• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Whisk Affair
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Indian Recipes
  • Meal Type
    • Salads
    • Soups
    • Appetizers
    • Main Course
    • Desserts
  • My Cookbook
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Mother’s Day Brunch Recipes
  • Eid Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Indian Recipes
  • My Cookbook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Pickles, Chutnies, Dips & Jams » Best Marinara Sauce

    Published: Aug 7, 2016 | Last Updated On: Nov 24, 2020 by Neha Mathur

    Best Marinara Sauce

    2001 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Homemade Marinara Sauce is quick and rather easy to make at home, and tastes immensely better than the store bought one. Try this recipe and thank me later. Here is how to make it from scratch.

    marinara Sauce served in a pan.

    If Italian food is your favourite, then I am sure you will love this Marinara Sauce made from scratch as much as I do.

    Originated in Naples, this Italian sauce takes your recipes to another level.

    You will need only a few pantry ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, herbs and garlic to make this full of flavour sauce.

    Few everyday spices such as bay leaf, parsley, red chilli flakes, black pepper are added which adds more flavour in this Italian sauce.

    Also fresh basil leaves are added to add that hint of freshness and aroma to the sauce.

    the sauce is cooked for about 50 to 60 minutes, so make sure you give your sauce that much time. Cooking it for a lesser time will not give you the same taste.

    Also it is healthy, hearty and tastes better, as there are no added preservatives and sugar in the homemade sauce.

    Once you make this sauce, you can always store in an air tight container for about a week in the fridge for later use.

    Its a new staple in my kitchen, and I hope it becomes one for you as well.

    Why is it called Marinara Sauce?

    This sauce originated in Naples, Italy and it is said that this sauce was first made by the Marinaras returning from the America with tomatoes, a fruit which they newly discovered then in the 1700s.

    And hence the name.

    Ingredients

    marinara sauce ingredients

    What is the difference between Marinara and Spaghetti Sauce?

    Both the sauces has tomatoes as their base, but yes Marinara Sauce and Spaghetti Sauce are different from each other.

    While the marinara sauce is very simple to make and takes only few ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, herbs and Garlic, Spaghetti sauce is a complex sauce and is usually slow cooked with many more ingredients.

    You can always make Marinara Sauce fresh, as it takes very less time to get ready.

    All you have to do is cook it for about an hour with garlic, onion and a few herbs and you can use it immediately to make your Pasta or use as a base for Pizza.

    But to make spaghetti sauce you need many more ingredients other than Tomatoes, onions and Garlic and is slow cooked to get that rich flavour and taste.

    Even the Pomodoro sauce is made with tomatoes, but its usually thick and smooth as compared to the Marinara Sauce.

    How to use this sauce?

    You can use this delicious and full of flavour sauce in various ways, such as:

    Use it to make your Pastas. Add this divine sauce to your pasta, throw in some cooked vegetables or chicken/shrimp, mix it and your Pasta is ready.

    You can also use the same sauce as the base of your Pizza or Gallete.

    Spread this sauce on your pizza, add in your favourite vegetables or meat, grate some cheese and bake it. This sauce adds a fresh tomato taste to your Pizzas.

    You can use it as dip for your Party Starters. For instance, you can serve this sauce along with some Cheesy Jalapeno Poppers and other such starters or you can also serve it along with some Nachos, Crackers etc.

    Also if you are making a one pot Baked dish, it adds a great taste to it.

    Can I substitute Spaghetti Sauce for Marinara Sauce?

    Yes, you can substitute Spaghetti Sauce for Marinara Sauce.

    Both has tomatoes as the base, it is just that Marinara sauce has more of fresh tomato flavour, whereas Spaghetti sauce has more of rich flavour, as it is slow cooked for hours to get that consistency.

    What is the difference between Ragu and Marinara?

    While the Marinara Sauce uses fresh tomatoes with onion, garlic and herbs and has a thinner consistency, Ragu is a meat based thicker Italian sauce and has a small amount of tomato sauce added to it.

    To make Ragu, along with tomatoes, onion and garlic, meat such as veal, beef, lamb, pork, fish or poultry is added in the sauce.

    Step by Step Recipe

    Heat oil in a pan.

    Olive oil heating in a pan.

    Once the oil is hot, add garlic and fry for a few seconds.

    Garlic added in the pan.

    Add onion and bay leaf and fry for a minute.

    Onion and bay leaves added in the pan.

    Add fresh and dried parsley and fry for a few seconds.

    Fresh and dried parsley added in the pan.

    Now add tomatoes, red chilli flakes, salt, sugar, black pepper and basil and cook the sauce for 50 – 60 minutes.

    Tomato, red chilli flakes, salt, sugar and basil added in the pan.

    Keep stirring in between.

    pan covered.

    Discard the bay leaves once the sauce is cooked. Adjust the salt and black pepper to taste. Cool the sauce and refrigerate for up to a week.

    bay leaves discarded from the ready marinara sauce.
    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Homemade Marinara Sauce is quick and rather easy to make at home, and tastes immensely better than the store bought one. Try this recipe and thank me later. Here is how to make it.

    Marinara Sauce Recipe

    Homemade Marinara Sauce is quick and rather easy to make at home, and tastes immensely better than the store bought one. Try this recipe and thank me later. Here is how to make it.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Basics
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 69kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
    • 2 teaspoon Garlic (Minced)
    • ¼ cup Onion (Minced)
    • 2 Bay Leaf
    • 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley (Chopped)
    • 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
    • 750 g Crushed Tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon Red chilli flakes
    • 2 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoon Fresh basil (Chopped)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat oil in a pan.
    • Once the oil is hot, add garlic and fry for a few seconds.
    • Add onion and bay leaf and fry for a minute.
    • Add fresh and dried parsley and fry for a minute.
    • Now add tomatoes, red chilli flakes, salt, sugar, black pepper and basil and cook the sauce for 50 – 60 minutes.
    • Keep stirring in between.
    • Discard the bay leaves once the sauce is cooked.
    • Adjust the salt and black pepper to taste.
    • Cool the sauce and refrigerate for up to a week.

    Notes

    I have used canned crushed tomatoes to make this recipe but you can use fresh tomatoes as well.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 465IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg
    Pin this recipe for later use!I LOVE to see your creations so pin and mention @WhiskAffair!
    Sign up for regular updates?I would love to have you as part of my journey. Click to sign up!
    « Katachi Amti
    Mughlai Egg Korma »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Thalia @ butter and brioche

      March 07, 2016 at 9:48 pm

      I love that you made your own marinara sauce – that’s something I never have thought to do before. And I bet it tastes SO delicious and flavoursome, much better than the store bought stuff.

      Reply
      • msnehamathur

        March 08, 2016 at 3:51 am

        Thnx Thalia. Yes it does taste uch better than the store bought one 🙂

        Reply

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hey! Nice to meet you

    Neha Mathur, Founder & Recipe Expert at Whisk Affair

    Hi! I'm Neha, Blogger & Recipe Expert behind Whisk Affair. I've nurtured Whisk Affair since 2012 by trying & testing every recipe published. Be sure that it will turn out good each time! Read More about me…

    Stay Connected

    My Cookbook

    Buy Now on Amazon

    Mother's Day Brunch Recipes

    • Tropical Dragon Fruit Smoothie (Pitaya Smoothie)
    • Ragi Banana Pancakes
    • Crispy Air Fryer Buffalo Tofu Bites
    • Berry Blast Smoothie (No Banana)
    • Biscoff Oats (Cookie Butter Oats)
    • Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

    Eid Recipes

    • Double Ka Meetha (Indian Bread Pudding)
    • Mutton Biryani
    • Sheer Khurma
    • Phirni

    Most Popular Recipes

    • Punjabi Rajma Masala (Kidney Bean Curry Recipe)
    • How To Make Sour Cream
    • Lemon Garlic Baked Tilapia
    • Dal Tadka
    • Scrambled Egg Whites
    • Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce

    Footer


    ^ back to top

    About

    About Neha

    My Cookbook

    Stay Connected

    Sign up! for emails and updates

    Contact Me

    Policies

    Privacy Policy

    Terms & Conditions

    Accessibility Policy

    Whiskaffair has been featured in leading media including the huffington post, bloomberg quint, buzz feed, your story and many more

    Copyright © 2022 WhiskAffair Food LLP | Technical Partner </> Host My Blog