Easy Marinara Sauce
This homemade easy Marinara Sauce comes together in just under an hour, made with only 10 simple ingredients. You will never want to use store-bought sauce again after making your own!
I have to admit that I have always resorted to using my favorite store-bought marinara sauce instead of making my own. Or I have used store-bought sauces as a base for my homemade sauce because I did not think that I could make a great tasting sauce. Well boy, was I wrong!
It turns out, that not only is it super easy to make your own marinara sauce, but can also be cheaper! This sauce tastes like it has been cooking all day long and uses only a few simple ingredients:
- 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes – Preferably San Marzano tomatoes but any kind will work just fine.
- Shallots – They are more mild in flavor and work really well in this recipe, however, you can also use half of a sweet onion!
- Garlic cloves – I use 1 clove in this recipe but if you love garlic, feel free to add more.
- Carrot – My first secret ingredient! Put one whole peeled carrot in your sauce while it is cooking to add sweetness and reduce the acidity of the tomatoes. I use this instead of sugar. My mom actually shreds an entire carrot to put in her sauce but I find this is a great alternative if you do not want to see shreds of carrots in your sauce.
- Fresh Basil – Dried Basil can also be used if you do not have fresh.
- Dried Oregano – Have some fresh oregano growing in your garden? Add fresh oregano instead of dried.
- Olive oil – To saute the onion and garlic in.
- Butter – My other secret ingredient! Adding just a pat of butter to your sauce brings richness and also helps to cut some of the acidity from the tomatoes. However, be sure not to add too much as it can make your sauce too oily.
To make this marinara sauce:
Start off by heating 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, salt and ground pepper and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the onions are soft. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Then stir in your can of whole peeled tomatoes along with their juices.
Next, stir in the fresh chopped basil and dried oregano. Add the whole peeled carrot and the butter in the sauce. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat on low and simmer, covered for about 40-45 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the sauce from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Remove the whole carrot and discard. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush the whole tomatoes by smooshing them against the side of your pot. Toward the end of the cooking process, if your sauce is still too chunky for your liking you can smooth it out by using an immersion blender.
Why make this amazingly easy Marinara sauce?
As if you need any more reasons to whip up this sauce yourself, here are just a few:
- This sauce is so simple to make and comes together with just a few ingredients.
- The recipe is completely free of added sugars because it uses a whole carrot rather than sugar.
- This sauce goes great on pasta, stuffed shells, on pizza, with your favorite crusty bread, with appetizers such as Fried Mozzarella, jalapeno poppers and so much more!
- It is essentially cheaper than store-bought marinara sauce and free of preservatives and additives.
- It is a great sauce to make ahead! Store it in an airtight container or jar with a lid and keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days. Or you can store it in the freezer for up to 6 months, stored properly in a freezer-safe container or zip-lock bag. Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing.
Try this marinara sauce over this amazing Stuffed Shells Recipe!
Easy Marinara Sauce
Equipment
- 1 pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1 carrot whole, peeled
- ½ tbsp butter
- salt and ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the onions are soft. Stir frequently.
- Stir in the whole peeled tomatoes along with their juices. Add the basil, oregano, carrot and the butter to the sauce. Stir until combined. Once boiling, turn the heat on low and simmer, covered for about 40-45 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove the whole carrot and discard. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush the tomatoes by smooshing them against the side of your pot. If your sauce is still too chunky, smooth it out by using an immersion blender.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Serve warm and enjoy!