Today we’re going to show you how to prepare a basic pasta sauce from Italian cuisine. It’s marinara sauce, which has nothing to do with the sea or seafood. It’s not a seafood sauce like the one for clams marinara, but rather the classic marinara sauce.
Its name comes from the fact that it was the sauce Neapolitan sailors prepared for their pasta.
This sauce is based on tomatoes and basil, although it also includes onion, garlic, salt, and pepper as key ingredients. It’s a classic from southern Italy, and its popularity has spread worldwide because it’s incredibly delicious.
Marinara sauce mixed with pasta, bursting with the aroma of fresh basil in every bite, is almost addictive. Besides pasta, you can also mix it with white rice and add some fried eggs, or use it as a pizza base. Try these recipes—you won’t forget them.
Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe
Recipe Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Preparation Time | 5 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings | 2 cups (approximately 32 tablespoons) |
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Extra virgin olive oil, water, or vegetable broth | 1–2 tablespoons |
| Garlic, chopped | 4 cloves |
| Onion, chopped | ½ onion |
| Canned tomatoes | 1 can (810 g / 28 oz) |
| Tomato paste (optional) | 2 tablespoons |
| Dried oregano | 1 tablespoon |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Ground black pepper | ⅛ teaspoon |
| Fresh basil leaves | 6 leaves |
Instructions
Step 1
Pour the oil, water, or broth into a pot and, when hot, add the garlic and onion. Sauté over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add more oil, water, or broth if needed.
Step 2
Add the remaining ingredients—canned tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and oregano—except for the fresh basil.
Stir and cook over medium-high heat for:
- 10 minutes with the lid on.
- Another 10 minutes with the lid off over medium heat.
Step 3
Add the fresh basil leaves, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 4
You can eat it immediately or let it cool and store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Some people make preserves and keep them for the whole year, but I haven’t personally tried that method, so I can’t say how long ours would last.
We usually serve it with pasta, but it can also be used in many other dishes such as:
- Pasta
- Pizza
- Lasagna
- Meatballs
- Stuffed eggplant
- Stews
- Dips
Video Guide 📺
Nutritional Facts
| Nutrient | Amount per Tablespoon |
|---|---|
| Calories | 16 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 2.6 g |
| Protein | 0.7 g |
| Fat | 0.5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 122 mg |
| Fiber | 0.9 g |
| Sugar | 1.6 g |