• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Work with Me
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Two Cloves Kitchen logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Work with Me
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Work with Me
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
×

Home » Meal » Sauce

Published: Feb 23, 2023 by Genevieve · This post may contain affiliate links.

Hearty Marinara Sauce Recipe

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Yummly
  • Flipboard
A spoonful of marinara sauce over a pot of marinara sauce is shown with the words Hearty Marinara Sauce and the URL www.twocloveskitchen.com.
A spoonful of marinara sauce over a pot of marinara sauce is shown with the words Hearty Marinara Sauce and the URL www.twocloveskitchen.com.
A spoonful of marinara sauce over a pot of marinara sauce is shown with the words Hearty Marinara Sauce and the URL www.twocloveskitchen.com.
A spoonful of marinara sauce over a pot of marinara sauce is shown with the words Hearty Marinara Sauce and the URL www.twocloveskitchen.com.
A spoonful of marinara sauce over a pot of marinara sauce is shown with the words Hearty Marinara Sauce and the URL www.twocloveskitchen.com.
A spoonful of marinara sauce over a pot of marinara sauce is shown with the words Hearty Marinara Sauce and the URL www.twocloveskitchen.com.
A spoonful of marinara sauce over a pot of marinara sauce is shown with the words Hearty Marinara Sauce and the URL www.twocloveskitchen.com.

Hearty marinara sauce is a delicious Italian sauce made with hand-crushed tomatoes, sautéed garlic and onion, rich olive oil, fresh basil, and flavorful Italian herbs. It's easy, fairly quick, and makes a fantastic pasta sauce or dipping sauce.

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
A closeup of hearty marinara sauce in a wooden spoon over a pot of finished marinara sauce.
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Dish
  • What You'll Need
  • Recommended Tools
  • How to Make Hearty Marinara
  • Variations
  • How to Store
  • FAQ
  • Expert Tips
  • How to Serve
  • Other Recipes You'll Love
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Why You'll Love This Dish

First, it's delicious. This easy marinara sauce is rich, savory, and zesty, with a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness.

This sauce is based on a homemade marinara sauce my grandmother (Nana to me) used to make for the whole family. While Nana herself was from Ukraine, she learned to cook from our Papa's mother, who was from Sicily. 

Nana made the best Italian food I've ever tasted, and my dad carries on the tradition of her homemade meatballs and sauce every year at Christmas with his own homegrown tomatoes. I look forward to that meal like, well, a kid at Christmastime.

Traditional marinara sauce is generally smooth in texture. This version, however, is a chunky sauce (hence, hearty marinara).

hand-crushed tomatoes are shown in a stainless steel bowl.

This texture is achieved by hand-crushing whole peeled tomatoes instead of buying tomatoes that are crushed or diced. The photo above shows the texture you are looking to achieve.

This sauce is made with mostly pantry ingredients. Outside of the fresh basil, you may already have everything you need on hand to make this recipe.

It's fairly quick, too--the sauce comes together in less than 40 minutes. Plus, it's better than store-bought tomato sauce without an awful lot more effort! Once you make your own homemade marinara, you won't want to go back to the jarred stuff.

The labeled ingredients for hearty marinara sauce are shown on a white marble counter.

What You'll Need

Two Cloves Kitchen, as an Amazon Affiliate, makes a small percentage from qualified sales made through affiliate links at no cost to you.

  • Canned Tomatoes I like to use the Cento brand of San Marzano tomatoes best. They are consistently excellent quality. You can also use canned plum tomatoes. The key is buying whole tomatoes, not diced or crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil California Olive Ranch is my favorite brand.
  • Onion I recommend yellow onion here, but sweet onion will work as well.
  • Fresh Garlic You can also use a bit of jarred chopped garlic.
  • Fresh Basil If you can't find fresh basil, omit this ingredient rather than replacing it with dried basil.
  • Italian Herbs are often called Italian Seasoning. I buy a blend called Italian Supper from a local spice shop called Silverlake Spice Station. I absolutely recommend checking them out. Use your own favorite blend--one with basil, oregano, and garlic powder is a good choice.
  • Red Pepper Flake optional, but chili flake adds a tiny bite to the sauce that's just wonderful.
  • Kosher Salt Diamond Crystal is the brand I recommend. It greatly improved the quality of my cooking when I switched.
  • Black Pepper A few cranks of fresh black pepper is perfect.

Recommended Tools

Large Stock Pot

Wooden Spoon

Kitchen Knife This is my favorite! For its price, this is the best kitchen knife for a home cook. I use it every day.

How to Make Hearty Marinara

Diced yellow onion with a yellow onion in the background on a butcher block cutting board

Step One Finely dice your onion.

Minced garlic sits on a white cutting board.

Step Two Finely chop your garlic.

Whole peeled tomatoes are crushed by hand into a stainless steel bowl.

Step Three Crush the whole peeled tomatoes by hand over a large bowl and set aside. 

Sautéed onions in a black frying pan

Step Four Heat olive oil in a saucepot over medium-low heat until shimmering. Sweat the onions. 

Onion, garlic, olive oil, and chili flake are shown in a stainless steel sauce pot.

Step Five Add the garlic and chili flake and cook until fragrant.

Tomatoes, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, and fresh basil are added to the pot.

Step Six Add the tomatoes to the pot, along with the Italian herb blend, chili flake, fresh basil, salt and pepper. Stir.

Basi leaves are removed from the marinara sauce.

Step Seven Bring the sauce to a boil and then down to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the basil leaves.

A closeup of hearty marinara sauce in a wooden spoon over a pot of finished marinara sauce.

Step Eight Taste for seasoning and serve!

Variations

  • You can make this a traditional smooth marinara sauce by using crushed tomatoes.
  • You can add some additional vegetables to this sauce for an even heartier meal. Try some very finely diced carrots and green bell pepper while the onion sweats.
  • To make this a spicy sauce, use a heftier pinch of red pepper flakes.

How to Store

Fridge Store leftover marinara in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Freezer After your sauce has cooled completely, transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container like a gallon plastic bag. Lay flat while freezing to conserve space in your freezer. The sauce will taste best if eaten within 6 months.

Reheating From the fridge, add your sauce to a pot over medium heat. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer before serving.

From the freezer, you can either defrost the sauce in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat as above, or you can add frozen sauce directly to a pot over medium heat until it melts and heats through.

FAQ

What is hearty marinara sauce?

Marinara is a smooth, quickly cooked, tomato-based Italian sauce mostly served over pasta. It commonly contains olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. It can contain onions as well.

Hearty marinara sauce is largely the same, but with larger pieces of tomato produced by hand-crushing whole peeled tomatoes. Other varieties of hearty marinara sauce may contain vegetables like carrots, peppers, or celery.

What's the difference between pasta sauce and pizza sauce?

While pasta sauce and pizza sauce often use very similar ingredients, including tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and garlic, pizza sauce is typically not cooked before it is added to the pizza crust. 

Is marinara sauce for pasta or pizza?

As pizza sauce is typically not cooked until it is added to the pizza and placed in the oven, marinara is traditionally used as a pasta sauce.

Expert Tips

The peel from a tomato is shown in the palm of a person's hand.
  • When crushing the tomatoes, remove any pieces of peel you find in the cans. The texture of the sauce is better without these included.
  • If you're looking for an even thicker sauce consistency, add in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste while you are sweating your onions. Cook it down a bit and then add the remaining ingredients.
  • If you find that the sauce is too thick and/or you don't like the larger pieces of tomato, use a hand blender to smooth out the sauce.

How to Serve

I like to serve this sauce over a variety of pasta dishes. The sauce is perfect for most long, thin noodles like spaghetti and linguine and short, thick noodles like rotini, penne, or ziti.

It's wonderful over Italian Chicken Cutlets, a few leaves of fresh basil, and a slice of provolone cheese to make Chicken Parmesan.

You can also serve it as a dipping sauce for garlic bread or other baked goods.

Serve it up with a little side salad, or some roasted broccolini!

Other Recipes You'll Love

Looking for some more tomato pasta sauces? Try these recipes!

Tomato Mascarpone Sauce

Spaghetti Arrabbiata

Linguine Bolognese

📖 Recipe

A closeup of hearty marinara sauce in a wooden spoon over a pot of finished marinara sauce.

Hearty Marinara Sauce

This hearty marinara sauce is a delicious, homemade tomato sauce with garlic, onion, olive oil, basil, and Italian spices.
5 from 57 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Easy Recipe, Easy Weeknight Meal, Easy Weeknight Recipe, Quick, Tomato Sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 134kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

  • Kitchen Knife
  • Large Pot
  • Wooden Spoon

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 small onion yellow or sweet
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 56 ounces whole peeled tomatoes from (2) 28-ounce cans
  • 1 tablespoon Italian herb blend often labeled Italian seasoning
  • pinch red pepper flake optional
  • 1 sprig fresh basil
  • kosher salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Finely dice your onion and finely chop your garlic.
  • Crush the whole peeled tomatoes by hand over a large bowl and set aside. 
  • Heat olive oil in a saucepot over medium-low heat until shimmering. Sweat the onions until they are translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and red pepper flake (if using) and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  • Add the hand-crushed tomatoes to the pot, along with the Italian herb blend, fresh basil, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
  • Bring the sauce up to a boil and then down to a simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the sprig of basil. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Notes

General
  1. When crushing the tomatoes, remove any pieces of skin you find in the cans. 
  2. If you're looking for an even thicker sauce consistency, add in a tablespoon or two of tomato paste while you are sweating your onions. Cook it down a bit and then add the remaining ingredients.
  3. If you find that the sauce is too thick and/or you don't like the larger pieces of tomato, use a hand blender to smooth out the sauce.
Storage and Reheating
  1. Fridge Store leftover marinara in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
  2. Freezer After your sauce has cooled completely, transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container like a gallon plastic bag. Lay flat while freezing to conserve space in your freezer. The sauce will taste best if eaten within 6 months.
  3. Reheating: Fridge Add your sauce to a pot over medium heat. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer before serving.
  4. Reheating: Freezer You can either defrost the sauce in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat as above, or you can add frozen sauce directly to a pot over medium heat until it melts and heats through. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 534mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 342IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg

More Sauce

  • a plate of slow cooker lamb ragu over pappardelle pasta surrounded by a block of parmesan, a white linen, and torn baguette.
    Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu Recipe
  • closeup of dill sauce in a glass container with a wooden handle on a white marble counter.
    Creamy Dill Sauce Recipe
  • A jar of honey jalapeno lime vinaigrette sits on a cutting board surrounded by limes, cilantro, and jalapenos.
    Honey Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette
  • Roasted mango habanero salsa on a wooden cutting board surrounded by lime and cilantro.
    Roasted Mango Habanero Salsa Recipe
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Yummly
  • Flipboard

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sharina says

    February 24, 2023 at 5:05 am

    5 stars
    Kids loved the spaghetti because of this marinara sauce. I added a lot of cheese, and it was a hit!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      March 05, 2023 at 5:14 pm

      Yay! So glad the kids liked it. Lots of cheese is always a good idea.

      Reply
  2. Greta says

    February 24, 2023 at 6:06 am

    5 stars
    This Marinara sauce was super delicious. I made it with rotini pasta and grilled chicken. For side garlic bread. Thanks for your recipe it came out so good. I also did understand now the difference between pasta sauce and pizza sauce. I didn't knew it until now. Thanks

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      March 05, 2023 at 5:14 pm

      Ooh yum, that sounds great! Thank you, Greta!

      Reply
  3. Gina says

    February 24, 2023 at 7:34 am

    5 stars
    Love how easy and simple this sauce is while still having delicious simmered all day flavor.

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      March 05, 2023 at 5:14 pm

      I'm so glad to hear it. Thanks, Gina!

      Reply
  4. Liz says

    February 24, 2023 at 10:22 am

    5 stars
    This marinara was so simple and so delicious! We loved it. Will make again.

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      March 05, 2023 at 5:13 pm

      Fantastic, thanks Liz!

      Reply
  5. Lisa says

    February 24, 2023 at 11:31 am

    This recipe was easy and tasted much better than marinara sauce in a jar.

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      March 05, 2023 at 5:13 pm

      So glad you think so, Lisa! Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Dana says

    February 26, 2023 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    I loved the flavors the fresh basil and whole tomato brought to this marinara sauce. It smelled so good while it was cooking and made for a very special meal that was so delicious.

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      March 05, 2023 at 5:13 pm

      I'm really glad you enjoyed it, Dana. Love the smell of this sauce!

      Reply
  7. Cam says

    February 27, 2023 at 1:29 am

    5 stars
    We loved this so much! will try this again!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      March 05, 2023 at 5:12 pm

      Wonderful, thanks Cam!

      Reply
  8. Shar says

    March 01, 2023 at 5:26 am

    5 stars
    We enjoyed the night with this marinara sauce. Used this on our pasta night and it was a hit! It was packed with flavors and so satisfying!

    Reply
    • Genevieve says

      March 05, 2023 at 5:11 pm

      Amazing! So glad to hear it, Shar.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Photo of a blonde woman in a blue dress with a gray sweater sitting in front of bookcases.

Hi, I'm Gen! Welcome to Two Cloves Kitchen. I am a certified professional cook, lifelong recipe creator, writer, editor, and food lover. I use my culinary knowledge to teach you how to utilize your ingredients and equipment to their fullest potential, turning ordinary meals into something exciting with bold, fresh, innovative ideas and flavors.

More about me →

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Latest Posts

  • bavarian potato salad in a white dish surrounded by fresh dill.
    Authentic Bavarian Potato Salad with Bacon
  • chilli scrambled eggs on a white plate surrounded by a cup of coffee, English muffins, and a copper fork.
    The Best Chilli Scrambled Eggs
  • plate of bloody mary shrimp next to a pan of shrimp with a piece of baguette and a white linen.
    Bloody Mary Shrimp Recipe
  • an avocado tartine sits on a blue plate with a vintage silver knife over a peach tile background.
    Easy Avocado Tartine Recipe with Lime

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Disclosures

Contact

  • Work with Me
  • Contact

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 Two Cloves Kitchen

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Close