A super simple but delicious homemade marinara sauce recipe - using just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes; perfect for pizza, pasta, soups, casseroles, chili, and more!
Lightly saute the garlic and oregano in the olive oil for a minute (don't burn the garlic!).
Mix all of the ingredients together, either by hand or in a blender/ food processor. Voila!
Marinara Sauce - Method Two:
Peel and crush/mince your garlic.
In a pot over medium heat, lightly saute the minced garlic in the olive oil for 30-45 seconds, being careful not to burn. This will infuse your oil with the garlic flavor.
Add the tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes with the lid on.
Add the sugar, salt and pepper and stir, then leave to simmer for a further 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally, to stop the sauce from burning at the bottom of the pan.
Add the oregano, stir well, and switch off the heat. If you aren't using the sauce immediately, then leave it to cool down to room temperature before transferring to your container, to store.
Video
Notes
You can add onion to the sauce too. Finely dice it and saute the onion and garlic in the pan at the beginning, until softened.
I used oregano for my marinara sauce. Feel free to use mixed Italian herbs, if you'd prefer. You can also add fresh basil or a bay leaf, while cooking, for a richer flavor.
Add some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce for spice. Add them while the garlic is sauteeing, when there 15-20 seconds remaining before you add the tomatoes. This will help infuse the flavor in the oil a bit.
Swap out the sugar for a little honey or another natural sweetener. I prefer to use ones that don't have too much of a 'unique' flavor, to affect the sauce.
You can, optionally, add some fresh (peeled) tomatoes to your sauce along with the canned. The fresh tomatoes will add a note layer of flavor to the dish.
The final texture of the sauce is up to you. Use a blender for a super smooth 'puree', or lightly crush in the pan to your desired texture.
Storage:You can store this homemade marinara sauce in an airtight container - I like to use a jar - in the fridge for up to 5 days. Alternatively, it can be frozen for up to three months.