Classic Marinara Sauce Recipe (2024)

Just leave your preconceived notions of marinara sauce at the door and make this exactly as presented here. Don't listen to the modifiers. You won't be disappointed and you will NEVER feel the need to modify or tweak.

I have a different opinion especially concerning the use of the basil , to get the most flavor from this unique though fragile herb the secret is not to cook it along the sauce but just at the end when the sauce is done and you are going to pour the pasta , you lay down a top of the plant and you mix it with the whole , the heat will make the herb screaming out its taste and flavor , better , perfum ! That is the way to take the maximum from our most distinguished herb.

I suggest avoiding a cast iron skillet. The acidic tomatoes can pull a metallic taste into the sauce.

I am Italian and this is so right.

Whom ever thinks that one should cook without salt is the one who has no idea how to cook, especially, especially the tomato sauce. Tomatoes are acidic and if cooked without salt acidity will be the only flavor. Salt helps to mellow the acidic flavor.

When I lived in Italy I was taught a similar sauce with onion instead of garlic. You cooked the onion with the chili flakes until the edges started to color slightly then you add a 1/2 cup of wine, cooked it off a minute or two and added tomatoes water and basil just the same as the recipe above. It's a lovely quick sauce and I love both versions

My wife is Sicilian and she puts these same ingredients into a crock pot in the morning (on low). By the end of the day it's truly amazing. Have to make sure crock pot's setting is really low else burns.

This recipe was flawless. I followed it almost exactly. I doubled it, but used a normal sized skillet, so it took more like 40 minutes to thicken. Couldn't fit a whole can of water in so just used half. Added a shake of black pepper. Went with the fresh basil and not the oregano option. Seriously this was the best marinara sauce of my life.

Also great if you like puttanesca: Add 1/4 cup drained capers, 1/2 cup dried and cured olives, chopped fine, 3 anchovie fillets, chopped fine. Top with a big handful of chopped parsley, integrate parsley in sauce for 2 minutes, and voila! Do not use salt with this recipe.

An absolute must is to use San Marzano DOP dell'agro Sarnese Nocerino canned tomatoes which must have a certification on the can(they cost more,but it is not filet mignon),otherwise your canned tomatoes could come from anywhere.Invest in a tomato mill,the cost is about $25 for stainless steel,just pour canned tomatoes in,stir and in a few minutes all the seeds are eliminated.Seeds and skin make a tomato sauce bitter.All tomato sauces and ragù freeze perfectly so make big batches and freeze.

Made this for the first time and followed it to the letter. I used Centro San Marasano whole tomatoes. Will never eat jarred supermarket sauce again. I made Italian sausages with it and it was quite the treat!

My Mom grew up in Naples and this is the real deal. It's my go to sauce for pizza, pasta, lasagna, gnocchi! I double, even triple the recipe and save some in the freezer. Use San Marzano, there is a difference!

A teaspoon of kosher salt is not "WAAAAY too much salt!" That much salt will not overpower the flavors. You should not have to "salt to taste" at the table.

Quite good, but I simmered the tomatoes for at least 45 min to get the consistency and flavor I wanted.

The only thing I modified was adding a teaspoon of sugar to the tomatoes. Perfect. The tomatoes cook down beautifully, but it takes a little longer than 25 minutes.

I just attempted this sauce and it looks like an oily glob of tomatoes and garlic. Is it supposed to be like this? Did I do something wrong? Some people say simmer longer, some people say absolutely do not. I did double the recipe, making it 1/2 cup olive oil. Was that too much?

Anyone use fresh basil and dried oregano?

Truly the most perfect marinara sauce I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe exactly, as I always do the first time I make a (new to me) recipe. I used the basil (no oregano since it was written as an “or” or “if desired.”)Many times the simplest thing is the best thing and this recipe is no exception. Just perfect. No changes needed. I used this for my husband’s birthday meal of manicotti made with crespelle. Divine. ⭐️

Added 1/4 tsp sugar after 10 minutes.

Have been making this for years with fresh (or usually Boiled, iced, peeled and then frozen fresh and later defrosted/thawed) tomatoes and will never quit. It's the best!

When prepared according to the recipe this sauce is way too watery! Not thick and flavorful at all. Minus the additional water it MIGHT be OK...

Wonderful as it is, but also adaptable to my palate. A little bit of sugar, or a half cup deep red wine and half cup water sloshed in the tomato can instead of just water.

Mama Mia!!!! This recipe is so yummy. My family loved it. I used it in making Chicken Parm for the first time. Totally a keeper . . . and did I mention super easy to make. note: use qualtiy tomatoes :)

Followed instructions exactly for my double batch, including "slivering" 14 cloves of garlic into little matchsticks - this was new to me. Is cutting the garlic in this time-consuming way important to the outcome, or could one just chop willy-nilly as usual? Either way, this little recipe surprised me, it was the perfect simple marinara I was dreaming of. A KEEPER. Viva Italia and grazie Lidia.

Came out delicious! Will double the recipe next time :)

I was craving pasta and simple red sauce on a day when we are snowed in at home. So I used what we had in the cupboards. I didn't have fresh basil, but next time I will. It is a wonderful sauce, and I agree with many others here. Don't mess around with it--at least on the first go-round, which this was for me. Then if you feel like adding and subtracting, by all means, do.

I love this sauce! Quick, easy and delicious!I add the garlic to the cold oil and heat them together before adding the tomatoes. It tastes just the same without risking the splatter.

Instead of squishing the tomatoes by hands I added them whole and just squished them with the back of my spoon as they were cooking as not to create another dish to wash. I only added about a half can of additional liquid and let simmer 10 additional minutes, it was absolutely divine.