How to Make Homemade Marinara Sauce
How to make a fantastic, slow-cooked, healthy marinara sauce recipe from scratch using traditional, and simple ingredients.
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Is there anything more crowd-pleasing than a big bowl of pasta covered in homemade marinara sauce?
If there is, I haven’t found it.
This marinara with spaghetti is the most requested dinner I make for family and friends…and I understand why. It’s delicious. Just add a salad on the side and you have a meal. Or some crusty Italian bread. Or top it with meatballs or Italian sausage! Mmmm! Make it your own, make it for friends or family, and make it right now! You won’t be sorry. 🙂
How to Make Homemade Marinara Sauce
I start by pureeing the onions and carrots in a food processor. I like to do this because it’s easier than chopping and once the sauce simmers for a while it breaks up into the sauce and becomes part of the flavor without anyone even knowing it’s there. The onion adds to the savory flavors in this sauce and the carrot adds a subtle sweetness and reduces the acidic nature that marinara sauce can sometimes have.
Sautee the Veggies
Then I add the carrots and onions to a large pot with the olive oil and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally until the veggies are soft. After that, a whole can of tomato paste gets added to the pot. Cooking the tomato paste for a minute or two this way deepens the flavor, it’s a worthwhile step…don’t skip it!
Ever wonder how to make spaghetti sauce less acidic? Carrots are the key! They add a sweetness to the sauce that balances out the acidity of the tomatoes without having to add sugar.
Add the Wine
Now it’s time for the good stuff. Red wine. Yes, this is a spaghetti sauce with wine recipe. I know some don’t care to use wine in your cooking and you could leave it out, but the depth of flavor can’t be recreated any other way in my humble opinion.
What kind of wine goes with pasta and red sauce? A red wine of course! We love to buy a Chinati or Montepulciano for this recipe but choose your favorite inexpensive bottle because there will be some leftovers for the chef. If you like the way it tastes to drink, you’ll enjoy the flavor it gives the sauce.
I add one cup to deglaze the pan and get all of the caramelized tomato paste and vegetable bits off of the bottom.
Next comes the garlic. I usually use 5 cloves. Don’t be scared of using too much garlic. I don’t think that it is possible to use too much garlic when cooking a marinara sauce. It will all cook down and mellow out so use as much as you’d like!
Why use San Marzano Tomatoes?
When making this recipe I like to use San Marzano tomatoes if I can find them. The flavor is so much better than regular canned tomatoes in my opinion. But I have made this marinara plenty of times with regular canned diced tomatoes and it is still absolutely delicious! Add your tomatoes to the pot, and then add the seasonings and a little sugar if you like a sweeter sauce.
Cooking the Marinara
Let it simmer low and slow on the stovetop for about an hour, stirring occasionally. OR cook it in the crockpot on low for about 4 hours.
Marinara Sauce FAQs
How Long Does Pasta Sauce Last in the Fridge?
Pasta sauce lasts about 3-4 days in the fridge. If you aren’t going to eat it before then you can freeze it in quart-sized Ziploc bags.
Can you freeze Marinara Sauce?
Absolutely! Let the sauce cool and scoop it into a labeled, freezer-safe, Ziploc bag. Squeeze any extra air out (carefully!) and close tightly. Freeze the bag on a flat surface. Once it’s frozen flat and solid you can line several bags of sauce up in your freezer for an easy meal!
Dinner Ideas with Marinara Sauce
Can you eat marinara sauce with spaghetti? YES, and you should! Or any pasta for that matter. But what else can you do with it?
- Roast Green beans or spaghetti squash in the oven and top with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese for a lower-carb or gluten-free option.
- Put some marinara in a saucepan and add some red pepper flakes. Once it’s simmering crack a couple of eggs gently into the sauce and top the eggs with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook until the eggs are set but the yolks are still runny. Serve the eggs and sauce in a bowl with crusty bread for a delicious breakfast or brunch treat!
- Add your favorite meatballs to the sauce until they are cooked through. Serve over pasta or as an appetizer topped with mozzarella cheese.
- Top grilled chicken thighs with leftover marinara and fresh basil for an easy summertime meal.
- Add to cooked ground beef or turkey and serve on rolls as an Italian Sloppy Joe sandwich.
- Add it to leftover spaghetti and make a pasta frittata.
Want to make homemade bread to go with your pasta? Get my recipe for No Knead Bread HERE:
Printable Recipe Card
Crockpot Marinara Sauce Recipe | An Italian Classic
Equipment
- Crockpot or Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil extra virgin
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 clove of garlic thinly sliced
- 2 large carrot
- 1 can tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 28 oz can San Marzano peeled tomatoes crushed or mashed
- 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce or pureed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons dry seasoning of your choice (basil, Italian seasoning)
- 1 tsp sugar only if you like a sweeter sauce. If not, leave this out
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or saucepan. 2. Chop the onion and the carrot in a food processor or grate on a cheese grater. 3. Add the onion and carrot to the oil. Cook until the veggies are soft and just start to turn brown. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.4. Spoon in the can of tomato paste. Stir frequently until the tomato paste begins to caramelize a bit on the bottom of the pan. About 2-3 minutes5. Lower the heat to simmer and add the wine to the pan and scrape up any brown bits that may have formed on the pan. 6. Add the veggie and wine mixture to a large crockpot or slowcooker. 7. Add the garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar (if using), dry seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. 8. Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours. Can be set to the warm setting after cooking. Add more salt if needed for your taste.Serve with your favorite pasta and crusty bread.
Want More Recipes?
This sounds delish!! I LOVE putting red wine in tomato sauces. It really does add such a crazy depth of flavor! Can’t wait to try this out! Thanks for sharing!
We use marinara sauce for so many things! Your recipe sounds amazing!
So yummy! Great recipe!!