This homemade Hearty Marinara Sauce is so much better than store-bought, and it is surprisingly EASY to make! It’s made with canned tomato and broth simmered with garlic, onion, and the perfect blend of spices. This sauce is quick, easy, versatile, and delicious!
Hearty Marinara Sauce – The EASY Way!
Skip the jarred marinara sauce. This homemade hearty marinara sauce is so simple and so much tastier.
This robust tomato sauce recipe requires just three easy steps and a few basic ingredients. It can be made quickly on a busy weeknight or prepped ahead of time and stored in the freezer!
Enjoy over pasta, with meatballs, on a meatball sub sandwich, in pasta bakes or lasagna, or as a dipping sauce. There are so many delicious possibilities You’re sure to impress your family, friends, and yourself!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Simple recipe. This sauce is made with ingredients you can easily keep on-hand and is ready in just 30 minutes.
- Crowd pleaser. Everyone will be asking for this recipe. It’s so good!
- Freezes well. You can easily make a big batch of sauce and store it in the freezer so it’s ready to go whenever.
- Kid Friendly! I haven’t met a kid yet that didn’t love spaghetti, but with this homemade sauce it is elevated flavor adults love too.
- Versatile– Eat it over spaghetti or use it in any of your favorite recipes like Chicken Parmesan, Baked Ziti, Garlic Bread Pizza, and more!
What to Serve with Homemade Marinara Sauce
Since this dish has the classic flavors of Italian cuisine, it will pair well with many of your favorite entrees and side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Serving Ideas
- Spaghetti and Marinara Sauce – Keep it simple and classic by spooning a generous ladleful of marinara sauce over a pile of cooked spaghetti. Bulk it up with homestyle meatballs or turn it into million dollar baked spaghetti.
- Meatballs Marinara – Grab your slow cooker and whip up a batch of crock pot meatballs in marinara sauce. Enjoy as-is, over pasta, or as a meatball sub!
- Chicken Parmesan – Whip up a classic comfort food dinner with my easy baked chicken parmesan recipe or turn it into a chicken parmesan casserole.
Side Dish Pairings
A meal made with the best marinara sauce deserves a delicious side dish! Here are just a few ideas:
- Best Ever Garlic Bread – Perhaps the most obvious, but also perhaps the most delicious pairing is, of course, a thick slice of garlic bread! It’s buttery, perfectly toasted, and finished with a sprinkling of dried herbs and parmesan.
- Italian House Salad – Keep it light with a simple Italian house salad. This fresh salad features spring mix lettuce, grape tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, and fresh parmesan doused in a tangy Italian dressing.
- Brown Butter Broccoli – Turn a simple veggie side dish into a restaurant quality pairing by browning the butter. This broccoli is rich, flavorful, savory, and comes together in just 15 minutes.
- Garlic Smashed Potatoes – Is there anything better than a side dish featuring potatoes? These garlic smashed potatoes look and taste fancy, but come together with just 5 ingredients. They’re perfectly crispy, full of garlic flavor, and go with any delicious dinner.
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Recipe Notes
This classic marinara sauce recipe is as simple as promised! Just 30 minutes for a family friendly meal or flavorful appetizer pairing.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use for how to make marinara sauce to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil sautés the garlic and onion.
- Aromatics – The classic garlic and onion duo creates a delicious flavor base for the sauce.
- Tomatoes – Our tomato sauce features stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste for richness.
- Chicken Broth – Chicken broth adds tons of flavor and makes them sauce more saucy. If preferred, swap the chicken broth out for veggie broth.
- Parsley – Adds a touch of freshness.
- Granulated Sugar – Sugar is the key to balancing out the acidity of the tomato.
- Seasonings – We’re rounding out our flavors with a combination of dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and ground black pepper.
Hearty Marinara Sauce Tips
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. These more heavy-duty pots help distribute the heat more evenly and lowers the risk of the sauce burning as it simmers.
- Don’t skip the sugar. Sugar might seem like a strange addition to a more savory sauce, but trust me on this one. The little bit of sugar helps offset the acidity of the tomatoes giving it the perfect flavor balance!
- Give it plenty of time to simmer. I recommend a minimum of 20-30 minutes or, if you have time, all the way up to 2 hours. The longer the sauce simmers, the more the flavors will intensify.
- Play with texture. I use an immersion blender or hand blender to make a smooth sauce. If you prefer a chunky marinara sauce, skip the blending and just use a wooden spoon to break the larger tomato chunks into smaller pieces.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Simmer for less time – If you’re really short on time, you can keep the simmering to a minimum at 20 minutes. I do not recommend going less than that or you’ll start compromising the flavor of your sauce.
- Make extra and freeze – This easy marinara sauce freezes beautifully. Get ahead with prep by making a ton at once, then freezing it for later! When you’re ready to use it, all you have to do is let it thaw in the fridge and warm it up.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Spicy Marinara Sauce – Heat things up a bit with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
- Creamy Marinara Sauce – Make it a little bit richer and creamier with a splash of half-and-half or heavy cream. If you do make a creamy sauce, I do not recommend freezing it.
- Bolognese Sauce – Want to make this hearty marinara sauce even heartier? Try adding ground beef to turn it into a bolognese sauce. The one thing to note is that you do not want to blend the sauce with the beef. If you add beef, leave the sauce chunky or blend first, then simmer with the beef.
- Vegetarian Marinara Sauce – Keep this recipe vegetarian by simply swapping the chicken broth out for veggie broth.
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this easy marinara sauce recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Prepare the marinara sauce as instructed, simmer as long as you like, then cool completely.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container and store.
- When you’re ready to enjoy again, thaw the sauce overnight in the freezer, then warm and serve as desired.
Marinara Sauce Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making homemade marinara sauce, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-5 days
- in the freezer up to 6 months
Leftover Recipes
Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!
- Pull Apart Pizza Bread – Serve your homemade marinara as a dipping sauce for this crowd-pleasing appetizer. It’s soft, fluffy, stuffed with melty mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, then finished with a savory garlic butter.
- Meatball Parmesan Sliders – Turn your sauce into a delicious meal or appetizer using this meatball sliders recipe. Sweet Hawaiian rolls loaded with meatballs, marinara, and cheese, then topped with garlic butter.
- Baked Tortellini Casserole – This tortellini casserole is a simple, 4-ingredient meal that the whole family will devour. It’s cheesy, hearty, savory, delicious, and is ready in a total of 25 minutes.
More Homemade Sauce Recipes
If you enjoyed this hearty marinara sauce recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my dinner recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite sauce recipes below.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed
- 29 ounces stewed tomatoes, (2 cans)
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, (1 large can)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, saute the onions over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and stir for 30-60 seconds.
- Add the remaining ingredients and simmer covered, for 20-30 minutes, or up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce together. If you prefer a chunky marinara sauce, you can just use a wooden spoon to break the larger tomatoes into pieces instead of using a blender.
Recipe Notes
- Broth – Beef broth or veggie broth will work in place of the chicken broth.
- in the refrigerator for 3-5 days
- in the freezer up to 6 months
- Prepare the marinara sauce as instructed, simmer as long as you like, then cool completely.
- Transfer to a freezer-safe container and store.
- When you’re ready to enjoy again, thaw the sauce overnight in the freezer, then warm and serve as desired.
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