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Marinara sauce recipe that is homemade, delicious and easy. Use this homemade sauce for your spaghetti and meatballs, baked Ziti, lasagna or even as a pizza sauce for your favorite pizza crust. You can never go wrong with this easy sauce.

Making marinara sauce from tomato paste is the easiest thing ever. Sit back and relax while I show you how to make the best marinara sauce from scratch.

What is Marinara Sauce?

This is a popular tomato based sauce that is said to have originated from Italy. It’s simply tomato sauce cooked with herbs and spices. Think onions, garlic, oregano etc. Easy to make and very versatile.

Wait isn’t it the same as Spaghetti / Pasta sauce? Nope. So what’s the difference?

What is the difference between marinara sauce and spaghetti sauce.

As mentioned above, Marinara sauce is a tomato sauce mixed with seasoning and herbs.

Spaghetti sauce goes a step further than just the herbs and seasonings. Spaghetti sauce usually has more ingredients which include meats and sometimes vegetables.

What about Pizza Sauce? Pizza sauce is thicker than marinara sauce and most it’s times is a no cook tomato sauce recipe.

 

a scoop of marinara sauce in a gold spoon. a blue checkered sauce cover in the background

Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe

There are many marinara sauce recipes but this is my favorite because it’s so easy to put together and it’s delicious. This recipe is made using tomato paste. I suggest you use a good quality tomato paste for this recipe.

You can use tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes as well. Further down I show you how to make marinara sauce with either tomato sauce or fresh tomatoes.

Ingredients needed to make this recipe

  • Tomato paste
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Pepper flakes
  • Dry Oregano leaves
  • Dry parsley leaves
  • Salt
  • Bouillon powder

Why is this the best Marinara sauce recipe

  • It’s super easy to make. No tomato cutting or blending needed
  • It doubles as pasta sauce and pizza sauce
  • You know what’s in your marinara sauce since it’s made from scratch.
  • Most Store bought marinara sauce has sugar. This homemade marinara sauce has no sugar added except you really want to. If you do, you can control the quantity you add.
  • Can be used as a dipping sauce.
A black bowl of marinara sauce with a grey striped cloth at the background

How to make Marinara Sauce from scratch

Below is an overview of the recipe with pictures. The full ingredients lists, quantity and instructions are in the recipe card below.

Pic 1 – 3; saute onions, add tomato paste and water

Pic 4 – 6; Add spice blend and pepper flakes

Pic 7 – 9; Stir and let simmer. Enjoy

How to make this sauce with fresh tomatoes.

Chop tomatoes, sauté onions, add chopped tomatoes and spices and cook till tomatoes break down. If you like chunky marinara sauce, use immediately otherwise purée with an immersion blender till smooth.

How to use this sauce

It can be used as a dip for garlic bread or any other crusty bread,

Use it as a base for tomato pastina or a sauce for homemade meatballs. It also works perfectly for stove top, slow cooker or instant pot spaghetti and meat balls.

You can also use as pasta sauce for plain Pasta

Use this sauce as a topping for your favorite pizza crust works perfectly on my standard homemade pizza dough, no yeast pizza dough or my 2 ingredients pizza dough.

Top view of tomato marinara sauce in a black bowl with a sprig of parsley on top

How to store it

Store this easy and delicious sauce in an air tight container for up to a week on the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Quick recipe notes and tips

  • This recipe can be made up to 5 days ahead or stored in the freezer for futures uses.
  • Taste to adjust seasoning to your liking before turning off the stove.
  • You can adjust the consistency of this sauce to your liking. Want a thicker sauce? Boil for longer. Like it thinner, add more water and let simmer before turning off the Stove.

FAQs on this recipe

  1. Is this sauce healthy? Yes it is a hesathy sauce to make as it contains wholesome ingredients.
  2. How many calories are ther in this sauce? This recipe contains 58 calories per 1/4 cup.

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a collage showing two angles of tomato marinara sauce, one in a black bowl, the other being scooped from a jar

 

Top view of Marinara sauce in a black bowl.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

Chichi Uguru
Marinara sauce recipe that is homemade, delicious and easy. Use this homemade sauce for your spaghetti and meatballs, baked Ziti, lasagna or even as a pizza sauce for your favorite pizza crust. You can never go wrong with this easy sauce.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Base Sauce
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 12
Calories 58kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons Olive oil or any cooking oil if choice
  • ½ small onion (chopped)
  • 2 (6oz) can tomato paste
  • 3 cups of water
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground dry rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon bouillon powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Sauté onion in olive oil
    Saute onions
  • Add tomato paste and water, stir to combine
    Adding water to tomato paste and suteed onions
  • Add the spices and herbs and pepper flakes
    Add spices, herbs and pepper flakes to the marinara sauce
  • Simmer for about 10 -12 minutes depending on your desired consistency.
    simmering marinara sauce
  • Use for pizza, spaghetti or as a dip

Notes

  1. This recipe makes 24 oz of sauce.
  2. You can substitute the oregano, parsley and rosemary herbs for 2 tsp Italian seasoning.
  3. I grind my dry rosemary leaves in bulk if you are wondering why I have ground rosemary.
  4. Substitute the garlic powder in this recipe for 2 cloves of garlic.
 
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Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 58
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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