open jar of marinara sauce showing from the top
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Quick and Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe : From Scratch

I wanted to share a quick and easy Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe From Scratch. The flavor of a homemade Marinara Sauce, it is like a big hug! I make it a little different, so don’t share with your die-hard Italian friends, but this sauce is perfect for any pasta night!

open jar of marinara sauce showing from the top
This Marinara sauce is so good, I should have canned it!

Why You Want To Try This Homemade Marinara Sauce From Scratch

I love to make this sauce with fresh tomatoes, but in a pinch I can use canned tomatoes. Really, I just like to use anything I have on hand. I don’t love the preservatives in store-bought marinara sauce, so I figure, Why not try making my own homemade marinara sauce instead? In ding this I realized just how easy it really is to make. But, more importantly, it’s also healthier and more delicious than the pre-made jar versions.

unbaked homemade manicotti with marinara sauce from scratch
I used this sauce for homemade Manicotti, this is right before it was baked to perfection!

What Tomatoes Are The Best To Use For Marinara Sauce

There are many different preferences in Marinara sauce, it can be controversial. So, I can answer for us. The best tomatoes are the tomatoes I have on hand. Typically, you want a tomato that has a more flesh and less seeds. My preference is Roma, plum, or cherry tomato varieties.

fresh tomatoes on the vine sitting on a white plate next to San Marzano canned tomatoes
These San Marzano tomatoes seem to have a great flavor with lower acidity. I like to use fresh tomatoes if I have enough on hand.

San Marzano Tomatoes

When I can’t find good tomatoes, I will grab a can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes. This variety of tomato has more of the “meat,” and less seeds. Also, it has a bit of a lower acidity.

Also, if you prefer a chunkier sauce just don’t chunk them up as much. But, if you want a perfectly smooth sauce you could use an emersion blender to make the sauce smooth.

arial photo of a table scape with a homemade baked Manicotti with marinara sauce from scratch, white plates, bread, and salad, and easy croutons
Baked Manicotti made with this Marinara Sauce

This Manicotti from scratch recipe pairs so perfectly with this Marinara sauce! HERE is the recipe for the Manicotti

Ingredients To Make Homemade Marinara Sauce

  • 1 Large can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes (could use fresh)
  • 1 Medium onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup broth (veggie, garlic, or chicken)
  • 2 large cloves of chopped garlic
  • 2 TBSP extra-virgin Olive Oil
  • Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
  • salt, to taste
  • pinch of baking soda
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • pinch of sugar
  • 1 TBSP butter, to Finish (last)
a glass mason jar of homemade marinara sauce from scratch
I just put the extra marinara sauce in a jar to have for another day!

Instructions To Make This Recipe

  1. Firstly, begin by heating the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Now, add chopped garlic, and onions, then sauté for about a minute or until fragrant.
  2. Pour the canned tomatoes with their juices into the pan, also crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or a potato masher.
  3. Pour in broth, and then stir.
  4. Then, add the salt, olive oil, red pepper, baking soda, lemon juice, and sugar to the pan and stir to combine.
  5. Bring sauce to a simmer at medium high, then lower the heat to medium low, and cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. (So, you can cook it longer, it only get better as it cooks)
  6. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes before serving over your favorite pasta.
homemade Manicotti marinara sauce from scratch dinner night
Dinner Scape featuring this Homemade Marinara Sauce in that delicious Made From Scratch Manicotti. Video HERE

So, I hope you enjoy this simple recipe for homemade marinara sauce. Because it is made from scratch, you can control what you put in it. So, use this recipe as a base to elevate your pasta night. Also, the best part is that you can customize it to your taste!

Checkout Some Of My Other Recipes

Pizza Night

Manicotti From Scratch

Caesar Dressing

Homemade Croutons

Italian Bread

Sourdough Bread

Dipping Oil

Manicotti Dinner Night Using This Marinara Sauce – Video

YouTube player
unbaked homemade manicotti with marinara sauce from scratch

Simple Homemade Marinara Sauce From Scratch

This quick and easy Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe is made from Scratch. I love the flavor of a homemade Marinara Sauce, it is like a big hug! I make it a little different, so don't share with your die-hard Italian friends, but this sauce is perfect for any pasta night!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course, pasta, sauce
Cuisine American, Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Large can 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes (could use fresh)
  • 1 Medium onion diced
  • 1/2 cup broth veggie, garlic, or chicken
  • 2 large cloves of chopped garlic
  • 2 TBSP extra-virgin Olive Oil
  • Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes to taste
  • 1 tsp salt to taste
  • pinch of baking soda
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • pinch of sugar
  • 1 TBSP butter to Finish (last)

Instructions
 

  • Begin by heating the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Now, add chopped garlic, and onions, then sauté for about a minute or until fragrant.
  • Pour the canned tomatoes and their juices into the pan, crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or a potato masher.
  • Pour in broth, stir.
  • Add the salt, olive oil, red pepper, baking soda, lemon juice, and sugar to the pan and stir to combine.
  • Bring sauce to a simmer at medium high, then lower the heat to medium low, and cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You can cook it longer, it only get better as it cooks)
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes before serving over your favorite pasta.

Video

Keyword from scratch, homemade, marinara, sauce, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. But, I will only suggest items I actually Love and Have Used!

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My jar of sauce was moldy in the fridge, which temporarily ruined my manicotti dinner plans until I found this recipe! I definitely will use this again and will experiment with consistency with my hand blender, maybe as a smooth sauce next time. Amazing flavor! Thanks for saving my sanity!!! :0)

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