Classic Marinara Recipe

Use this homemade marinara for pasta dishes, with my Italian Chicken Meatballs as a dipping sauce or even to create homemade pizza.

The difference between pizza sauce and marinara sauce is cook time. Marinara is a simmered sauce and pizza sauce is traditionally a tomato sauce that is not cooked.

You can easily substitute marinara in the place of pizza sauce and nobody will probably ever know.

An alternative sauce for pizza is pesto.

• Crushed Tomatoes – Although I use canned tomatoes, you can certainly use fresh tomatoes from your garden, just be sure to remove the skin.
• Onion – The onion should be diced to a fine consistency.
• Garlic – I use two large cloves, but you can add more or less.
• Olive Oil
• Granulated Sugar – The sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Dried Basil – You can add some fresh basil at the end, but dried basil works better when you will be simmering the sauce.
• Salt & Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes – Add more or less depending upon how much heat you prefer.
• Water – You can also use chicken broth.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat.

Add garlic cloves and diced onion to the pan. Saute stirring constantly until the onion turns translucent. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the skillet.

Simmer for 20 minutes. Add either water or chicken broth.

You will want the sauce to be thicker for pizza and thinner for pasta. You can control the thickness with water or chicken broth.

This authentic sauce can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or can be frozen for up to 1 year.