If you have not tried making your own spaghetti sauce yet, what are you waiting for?? This homemade marinara sauce is so tasty and is great on a variety of pasta. We like to make a huge pot and freeze in smaller containers to use whenever we feel like having pasta. And the great part about this marinara sauce from scratch is that the flavors only get better over time! This marinara sauce recipe uses a combination of fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, along with herbs and spices giving it a deep rich tomato flavor. Enjoy this marinara sauce over pasta, with meatballs, as a condiment for pizza or breadsticks, in lasagna and other baked pasta dishes, or with your favorite proteins like chicken, fish or shrimp!
Looking for a more traditional and quicker tomato sauce (or pomodoro sauce) that will be ready in under an hour? Check out our Sugo di Pomodoro (Classic Italian Tomato Sauce Recipe).
What is marinara sauce?
In Italian-American cuisine, marinara sauce is a type of tomato-based spaghetti sauce that typically includes tomatoes (can be both fresh and/or canned), spices, and herbs. And you know we make ours with wine! Just trying to stay on brand over here! Marinara's are not made with meat, so this is one of those recipes that is safe for those living that vegan lifestyle!
Generally, classic marinara sauces (alla marinara or "sailor-style" sauces) in Italy were simple and quick fresh tomato-based sauces that were made by merchants on long expeditions at sea. Marinara in the United States has morphed into a sauce that is served with a variety of different dishes from pasta to a condiment-style dipping sauce, chicken parmigiana and many more.
Our version of marinara sauce uses a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes with Italian spices and herbs, along with red wine. Unlike a traditional marinara sauce, this version has a lot of depth due to the combination of ingredients and the long cooking time. It is perfect to make in advance to freeze so that you can enjoy a tasty homemade pasta sauce whenever you want!
Is marinara the same as pizza sauce?
Short answer: No. Marinara sauces typically have a lot more spices and herbs making them a bit stronger in flavor. Additionally, marinara sauces are often "saucier" meaning that they are thinner than pizza sauces. You want your pizza sauce to have less liquid so that it doesn't make the dough soggy.
If you are looking for a pizza sauce instead, check out our Homemade Italian Pizza Sauce recipe or our Quick and Easy No Cook Pizza Sauce. That being said, our homemade marinara sauce makes a great garlic bread or pizza crust (aka pizza bones) dipping sauce, so we recommend having both these sauces in your freezer and ready to go at any time!
What type of pasta is good with marinara?
Literally ANYTHING! Dry, fresh, spaghetti, ravioli, gnocchi... the options are endless! We are all about the homemade fresh pasta life, but if you haven't taken that plunge yet, this marinara sauce will make your dry store-bought pasta taste like a vacation to the Italian countryside! Also, cooking this at home makes your house smell like a Tuscan villa. If only they made a candle that smells like this marinara sauce!
Are you ready to make your own pasta?
We highly recommend that you try homemade pasta! It is much easier than it seems and once you go homemade, you won't go back!
Check out some of our homemade pasta recipes HERE. And once you get your feet wet, you can try some of the following recipes and sauces:
- Creamy Cacio e Pepe Pasta
- Seared Scallop Pasta with Vanilla Grapefruit Cream Sauce
- Tagliatelle with Sausage Mushroom Cream Sauce
- Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce
Looking for more ways to use marinara? Try out our Italian Meatball Sub Sandwich recipe or our Mozzarella Stuffed Sausage Meatballs!
If you like our Marinara Sauce from Scratch, please leave a comment to let us know, and tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine.
📖 Recipe
Marinara Sauce from Scratch
Ingredients
Fresh Tomato
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 8 roma tomatoes - split in half
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 cup basil leaves - whole
Canned Tomato
- 29 oz (2 cans) diced tomatoes with juice
- 56 oz (2 cans) whole peeled tomatoes with juice
- 1-2 cups water
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 8 oz tomato sauce
Spice and Herb
- 3 tbs dried oregano
- 2 tbs dried onion flakes
- 2 tbs dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried fennel seed
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup dry red wine
Finishing
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup chopped fresh oregano
Instructions
STEW FRESH TOMATOES
- Add first section of ingredients to a large dutch oven or pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 60-75 minutes until tomatoes have broken down completely. At this time, or sooner, you should be able to pull the skins of the roma tomatoes out with kitchen tongs quite easily and discard. Alternatively, you may peel the tomatoes beforehand, but this method works well as long as you don't forget about them.
INCORPORATE CANNED TOMATOES AND BLEND
- Add the second section of ingredients and blend with an immersion blender to smooth out the sauce.
SEASON THE SAUCE
- Add the third section of ingredients and stir. Simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
FINISH THE SAUCE
- Add the fresh basil and oregano, take off heat and serve. This sauce can easily be portioned and frozen for future use.
hotshot bald cop says
Right on my man!
Ethel says
The best sauce ever, beautifully seasoned. Made the meatballs also and added to the sauce which soaked up the delicious flavors. A keeper in my recipe book .
Ethel says
The best sauce with beautiful seasonings, I also made your meatballs and added to the sauce they absorbed full flavor of the sauce ,so good, a keeper in my recipe book. keep posting.
Angela and Mark says
We are big fans of this sauce, and happy to hear that you loved it too!