Classic Marinara Sauce

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Last Updated on September 22, 2020 by Lisa Johnson

Italian food has become a huge part of the American culture. Lasagna, Spaghetti, and Chicken Parmesan have become family favorites, and all start with a Classic Marinara Sauce. We all know that with a good sauce as your base, the possibilities are endless! Today we are making this traditional sauce with canned tomatoes and dried herbs that are simmered to perfection…..

It takes a little over an hour to create this sauce, so let’s get started.

How to make Classic Marinara Sauce:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute…..

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes…..

Place the whole tomatoes into a food processor or blend and puree until smooth…..

Pour into the tomato paste mixture…..

Add the basil, oregano, sugar, parsley and bay leaves…..

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for one hour…..

Keep an eye on the the sauce so it doesn’t burn or cook down too much. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve…..

I used my Classic Marinara Sauce to make this delicious Baked Eggplant Parmesan. If not using immediately, pour into a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days…..

This jar was only used to take the photos, you will need a container/jar that will hold 5 to 6 cups of sauce. 🙂

more delicious recipes using this sauce:

• Chicken Parmesan
• Gluten-free Eggplant Parmesan
• Instant Pot Lasagna
• Instant Pot Spaghetti
• Pasta for a Crowd

What is your favorite dish that uses Marinara Sauce?

Enjoy!!

Classic Marinara Sauce

Everyone needs a good Classic Marinara Sauce recipe, and this is it!

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Course: Condiment, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: sauce, tomato, recipe, italian, classic

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 Cups

Calories: 115kcal

Author: Lisa Johnson

1/21x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup diced yellow onions
• 3 large cloves garlic minced
• 6 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 20 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes (pureed)
• 2 Tablespoons dried Italian parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 2 Tablespoons sugar*
• 2 bay leaves
• sea salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

• Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven.
• Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook for two minutes.
• Place whole tomatoes into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add to the pot with the parsley, basil, oregano, sugar and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for one hour.

Notes

*the sugar is used to remove the "tinny" taste when using canned tomatoes. Adjust according to your own tastes.

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 318mg | Potassium: 459mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 440IU | Vitamin C: 17.5mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg