How to Make Easy Marinara Sauce

A simple marinara can be paired with many types of pasta.

Jarred spaghetti sauce may seem like a huge time-saver but the truth is, marinara is just as quick and easy to make yourself. Start with canned tomatoes and add your favorite seasonings to doctor it up. You can also add ground beef or turkey to make a meat sauce. If you are making spaghetti and not just the sauce, set the water to boil for the pasta as soon as the sauce is simmering. Both will be ready at the same time. This sauce is also great with breadsticks and on pizza.

Things You'll Need

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 28 ounces whole tomatoes
• 8 ounces salt- free tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Warm the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook about 10 minutes. Stir often to keep the onion and garlic from burning.

2. Add the tomatoes, including the liquid in the can, as well as the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks in the pan, using either two knives in a cross direction or by using clean kitchen scissors.

3. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about 20 to 25 minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are making a pasta meal and not just making the sauce, once you set the sauce to simmer you can then start boiling a pot of salted water for your pasta. The spaghetti should be finished cooking about the same time the sauce is done simmering. You can then drain the pasta and serve topped with the marinara sauce.