HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE (QUICK + EASY)
Homemade vegan Marinara Sauce is an easy to make tomato sauce perfect for topping on your favorite pasta or using in any recipe calling for jarred pasta sauce!
Meet my new favorite vegan pasta sauce – it’s a simple base of crushed tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano, and takes less than 30 minutes!
This easy, back to basics, homemade marinara sauce will be your new favorite go-to recipe for everything from pasta, pizza and spaghetti squash!
It’s quick and easy, and ready in as little as 20 minutes using pantry staples that you probably have on hand for a delicious sauce everyone will love!
Ingredients You’ll Need
In this recipe, garlic is sauteed and simmered with tomatoes and spices for a hearty and flavorful vegan pasta sauce.
Here is what you’ll need:
- Tomatoes – Use crushed or whole, peeled tomatoes. Crushed tomatoes are perfect for me, but if you like a little chunkier sauce use whole peeled tomatoes and break them down during cooking.
- Garlic – 3 cloves of garlic works for us, but you can use as much as you like.
- Basil – I’ve used fresh, but dried works too as noted in the recipe card.
- Oregano – use dried or fresh.
- Olive oil – you will use just enough to saute the garlic, feel free to make this oil free using a water saute.
- Red pepper flakes – adds a little kick of heat, optional.
- Salt + pepper – to taste.
How To Make Homemade Marinara Sauce
(Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post)
- Saute the garlic.
- Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, pinch of red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, bring to a gentle boil, turn down heat to low and simmer for 15 – 40 minutes.
And that’s it – easy, peasy! And now your marinara sauce is ready to use.
Top Tips
- Let it simmer. If you have time, let it simmer for 40 minutes!
- Make ahead. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled and stored for later use in the refrigerator or freezer.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
- Freezer: This homemade marinara sauce is freezer friendly and can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer safe containers (affiliate link), leaving 1/2 inch head space for expansion. Let thaw before reheating. You can also freeze larger portions in large freezer-ziploc bags.
- Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Alternately, reheat in the microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals, stirring after each, until warm.
Serving Suggestions
This savory sauce can be used anywhere pasta sauce or tomato sauce is called for. Here are some of my favorite ways to use this vegan pasta sauce:
- Use in this Vegetable Vegan Lasagna or Simple Vegan Manicotti.
- It’s great with this Spaghetti and Italian Vegan Meatballs.
- Top it on this Spaghetti Squash with Sausage, Peppers and Onions.
- Use it in this Eggplant Puttanesca or your favorite puttanesca recipe.
- Use it as a dipping sauce for breadsticks and vegan calzones.
- Use it as a pizza sauce for this Mediterranean Pizza or Pineapple Veggie Lovers Pizza.
More Easy Sauce Recipes
- Eggplant Puttanesca
- Creamy Pumpkin Sauce + Zucchini Noodles
- Pasta & Peas + Romesco Sauce
- Pizza Pie + Balsamic Tomato Sauce
- Avocado-Cucumber Sauce + Zucchini Noodles
If you try this easy marinara sauce recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintHOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE (QUICK + EASY)
This vegan Marinara Sauce is an easy to make tomato sauce perfect for topping on your favorite pasta or using in any recipe calling for jarred pasta sauce, and takes less than 30 minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 - 6 1x
- Category: Condiment, Sauce
- Method: stovetop, simmer
- Cuisine: Vegan, Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or 3 tablespoons water
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28oz.) tomatoes (crushed or whole, peeled)
- 3 tablespoons basil, chopped
- 1 heaping teaspoon oregano
- pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
- salt + pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a medium pot, add oil or water, and saute garlic for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, optional red pepper flakes and salt + pepper, bring to a gentle boil, turn down heat to low and simmer 15 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Makes about 3 cups.
Serves 4 – 6
Notes
For a chunky marinara sauce, use whole peeled tomatoes, breaking them up as you cook.
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Thank you for such a simple quick recipe Julie! My sauce was a touch acidic for my taste so I added a teaspoon of blackstrap molasses; perfect! Looking forward to more of your magic! Mark, Melbourne Australia
Thank you so much, Julie! You mention pureeing; I don’t see that in the recipe; can you point me to it? Just use an immersion blender?
Yes, you are correct! Since the recipe calls for crushed tomatoes and doesn’t need to be pureed, you will want to puree your mixture a bit. An immersion blender should be fine if the pan used to cook the mixture has high enough walls so you can tilt the pot to puree if needed, while being careful to burn yourself or spill the sauce. A regular blender will do fine too.
My kids and I really like this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
What is the serving size or is the nutritional facts based on all 3 cups? I’m going to try it this weekend!
Great question, Ali! A serving size is 1/2 cup, and the nutritional information shown is per serving size. I updated the nutrition card with the serving size. Enjoy the sauce!
I tried this recipe today and love it. Super simple and tasty. Thank you for including the dry herb options and info about freezing leftover sauce.
Hi!
Do you drain the water from the can of tomatoes or just put it all in together?
Thank you I love your stuff!
No need to drain. You can use the whole can – tomatoes and juices. Enjoy!
Can I use dried basil if fresh is not available during off season?
Yes, you can sub fresh basil with dried, use 1 – 2 teaspoons of dried basil. Add more to taste.
Does this amount work best with 8 oz. or 16 oz. of spaghetti?
It depends on how you like it. If you prefer it to be very saucy, use 8 ounces of pasta. Using 16 ounces of pasta will yield a lightly coated pasta. For in between, I recommend using 12 ounces. Hope that helps!
Can I use fresh tomatoes? If so how many, and would I have to dice them up?
Yes, use can dice up and use 10 – 12 fresh tomatoes for this recipe. Do let us know how it goes!
Hi, Julie! How many/what weight do you recommend for substituting cherry tomatoes (vs. regular tomatoes)? We have a bumper crop this year, and I don’t want them to go to waste! If you have other recipes I could use then in, do tell! Thank you!
Great question, Elizabeth! I suggest using 28oz. of tomatoes, no matter the size, in this recipe if you’d like to substitute using canned tomatoes for fresh. I love the idea of using fresh tomatoes. They may take a bit longer to cook compared to canned, but it can be done. Here are all my recipes that use tomatoes, in varying amounts.Enjoy your harvest! :)
Thanks so much, Julie! Great to know about your other recipes with fresh tomatoes; you are a dear for pointing me in their direction! I just realized with the marinara recipe: Would I need to peel the cherry tomatoes? That might just be my breaking point for patience with from-scratch recipes! ;-)
No need to peel the tomatoes. They should soften enough and break down when pureeing the mixture at the end. Enjoy!