Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe

I share my Quick Homemade Marinara Sauce made in the crock pot with one surprising pantry trick and a how to recipe video in the post.

I never thought a slow cooker could turn canned crushed tomatoes and a few garlic cloves into something that actually competed with nonna’s sauce, but it does. I kept tweaking it until friends started calling it the Best Marinara Sauce, and yes I made a Quick Homemade Marinara Sauce version for weeknights that still tastes like you simmered all day.

There’s a how to recipe video in the post if you want to see me mess up, taste, adjust and actually succeed. I’m not perfect, sometimes I add too much spice, but that just makes it more interesting, right?

Ingredients

• Crushed tomatoes: Rich in vitamin C and lycopene adds acidity, body, and natural sweetness.
• Tomato paste: Concentrated tomato flavor, boosts depth and sweetness without extra liquid.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Provides healthy fats silky texture and helps flavors bloom.
• Garlic: Strong savory kick, trace vitamins, low calories, mellows with cooking.
• Onion: Adds natural sweetness and fiber it builds savory depth when caramelized.
• Fresh basil: Bright herb aroma small antioxidants finishes sauce with fresh lift.
• Sugar: Tiny bit cuts acidity adds simple carbs balances tomatoes.
• Bay leaves: Imparts subtle herbal aroma negligible nutrients deepens savory complexity.
• Red pepper flakes: Adds heat and tiny antioxidants can raise perceived flavor without sodium.

Ingredient Quantities

• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, optional

How to Make this

1. Heat the 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the finely chopped onion and cook until translucent and soft, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t burn.

2. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant, then stir in the 6 ounce can of tomato paste and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, scraping and browning the paste a little to deepen the flavor.

3. Transfer the browned onion, garlic and tomato paste to your crock pot, then pour in the two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes and give it a good stir.

4. Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, the 2 bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if you like heat, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, stir to combine.

5. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 2 to 3 hours. If you want the best flavor set it on low, it’s worth the wait.

6. Stir once or twice while it cooks and check after a few hours, taste and adjust salt or sugar if it tastes too acidic, little adjustments make a big difference.

7. If you prefer a smoother sauce use an immersion blender right in the crock pot for a few pulses, or leave it chunky if you like texture. Remove the bay leaves before blending or serving.

8. In the last 10 to 15 minutes stir in the 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves if using, this gives the sauce a bright fresh finish.

9. Serve over pasta, use for pizza or store in airtight containers in the fridge up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Equipment Needed

1. Large skillet or sauté pan, for softening onion and browning tomato paste
2. Crock pot / slow cooker, for the long, slow simmer
3. Chef’s knife, sharp, for chopping onion, garlic and tearing basil
4. Cutting board, sturdy
5. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, for stirring and scraping browned paste
6. Can opener, for the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste
7. Measuring spoons and 1/4 cup measuring cup, for spices, sugar and oil
8. Immersion blender (optional) or regular blender, if you want a smoother sauce
9. Ladle or large serving spoon, for portioning and stirring while it cooks
10. Airtight containers or freezer bags, for storing leftovers

FAQ

Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Crushed tomatoes: canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand or pulsed in a blender; tomato passata for a smoother finish; fire roasted diced tomatoes, blended for a smokier note; fresh Roma tomatoes, peeled, chopped and simmered down until saucy.
• Tomato paste: use 2-3 tbsp strained canned tomato sauce reduced until thick; 1/4 cup ketchup in a pinch for sweetness and tang; or simmer 1/3 cup extra crushed tomatoes until concentrated to mimic paste. remember paste is concentrated so taste as you go.
• Yellow onion: swap with finely chopped shallot for a milder sweeter flavor; or use a small sweet onion; or the white part of leeks, sliced and cooked longer to soften. cook until translucent so they mellow.
• Fresh basil leaves: 1 tsp dried basil (add earlier in cooking); 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley plus a pinch of oregano for herb complexity; or a few torn baby spinach leaves for color if you dont have basil.

Pro Tips

1) Brown the tomato paste and onions longer than you think, it gives real depth and takes the canned taste away. Just watch it so it dont burn, scrape the browned bits into the pot, those bits are flavor gold.

2) Boost the umami with a Parmesan rind, or a teaspoon of soy or Worcestershire while it simmers, you wont taste them as separate flavors but the sauce will feel richer and more complex.

3) Fix acidity near the end not the start, a pinch of sugar helps but sometimes a splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of lemon wakes it up better. Taste often, salt late, because salt concentrates as it cooks.

4) For texture and storage: pulse a few times with an immersion blender if you want smoothness, or stir in a little butter or cream at the end for silkiness. Cool completely before freezing, portion flat in zip top bags so they thaw quick and stack easy.