Homemade Marinara Sauce

Published: Jul 25, 2016 · Modified: Apr 9, 2025 by Melissa Griffiths · This post may contain affiliate links · 43 Comments

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This homemade marinara sauce is easy to make in the crockpot and tastes better than anything you could buy at the store! How-to recipe video in the post!

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I am so excited to share the best homemade marinara sauce with you! This week is going to be pasta themed, and I'm so excited to share these classic recipes with you! I am half Italian, and while I don't claim to make authentic Italian cuisine, my Italian heritage runs deep on my mother's side of the family and cooking of all kinds has always been intertwined with that heritage.

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The Best Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe

This homemade marinara sauce recipe is one that I have been making forever, my mother has been making forever, and her mother has been making forever. I'm sure my grandmother learned it from her grandmother and so on. I think we all make it a little differently and it never turns out the same, but that's why it's always amazing. It's the perfect recipe to kick off this pasta themed week!

The other great thing about this homemade marinara sauce is it can be transformed into a meat sauce in a second, that's the version I had made up when I snapped these photos, and I'll explain how easy it is to make that variation a little later.

First things first, the secret to the sauce is in how long you cook it {this is great in the crock pot! - details in the recipe}. The longer and slower it cooks, the better it is. It's even great if you make it a day in advance, put it in the fridge overnight, and then reheat it the next day.

I'm telling you, the secret to good pasta is always in the sauce. When my mother or grandmother makes this homemade marinara sauce, we don't say we are having pasta for dinner. We all say we are having sauce for dinner! We are all pretty passionate about our food.

I will never forget the first time I made this sauce for Andy's family. We were on a family trip, we had only been married for about 4 months, and it was actually my first time ever cooking for them. I always mix a little sauce into the pasta to keep it from sticking and then let people serve themselves.

Well.

I had made a huge batch of sauce and pretty much it was all still there when dinner was over. Additionally, I found out later that everyone was grossed out I had mixed some sauce with the pasta. To top it all off, Andy's brother piled the pasta on his plate, dumped some sauce on it, and then SMOTHERED it in ranch dressing.

My Italian blood was boiling and I think all my dead Italian ancestors rolled over in their graves. HA! Those are some funny memories. Needless to say, I learned a few lessons about cooking for the in-laws.

Anyways, this homemade marinara sauce is always my go-to recipe, whether I'm cooking for my family or a crowd. It's so good, I've given out this recipe more times than I can count!

I do have a hard time giving exact measurements for this marinara sauce, so this is pretty close to what I do when I make it. The beauty of cooking is learning what you like and adjusting from there, so make it according to the recipe a few times and then alter it a little to your taste.

To make it into a meat sauce, I brown some ground beef or sausage or both before sautéing the onions. When it's almost browned, I sauté the onions, add the herbs, and continue on with the recipe.

Additionally, if you have some sausage links {used in this photo shoot!}, a chicken breast, a pork chop, really anything you can just stick that whole in the sauce after it's prepared and let it cook away. After it's done, I remove the meat, roughly chop it, and serve it with the sauce. It's really up to you.

In the recipe I use canned crushed tomatoes, you can use plain tomato sauce or homemade crushed tomatoes. I love using fresh tomatoes from the garden! You'll want to blanch them, then peel them, then crush them or grind them. An immersion blender works really well for that job.

Homemade Marinara Sauce Ingredients

Crushed tomatoes
Tomato paste
Water
Carrot
Olive oil
Onion
Basil
Parsley
Oregano
Salt
Meat of your choice

How to make Homemade Marinara Sauce

Stovetop Directions

In a medium pot or dutch oven, heat oil until shimmering.
Sauté onion until translucent. Add the herbs and salt and cook a minute or two longer.
Pour in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. I just fill the empty tomato paste can up with water.
Place the whole carrot in the sauce.
Cook on low for at least an hour, preferably longer, up to two hours. You can simmer a pot on very low on the stovetop, or put it on the middle rack in a 275 degree F oven.
Stir occasionally to make sure it isn't burning.
When finished cooking, remove the carrot and taste to adjust seasonings.

Crockpot/Slow Cooker Directions

In a sauté pan, heat oil until shimmering.
Sauté onion until translucent. Add the herbs and salt and cook a minute or two longer.
Pour crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and water into the slow cooker. I just fill the empty tomato paste can up with water.
Add the onion and herb mixture. Stir to combine.
Add the carrot.
Cook on low up to 8 hours or high for up to 4 hours. Stir occasionally.

How to serve Homemade Marinara

My favorite way to serve homemade marinara sauce is over my favorite pasta. It's great with my Homemade Italian Meatballs or for dipping my Italian Herb and Cheese Bread.

How to store this Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe

Homemade marinara sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Best Marinara Sauce Recipe FAQ

How do you thicken marinara sauce?

The best way to thicken marinara sauce is to simmer it on low until it's slightly thickened. Another way to thicken the sauce is to add a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese.

What is the difference between marinara sauce and spaghetti sauce?

Typically spaghetti sauce is the same as marinara sauce. The recipes might vary slightly but both are tomato based.

Is marinara sauce just tomato sauce?

No, marinara sauce is not the same as tomato sauce. Tomato sauce is usually just pureed tomatoes without any seasoning. Marinara sauce has herbs and other flavorings added to it with vegetables, like the recipe here.