade marinara is so easy and quick to make and requires only 7 basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry: canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, dried basil, granulated onion, and dried oregano.
Why is this tomato sauce a healthier option than store-bought sauce?
Most marinara you can buy in the store have a lot of sugar and way too much oil in them – some of them get over 70% of their calories from added oil. Making your own homemade marinara sauce means you can control what goes in it.
Bonus Tip: If you’d like to add some sweetness to your sauce (which helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes) without adding sugar, you can use grated carrots. Just add 1/4 cup or so along with the onions.
How to use marinara sauce
This recipe yields six cups of sauce – perfect for this Amazing Vegan Lasagna. It also freezes well – so you can have some over your spaghetti today and save the remainder in your freezer for pizza or No-Meatballs next week.
Note: If you are trying to find a good gluten-free pasta brand, I gotcha covered. We tested 21 varieties and rated them from the worst gluten-free pasta to the best gluten-free pasta. Check it out!
How long will this marinara sauce keep in the refrigerator?
This marinara sauce will keep for about 5 days in the frig.
How long will this marinara sauce keep in the freezer?
I love to make a double batch of this and keep it in the freezer for quick meals later when I’m busy. This sauce will keep well in the freezer for about 6 months if kept in a sturdy, air-tight container.
Plump your pantry. Slim your waistline.
One of the tips I give in my 14-Day Weight Loss Program is to stocked up on healthy ingredients so you are less likely to turn to fattening convenience foods when you are in a rush. Keep a few cans of good crushed tomatoes in your cupboard, and, with this easy recipe, you’ll never need to buy jarred sauce again.
Healthy Marinara Sauce
Cook
Total
Yield 6 cups
Rich, authentic Italian flavor without spending hours in the kitchen.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
3 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
6 cups (two 28-ounce cans) crushed tomatoes
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons granulated onion
1 teaspoon salt (more or less depending on how much salt is in tomatoes)
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar – optional
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- In a large, wide-bottom pot, sauté onion in oil over low to medium heat until onions begin to brown.
- Add garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes and seasonings.
- Cook for 5 to 45 minutes at a slow simmer. Longer simmering time will thicken the sauce and give it a deeper flavor, but the sauce is still delicious even if only simmered for a few minutes.
This Marinara Sauce is really good. I made up a batch today and used it for pizza sauce. I cooked it for about 45 minutes, and it turned out nice and thick and didn’t run all over the pizza. Tomorrow. . . onto something even better: pasta. Can’t wait.
P.S. I left out the sugar, and for me it was tasty. If you’re used to sweet sauce, better add the sweetener.
Thank you for your feedback. I’m so happy it turned out well for you!