My Easy Pasta Sauce is so quick and delicious, you can forget store-bought spaghetti sauce! Enjoy this authentic Italian recipe for homemade marinara with no added sugar. Don't miss my tips for making the best tomato sauce that's not bitter!
This is where it all started, folks. This delicious, homemade marinara sauce was the first recipe ever posted on Cooking with Mamma C back in 2014.
That should give you an idea of how much we love this Easy Pasta Sauce and how useful it is in many of my Italian recipes. And, it's not just for pasta!
The best homemade pasta sauce
If it's never occurred to you to make homemade tomato sauce for pasta, allow me to convince you.
First, you can make my Easy Pasta Sauce in 25 minutes. Really! There's no need to cook marinara for hours, unlike meat sauce.
Second, did you know store-bought tomato sauce can contain more sugar per serving than a candy bar?
A half-cup serving of jarred marinara from the store can contain up to 10 grams of sugar. Meanwhile, a fun-size Snicker's Bar has eight grams of sugar!
And who only uses half a cup of sauce?
My easy tomato sauce contains no sugar, so it's healthier.
Third, you can't beat the taste of this homemade marinara!
This is my go-to marinara recipe, so I've made it hundreds of times. I used to serve it with rigatoni at the cast parties we hosted for 150+ teenagers over the years. They'd always say it's the best tomato sauce they'd ever had.
And I'd think, "It's so simple. What makes it the best?"
I'm guessing it's because I skip the sugar...and don't use oregano either.
Sugar ruins the flavor profile of marinara, in my humble opinion. And, oregano, especially dried, makes tomato sauce bitter.
I'm pretty sure that's why there's so much sugar in store-bought sauce ― to counteract the oregano.
So, I never use oregano in my spaghetti sauce. Neither does my family, my husband's family, nor any of our friends from Italy.
Let's take a closer look.
Recipe ingredients
Crushed Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes provide the perfect texture for this easy pasta sauce, which happens to be vegan. Crushed tomatoes aren't runny like purée or peeled tomatoes, and you won't need to add any tomato paste.
If you have garden tomatoes, be sure to use this Homemade Spaghetti Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes recipe.
Olive Oil: I recommend using regular olive oil instead of extra-virgin. Regular olive oil has a milder flavor.
Bay Leaf: A bay leaf in spaghetti sauce adds a nice, savory flavor.
Seasonings: I just use salt and a bit of crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat. This isn't overly spicy though, and you can adjust the seasonings to your liking. Keep in mind, the brand of tomatoes you use will be a factor in the amount of salt needed.
Tips to prevent bitter tomato sauce
- Start with good-tasting tomatoes, ideally the San Marzano variety, which is more sweet. Tuttorosso tomatoes (affiliate link) also work well and so does the Giant Eagle brand.
- Use regular olive oil, which has a mild flavor compared to extra-virgin olive oil.
- Use fresh garlic cloves without green shoots. The green garlic will be bitter.
- Don't use oregano, which is bitter.
- Add a little chopped onion, which provides savory sweetness. This is an optional step, and I'll skip it if I'm in a hurry or want a less sweet sauce.
- If you still detect some bitterness in your sauce, try adding a little more olive oil and a bit more salt.
How to make easy pasta sauce
See the recipe card at the end of this post for full instructions, but here's an overview.
- Heat olive oil on medium-high in a large skillet. If using chopped onions, add them and cook until soft.
- Add crushed garlic and let that cook for about a minute, stirring. Don't let the garlic burn.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the seasonings and bay leaf.
- When the sauce comes to a boil, lower the heat and prop a lid on the pan. Let the sauce simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Stir in fresh basil leaves.
Ways to use marinara sauce
I often make this marinara in big batches so I can use it in other dishes besides pasta. I use the sauce on pizza dough, Italian bread pizza, spaghetti squash, ricotta lasagna and Italian Stuffed Peppers.
It's also great with Italian Meatloaf with Chicken or Turkey and Homemade Manicotti with Crepes.
It's perfect to have on hand to make Pasta al Forno with Smoked Mozzarella and to dip Baked Breaded Eggplant Slices into for an appetizer. And don't forget about Italian sausage subs or Italian Eggplant Parmesan!
Frequently asked questions
You will need four cups of marinara sauce per pound of pasta. This equals one quart. One batch of this recipe makes enough for a pound of pasta.
Yes! Store the sauce in plastic tubs with lids.
I use quart-size containers (affiliate link) or half-quart ones, depending on how much I need to store.
You can add a half teaspoon of baking soda to tomato sauce to cut down the acidity.
More recipes like this
- Authentic Italian Beef Meatballs - Make three batches of marinara to cook the meatballs! It'll become a delicious Sunday sauce.
- Gluten-Free Meatballs in Sauce
- Italian Meat Sauce with Country Ribs
- Bolognese Pasta
- Braciole Recipe
Enjoy!
Friends, if I had to choose one recipe I couldn't live without, it's this Easy Pasta Sauce. If you try it, don't forget to leave a comment and a rating!
E-Cookbook!
With my Pasta & Sauces collection, even a beginner can cook like an Italian nonna!
Easy Pasta Sauce (Marinara)
Video
Ingredients
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (preferably Giant Eagle or Tuttorosso brand)
- ¼ cup olive oil regular, not extra virgin
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 small onion chopped (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet (or large sauce pan if making more than one batch) on medium high.
- Add onion, if using, and cook until soft, around four minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic to pan and cook for a minute, stirring a couple of times.
- Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, and pepper flakes; stir.
- When sauce starts to boil, lower the temperature and loosely cover the pan with a lid, using a wooden spoon resting on the rim of the pan to keep the lid propped open.
- Cook on low, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes. Because the tomatoes you use are a factor, taste along the way to see if any extra salt is needed. If you detect any bitterness, add a little more olive oil.
- When the sauce is cooked, add basil leaves and stir in before serving. Serve with pasta, zucchini noodles or over pizza. Refrigerate leftover sauce in a tightly sealed container for one week, or freeze it.
Notes
-
- Start with good-tasting tomatoes. Use crushed tomatoes from the San Marzano region of Italy, if possible. Tuttorosso tomatoes (affiliate link) also work well.
- Use regular olive oil, which has a mild flavor compared to extra-virgin olive oil.
- Use fresh garlic cloves without green shoots. The green garlic will be bitter.
- Don't use oregano, which is bitter.
- Add a little chopped onion, which provides savory sweetness. This is an optional step, and I sometimes skip it if I'm in a hurry or want a less sweet sauce.
- If you still detect some bitterness or acidity in your sauce, try adding a little more olive oil and a bit more salt. Keep in mind that different brands of tomatoes will contain different amounts of salt, so you'll need to season accordingly.
- As a last resort, Mom's tip is to add a half teaspoon of baking soda to the sauce to cut down the acidity.
- If you are making a larger quantity of sauce, you will need to increase the cooking time. If doubling the quantity, a minimum of 30 minutes is needed for cooking.
- For triple and quadruple batches, cook the sauce for an hour.
- If making a huge batch for a party, cook it for 90 minutes.
- Also, you can just use one bay leaf for up to a triple batch. If you are making quadruple or more, use two bay leaves.
Nutrition
(Recipe source: Cooking with Mamma C. Adapted from my Nonna's method. Originally published on June 1, 2014 and updated now with new photos and text.)
Phyllis Malone says
I’m going to make your sauce when I purchase ingredient. It sounds good for a all around sauce.
Would you please add my to your mailing list
Thank you.
Mamma C says
Hi Phyllis - I've added you to my mailing list. Enjoy the marinara sauce!
Christine Blake says
Have you tried canning this sauce in mason jars, using a hot water bath, or would you just can the tomatoes and make it into the sauce when you are ready to use it?
Mamma C says
Hi Christine - I've never tried canning the sauce. I have used canned tomatoes given to me in a mason jar, and find them runnier than the crushed tomatoes called for here. You could use canned tomatoes from a mason jar for this recipe, but you might want to add a little tomato paste, if you want a thicker result.
Loriann says
Fantastic even from an Italians perspective!
Mamma C says
Hi Loriann -That's what I like to hear! Thanks so much for letting me know.
lisa says
this is my go-to sauce every week! beats jarred hands down. love it.
Mamma C says
Hi Lisa - I'm so glad to hear that. I just made some yesterday!
Raevyn N says
HI,
haven't tried it but I'm wondering how long this sauce saves in the fridge and if I can freeze jars?
Mamma C says
Hi Raevyn - The pasta sauce will stay for up to one week in the refrigerator. When I freeze it, I use plastic quart containers.
nikki bennett says
i would like to be added to your list
Mamma C says
Hi Nikki - Great! I added you to the list. You may receive a confirmation email.
Larry says
For an old fashion New England pizza flavor add fennel seed to the sauce.
Mamma C says
Hi Larry - Oh, that's an interesting idea. Thanks for sharing!
Beverlee says
Would love to be on your email list..all your recipes sound great without oregano...family does not like the bitter of oregano..now i can please them..thanks
Mamma C says
Hi Beverlee - I've just added you to my email list, but you will have to confirm your subscription when you receive the confirmation email. I hope your family enjoys my recipes!
April Tuttle says
This is my new favourite sauce! It was fabulous work eggplant and chicken parm!
Please add me to you list!
Mamma C says
Hi April - I'm so glad this is your favorite marinara sauce! I've added you to my mailing list and hope you enjoy my other recipes too.
Jalaine says
I don't have regular olive oil, only extra virgin. Would that be ok to use?
Mamma C says
Hi Jalaine - Yes, you can use the extra-virgin. You might want to use an onion in the sauce to bring some sweetness to compensate. Enjoy!
Katie M says
If we wanted to make it just a little less chunky, would tomato paste work instead of crushed tomatoes?
Mamma C says
Hi Katie - Crushed tomatoes in the can are not chunky, just thick. I would not substitute tomato paste, because tomato paste needs to be used in small quantities. However, if you want a thinner sauce, you could substitute tomato puree for the crushed tomatoes, then add a couple spoons of tomato paste to thicken the sauce to your liking.