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Homemade Marinara made from scratch with simple ingredients
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4.13 from 196 votes

Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe

This homemade Marinara Sauce is made with slowly caramelized onions, garlic, tomatoes and Italian seasoning. These simple ingredients are cooked low and slow for the most rich and flavorful sauce to use for all of your Italian favorites.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time2 hours 40 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 116kcal
Author: The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 large onions white or yellow, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering, then add the onions and baking soda.
  • Stir so they are all coated in the oil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn a deep, rich, golden hue - about 20 minutes.
  • Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic.  Saute until the garlic is golden, or about 3-5 minutes.  
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 
  • After the marinara sauce has cooked, taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly before using immediately. Or, cool completely and store in jars or an airtight container. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Canning: if you want a long-term solution, the best is to can your sauce in canning jars.  You can find canning jars at more grocery stores or department stores.  If you can them properly, they can sit out at room temperature for months!
Freezing: transfer the cooled sauce to freezer bags and freeze flat.  Store frozen for up to 6 months.  Once you are ready to use, thaw out in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature for a few hours, then reheat in a saucepot.

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1420mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 9.3mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1.3mg