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You just can’t compare homemade Italian garlic marinara sauce with any store-bought sauce or tomato-based mixture that comes in a jar or a can. Expect the absolute best flavor when you make your spaghetti sauce using fresh simple ingredients. This tomato-based sauce offers parsley, fennel, bay, and red pepper flavors, along with garlic and onion, and a dash of olive oil. Enjoy it as a dip, as a sauce for pasta or pair it with a juicy steak or even a portion of wedges or breadsticks. Once you taste this, you’ll never want store-bought again!
Blending the flavors of tomato, onion, garlic, herbs, and spices, this Italian garlic marinara sauce is a real treat and can be used as a sauce, dip or condiment.
You might also like to make your own Italian salsa verde, pesto sauce, whole lemon vinaigrette, or creamy blue cheese dressing.
Why You’ll Love It
Packed with flavor: Every bite brings out the sweetness of tomatoes, the boldness of garlic, and the warmth of spices.
So versatile: Use it on pasta, pizza, meatballs, or even as a breadstick dip—it works with everything.
Really easy to make: Just a few ingredients and a saucepan are all you need to create this delicious condiment from scratch.
Marinara Sauce Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
San Marzano tomatoes: These prized Italian tomatoes are naturally sweet and low in acidity, perfect for a smooth sauce.
Tomato paste: Adds depth and richness to the sauce.
Olive oil: Provides a flavorful base for sautéing and boosts richness.
White onion: Adds sweetness and a subtle bite to the sauce.
Garlic: The star ingredient that delivers bold, aromatic flavor.
Salt: Enhances all the other flavors in the sauce.
Dried parsley: Brings a mild, herby note to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
Fennel seeds: Adds a subtle anise-like flavor that deepens the taste.
Red pepper flakes: Offers a gentle heat to elevate the sauce.
Bay leaves: These infuse the sauce with an earthy depth during simmering.
How to Make Garlic Marinara Sauce
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Sauté the aromatics: Heat olive oil and sauté onions and garlic.
Add tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste and cook until slightly browned.
Combine remaining ingredients: Mix in crushed tomatoes, herbs, and spices.
Simmer the sauce: Add bay leaves and simmer.
Finish and serve: Remove the bay leaves and enjoy.
Substitutions and Variations
Use fresh tomatoes: Swap canned for peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes if you prefer.
Make it spicy: Increase the amount of red pepper flakes or add a dash of cayenne.
Add fresh herbs: Stir in fresh basil or oregano at the end for extra freshness.
Make it chunky: Don’t blend for a more rustic texture.
Puttanesca style: If you want more of a puttanesca sauce, throw in some sliced black olives, capers and anchovies, and mix in parsley at the end.
Add wine: Add half a cup of red wine for a hearty flavor.
Serving Suggestions
With chicken: This classic Italian marinara sauce is great with chicken, perhaps chicken mozzarella sticks or Italian stromboli.
With fish: Pair it with pistachio crusted salmon.
As a pasta sauce: Toss cooked pasta with marinara sauce, adding protein (chicken or shrimp perhaps) too.
As a dip: Pair it with chips, toasted bread or vegetable crudites as a dip, perhaps adding a small bowlful to your next charcuterie board.
How to Store Garlic Marinara Sauce
Store: Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container and use within a few days.
Freeze: You can freeze it for up to a couple of months.
Thaw: Defrost it overnight or on the counter for an hour or so.
Top Tips
Make it smooth: If you are making this garlic marinara as a dipping sauce, use an immersion blender to get a smooth sauce which is easier to scoop up with chips.
Use high-quality tomatoes: San Marzano tomatoes really elevate the flavor.
Don’t rush the simmer: Letting it slowly cook melds all the flavors beautifully.
Stir gently: Stir just a few times to avoid breaking the tomatoes down too much.
Italian Marinara Sauce FAQs
I’ve made classic marinara both ways and I actually prefer to use canned. Canned tomatoes are made with fresh tomatoes preserved at the peak of tomato season, and canning keeps the sauce very fresh and keeps all that flavour locked in. Also, they are canned with some salt and that always brings out their flavour. One thing I would say though is make sure you buy good quality San Marzano tomatoes. Your marinara sauce recipe from scratch is only going to be as good as the tomatoes you start it off with.
San Marzano tomatoes are a type of plum tomato. They are thinner than Roma tomatoes and have fewer seeds and a thicker flesh. They are sweeter and stronger than Roma tomatoes with less acidity. Their rich, ripe flavour makes them the ideal candidate for making classic marinara and you won’t find a decent Italian restaurant where these aren’t always in stock!
Garlic Marinara Sauce Recipe
Garlic Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 28 Ounces crushed tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ white onion, diced
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ Teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ Teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a saucepan over medium heat and swirl to coat.
- Next, add diced onions and minced garlic to the pan. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir until combined. Cook to lightly brown the tomato paste, about 2 minutes.
- Next, add crushed tomatoes, salt, parsley, fennel, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes to the saucepan and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and place the bay leaves so they rest on top of the sauce.
- Let sauce simmer for 20 minutes. Be sure to lightly stir 2 to 3 times as it cooks.
- Discard bay leaves.
Notes
Use high-quality tomatoes: San Marzano tomatoes really elevate the flavor.
Don’t rush the simmer: Letting it slowly cook melds all the flavors beautifully.
Stir gently: Stir just a few times to avoid breaking the tomatoes down too much.
Nutrition
There’s nothing quite like the rich, comforting aroma of garlic marinara sauce simmering on the stove. This classic Italian-inspired sauce is a staple for pasta lovers and a delicious base for countless dishes. With layers of flavor from aromatic garlic, sweet San Marzano tomatoes, and a blend of herbs and spices, it’s a versatile and easy-to-make sauce that brings homemade warmth to any meal. Whether you’re topping spaghetti or using it as a pizza base, this garlic marinara sauce won’t disappoint.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
It’s good to have a recipe for classic sauces like this. I am never buying the bottled ones again.
We really enjoyed this last night with our pasta! So flavorful!
This was so tasty. And there’s no such thing as too much garlic! 🙂
My favorite recipe! Love the garlic