Hearty Marinara Sauce

This hearty marinara sauce is a delicious, homemade tomato sauce with garlic, onion, olive oil, basil, and Italian spices.

5 from 63 votes

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Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings: cups

Calories: 134kcal

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.

General

When crushing the tomatoes, remove any pieces of skin you find in the cans.
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.

Storage and Reheating

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: Fridge Add your sauce to a pot over medium heat. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer before serving.
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.