Simple Marinara Sauce
A deliciously simple and fresh-tasting marinara sauce is surprisingly easy to make at home from just a few everyday ingredients. Quick, too!
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 2-3 sprigs fresh basil plus more for serving
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Place olive oil and garlic in a cold skillet, then place the skillet over medium heat. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle and smell fragrant, stir in the tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Nestle in the sprigs of fresh basil.
- Reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer for at least 15-20 minutes. Leave it to simmer over low heat for up to 45 minutes if you have that much time.
- Remove the basil sprigs and sample the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve right away with your favorite pasta or protein, or store in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Using high-quality tomatoes is important. With so few ingredients, the flavor will really make a difference. San Marzano tomatoes are generally considered top notch; my favorite brands include Mutti, DeLallo, and Muir Glen, which are organic and come in BPA-free cans.
- You can use whole canned tomatoes in place of crushed. Include all juices from the can. Either crush the tomatoes by hand as you add them to the skillet, or blend them at the end with a traditional or immersion blender until the sauce is as smooth as you like it.
- This recipe yields about 2.75 cups of sauce, which I find plenty to generously cover 8-10 ounces of pasta. A 24 ounce jar of store-bought marinara contains about 2.5 cups, so this will make enough for any recipe that calls for that amount.
- Homemade marinara sauce freezes well for up to 3 months. Place in an airtight container, store in the freezer, and defrost overnight in the refrigerator or rapidly in warm water on the counter to use as desired. If freezing, I like to use a simple silicone zip-top bag, since it is easy to lie or stand up flat, and makes it easy to press out excess air, which helps the sauce stay maximally fresh.
- Nutritional information is an estimate based on the sauce alone, dividing this recipe into 6 portions.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 45 kcal, Carbohydrates: 1 g, Protein: 0.2 g, Fat: 5 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Sodium: 1 mg, Potassium: 13 mg, Fiber: 0.2 g, Sugar: 0.04 g, Vitamin A: 6 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 9 mg, Iron: 0.2 mg
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