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Home » Recipes & Tips » Homemade Marinara Sauce

Homemade Marinara Sauce

07/25/16 | Main Dish, Recipes & Tips

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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! #marinara #homemadesauce #marinarasauce #pasta #marinarapasta #sausagepasta #fromscratch #italiancooking #italian

 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!

The Best Homemade Marinara Sauce!

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.

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.

The Best Homemade Marinara Sauce!

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.

The Best Homemade Marinara Sauce!

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.

The Best Homemade Marinara Sauce!

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

  1. In a medium pot or dutch oven, heat oil until shimmering.
  2. Sauté onion until translucent. Add the herbs and salt and cook a minute or two longer.
  3. Pour in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. I just fill the empty tomato paste can up with water.
  4. Place the whole carrot in the sauce.
  5. 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.
  6. Stir occasionally to make sure it isn’t burning.
  7. When finished cooking, remove the carrot and taste to adjust seasonings.

Crockpot/Slow Cooker Directions

  1. In a sauté pan, heat oil until shimmering.
  2. Sauté onion until translucent. Add the herbs and salt and cook a minute or two longer.
  3. Pour crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and water into the slow cooker. I just fill the empty tomato paste can up with water.
  4. Add the onion and herb mixture. Stir to combine.
  5. Add the carrot.
  6. 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.

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Crock pot insert filled with homemade marinara sauce.
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Best Homemade Marinara Sauce

This homemade marinara sauce is easy to make in the crock pot and tastes better than anything you could buy at the store! How-to recipe video in the post!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword best marinara sauce recipe, homemade marinara, marinara sauce recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 93kcal
Author Longbourn Farm • Alli Kelley
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Equipment

  • Redmond Real Salt

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces crushed tomatoes 2 cans
  • 6 ounces tomato paste 1 small can
  • 6 ounces water fill the tomato paste can up with water
  • 1 carrot whole
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped fine
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • meat of your choice optional, see note for instructions
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • 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.

Video

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Notes

The carrot is added to the sauce to tone down the acidity of the tomatoes. If you don’t have a carrot, you can substitute adding 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. How much you use will depend on the canned product you use, or if you use fresh tomatoes.
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, 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.
If you’d like to use fresh herbs, omit adding any during the sauté step. Instead, chop them up finely and add them when the sauce is finished cooking, right before serving. Use double the amount of dried herbs listed in the recipe except for oregano. Fresh oregano can be overpowering, so add it sparingly and then taste to adjust.
I like to cook my sauce in the crockpot on low for about 4 hours but you can leave it in the crockpot for up to 8.
If you’re cooking it on the stovetop or in the oven, be sure to check it frequently at the beginning of the cooking time to make sure the heat is correct and nothing is burning or getting to hot. Cook it for at least 1 hour this way, up to 4 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 577mg | Potassium: 687mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2375IU | Vitamin C: 18.6mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2.8mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @longbournfarm or tag #longbournfarm!

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Comments | 42 comments

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Comments

  1. Tracy says

    January 14, 2022 at 1:29 PM

    5 stars
    I really liked this! I sautéed the onions, carrot and added garlic then the herbs. Added the water and emulsified it. Then added the rest. While cooking I emulsified everything making it a smooth marinara. It’s still cooking… the flavors are great! Great recipe😁

    Reply
    • Alli says

      January 16, 2022 at 10:54 AM

      Glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  2. Swash🏴‍☠️B says

    January 2, 2022 at 5:34 AM

    Instead of onions I the sauté a soffritto (finely chopped onion, carrots and celery. Then brown the tomato paste in the soffritto to bring out all that beautiful concentrated flavor. I also like to use dry red wine instead of water to rinse out the can. 😉

    Reply
  3. Jasmine says

    July 24, 2020 at 3:57 PM

    5 stars
    I made the meatless version. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of using a carrot- I substituted sugar instead. I froze in silicone tray and thaw as needed for pizza and pasta! It is so good. Doubt I’ll use jar marinara again!

    Reply
    • Alli says

      July 27, 2020 at 11:36 AM

      So glad you liked it, Jasmine!

      Reply
  4. Vanessa says

    March 26, 2020 at 8:03 PM

    5 stars
    How long will this last if put in a Mason jar in the refrigerator?? It tastes AMAZING!!

    Reply
    • Alli says

      March 27, 2020 at 9:22 PM

      It will keep for about a week! So glad you like it.

      Reply
  5. Erica Schwarz says

    October 31, 2019 at 4:08 PM

    5 stars
    I love your recipe! I have made this for large church suppers because homemade marinara is lightyears better than anything at the grocery store.

    Reply
    • Alli says

      November 3, 2019 at 10:00 PM

      So happy to hear this, Erica!!! Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Taylor says

    October 31, 2019 at 2:51 PM

    5 stars
    This marinara is so flavorful and delicious! Tastes so fresh!

    Reply
    • Alli says

      November 3, 2019 at 10:01 PM

      Thank you, Taylor!!

      Reply
  7. Gina says

    August 5, 2019 at 6:39 PM

    I love your sauce and it is almost identical to my mom’s. She would use fresh herbs and garlic. No onions. Also she used to grind her blanch her tomatoes in a food mill to remove the seeds and skin and puree the tomatoes.

    Are the pictures you use your own or are they linked from other sources. I would love to use them in a family cookbook.

    Reply
    • Alli says

      August 5, 2019 at 10:56 PM

      I’m glad you like the recipe, Gina! Thank you! The photos are mine, feel free to email me at alli@longbournfarm.com for more information on image licensing.

      Reply
  8. Cc says

    July 23, 2019 at 11:04 AM

    I always put a carrot in my sauce. But I’m the one who eats it! If you don’t like bits of onion in the sauce just add a whole onion then you can take it out after sauce is done.

    Reply
    • Alli says

      July 23, 2019 at 10:36 PM

      Great tip!! Thanks CC!

      Reply
  9. Vanessa says

    June 13, 2019 at 1:39 PM

    Thanks for sharing! Does it freeze well?

    Reply
    • Alli says

      June 13, 2019 at 7:14 PM

      Yes! I freeze this all the time.

      Reply
  10. Suzanne says

    June 13, 2019 at 1:38 PM

    This looks good! I bet the carrot adds some nice subtle sweetness!

    Reply
    • Alli says

      June 13, 2019 at 7:14 PM

      It sure does! Thanks, Suzanne!

      Reply
  11. Steve Barker says

    May 16, 2019 at 5:57 PM

    Q. Can this sauces be put on pizza ? The ingredients look great and I look forward
    to making your recipe . SB

    Reply
    • Alli says

      May 16, 2019 at 9:29 PM

      Hi Steve! Yes, you can definitely use this on pizza. We do that frequently with leftovers! I also freeze 1/4 cup portions for using on pizza later.

      Reply
  12. Ralph topete says

    April 18, 2019 at 11:35 AM

    4 stars
    Goodmorning everybody, this recipe is really good my kids loved it especially my son. I did two things to this recipe 1st instead of carrots i used sugar and second while i had the onions and garlic going i added about a pinch or two of crush peppers to give it abit of spicey kick flavor. The choice of protien i used is ground Italian sausage. I gotta say i attended Le Cardon bleu and we made pizza sauce and marinera sauce but this one here is way better. Its simple and easy.

    Reply
    • Alli says

      April 20, 2019 at 9:34 PM

      So glad to hear you liked it, Ralph!! Love your addition of crushed red pepper.

      Reply
  13. Susan says

    November 7, 2018 at 11:29 AM

    Is this enough for a lasagna?

    Reply
    • Alli says

      November 7, 2018 at 11:39 AM

      Hi Susan! Yes, it is enough for lasagna. If you’d like a recipe specific for lasagna, you can find mine here!

      Reply
  14. Valerie says

    September 18, 2018 at 11:15 AM

    When using fresh tomatoes is there a way to get the seeds out of the tomato? Or is it normal to just leave them in?

    Reply
    • Alli says

      September 20, 2018 at 2:23 PM

      You can just squeeze them out actually! I cut them in half and just squeeze out the seeds if I don’t want the seeds. You can leave them in too if you want.

      Reply
  15. Angela says

    August 11, 2018 at 3:49 PM

    5 stars
    Can you can this sauce

    Reply
    • Alli says

      August 13, 2018 at 12:28 PM

      Hi Angela! I’ve never canned this sauce but I’m sure it would be great.

      Reply
  16. Tammy says

    June 23, 2018 at 6:08 AM

    Does this recipe mean (2) 12 oz cans or (2) 24 oz cans??

    Reply
    • Alli says

      June 23, 2018 at 7:13 AM

      24 ounces total, which is two 12 ounce cans. Hope that helps! I’ll make that direction more clear in the recipe, thanks!

      Reply
      • Tammy says

        June 23, 2018 at 7:29 AM

        Thank you!! I’m making this tomorrow ???? I’m going to put it over manicotti!!!!

        Reply
  17. Tammy says

    June 22, 2018 at 8:20 PM

    What? No garlic?? ????

    Reply
    • Alli says

      June 23, 2018 at 7:11 AM

      Hi Tammy, garlic and onions usually aren’t present together in traditional Italian sauce recipes. While I don’t claim that any of my recipes are authentic Italian, all of the American-Italian dishes I share are recipes that have been passed down through three generations – straight from Italy so they tend to loosely follow that guideline. You can definitely add garlic if you wanted too.

      Reply
  18. Heather says

    April 28, 2018 at 8:32 PM

    Can I do this in a regular medium sauce pan?
    I have a large crockpot that is bigger than the one pictured on this website.
    I think this looks delicious.

    Reply
    • Alli says

      April 30, 2018 at 5:54 AM

      Hi Heather, yes a medium saucepan should be fine. Thanks!

      Reply
  19. Janee says

    April 2, 2018 at 5:07 PM

    Hi, I would love to use your recipe for chicken meatballs! I would like to cook it in the crockpot. Should I add the meatballs after the marinara sauce has cooked on low for a few hours? Or should I cook it all at the same time in the crockpot? Thanks for your help!

    Reply
    • Alli says

      April 2, 2018 at 8:27 PM

      Add the meatballs when there are 2 hours left of cooking time (on low) in the crockpot. They should turn out perfect that way! Meatballs usually hold together better if you brown them in the oven before adding them. I hope that helps Janee!

      Reply
      • Anonymous says

        April 2, 2018 at 10:51 PM

        Awesome! Thank you

        Reply
  20. Sammi Windley says

    December 30, 2017 at 7:15 PM

    5 stars
    I never thought about putting a carrot into the sauce, but I’m hooked now!

    Reply

Trackbacks

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    July 6, 2022 at 1:19 AM

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Hi, Friend!


Alli Kelley is an Agriculture focused entrepreneur. She runs a successful food blog, a consulting and coaching business, and all the social media connected with an online presence.

She also owns and operates a small, diversified farmstead where she enjoys home improvement projects, experimenting in the garden, creating profitable mini businesses on the farm, and of course, riding her big grey horse, Zane.
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