How To Make Marinara Sauce from Scratch
Craving a rich, hearty marinara sauce that tastes like it came straight from an Italian kitchen? This homemade sauce bursts with ripe tomato sweetness, savory garlic, and fresh basil. Follow along, and you’ll have a versatile sauce that you can use in so many ways.
One summer, our tomato plants went a little wild. Before I knew it, I had baskets of ripe tomatoes covering every inch of my kitchen counter. I gave some away, but there were still more than we could ever eat fresh.
That’s when I started making batch after batch of marinara sauce—turns out, it’s the perfect way to turn a tomato overload into something we can enjoy all year long.
This recipe makes a small batch—about 2 pints—perfect if you just want enough for a couple of meals. But it’s easy to scale up if you have more tomatoes on hand or want to stock your pantry. We’ve also included simple canning instructions so you can preserve larger batches and enjoy homemade marinara sauce anytime.
There’s a unique sense of accomplishment in lining up jars of homemade sauce, knowing each one holds the fresh taste of summer tomatoes ready for a quick meal. It’s a feeling of pride in your culinary skills and resourcefulness.
Looking for more simple canning recipes to use up your garden harvest? Try our zesty Bread and butter pickles.
Ingredients for Marinara Sauce
- Tomatoes – The base of the sauce, providing fresh, natural sweetness and rich tomato flavor.
- Olive Oil – Used to sauté the onion and garlic.
- Onion – Brings a mild sweetness and savory balance to the sauce.
- Garlic – Infuses the sauce with a warm, aromatic kick.
- Tomato Paste – Deepens the tomato taste and thickens the sauce.
- Herbs & Spices (Parsley, Oregano, Basil, Salt, Pepper) – Layer in freshness, aroma, and a classic Italian flavor profile.
- Red Wine (optional) – Adds richness and complexity to the sauce.
- Citric Acid or Bottled Lemon Juice (for canning) – Ensures safe acidity levels for long-term storage.
Prepare The Tomatoes
Using canned tomatoes? You can skip all this and head to the instructions for making the sauce.
Fill a big pot with water and set it over high heat. Have a bowl of ice water ready.
Wash the tomatoes and use a sharp knife to score a tiny “X” on the bottom of each. It’s their ticket to easy peeling later.
Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 2 minutes, then whisk them out and straight into the ice bath. The skins should practically fall off—so satisfying!
Pour out the water and give your pot a quick wipe—it’s about to host the main event.
Make The Marinara Sauce
Warm the olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the onions and cook until they’re golden and sweet-smelling. Stir in the garlic and let it mingle for 30 seconds.
In a food processor, add your peeled tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Whizz until it’s smooth-ish with a little texture left.
Pour the tomato mixture over the onions and garlic. If you’re feeling fancy, splash in the red wine now.
Turn the heat up to medium-high until the sauce bubbles happily, then cover and lower the heat to medium-low. Let it simmer anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour—just enough time for all those flavors to fall in love. Stir now and then so nothing sticks.
After the sauce has simmered, give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if it needs a little something. Remember, cooking is all about personal preference, so feel free to add more salt, pepper, or herbs to suit your taste. Now you can serve it right away, store it in the fridge, or head to the canning steps for long-term tomato bliss.
Canning Marinara Sauce (optional)
Safety First
If you’re new to canning, it’s important to learn how to can safely. Improper canning can allow harmful bacteria to grow, which can cause serious foodborne illness.
For trusted, research-based guidance, I recommend the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s canning guide. Be sure to read the Canning General Information section before you start.
Before you start canning, it’s important to gather all the necessary equipment.
Equipment for Canning
- Water bath canner
- Canning funnel
- Wide-mouth pint Mason jars
- Metal heat-resistant tongs (for placing lids)
- Small saucepan
- Oven gloves
- Wide-mouth Mason jar lids
- Canning lid rack (optional, but saves a lot of frustration)
- Canning Jar Lifter Tongs
Canning Marinara Sauce
- Sterilize anything that comes into contact with the sauce or jar lids. The jars, canning funnel, and tongs can be placed on a cookie sheet in a 220°F oven for 20 minutes. At the same time, place your lids in the canning lid rack. Simmer them in a small pot of water for 20 minutes. Keep everything nice and hot until you’re ready to fill. Remember to handle hot jars, equipment, and lids with care to avoid burns.
- Drop 1/4 teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice into each hot pint jar. This step is very important.
Lemon juice is added to canned tomatoes and other tomato-based products to boost their acidity and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Particularly, Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes botulism.
- Ladle your piping-hot marinara sauce into the jars, leaving about 1/2-inch of space at the top. A canning funnel makes this way less messy.
- Wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth, use the tongs to place the lids on the jars, and screw the bands on until fingertip-tight.
- Lower your jars into a boiling-water canner and process for 35 minutes (for pints). Start timing once the water is back at a full boil.
- When the time’s up, turn off the heat and let the jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes. Carefully lift them out and set them on a dishtowel-lined cookie sheet for 24 hours.
- Check the seals. Follow the instructions here. Refrigerate any jars that didn’t seal and use within 7 days. The rest can be labeled and tucked away in a cool, dark spot (under 95°F) for months of ready-to-go marinara happiness.
Tips for Making Better Marinara Sauce
- Choose the right tomatoes. Plum varieties like Roma or San Marzano offer dense, meaty flesh and low water content—ideal for a rich, concentrated sauce. Pre-roasting or caramelizing them can deepen the flavor, too.
- Keep it simple (and flavorful). Stick to the essentials—onion, garlic, olive oil, and herbs. Avoid extra veggies that muddy the flavor.
- Go slow and steady with aromatics. Gently sweat onions and garlic in oil (and butter, if you like) for sweetness, and add dried herbs early to unlock their full aroma. Fresh herbs, like basil, should go in at the end for brightness.
- Texture matters. Rather than puréeing until completely smooth, aim for a sauce with some body—pulse, don’t blend to oblivion.
- Watch the simmer. Keep the sauce bubbling gently and partially covered to reduce without drying out. Stir now and then for even cooking and flavor concentration.
Looking for more simple canning recipes? We’ve got a collection of 21 easy canning recipes.
Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Set a large pot of water on high heat.
- Clean all of your tomatoes and use a sharp paring knife to cut a small “X” in the bottom of each tomato.
- Once the pot of water is boiling, place the tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare a bowl filled with ice water.
- After the 2 minutes is over, remove the tomatoes to the bowl of ice water.
- Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off and discard their skins and stems. Repeat with all tomatoes.
- Pour out the water from the pot and wipe clean.
- Add the olive oil to the pot and set over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion and cook until golden, then add the minced garlic.
- Meanwhile, place the tomatoes in a food processor. Add in the tomato paste, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Puree until parsley and tomatoes are well broken-down.
- Add the tomato mixture to the sauteed garlic and onions.
- If using red wine, add it now.
- Increase the heat to medium-high until the sauce is bubbling, then cover and reduce to medium-low heat. Simmer for 20 minutes to an hour to thicken and intensify the flavors.
- Place cans, metal ladle, heat resistant metal tongs and widemouth funnel into a 220F oven for 20 minutes to sterilize. At the same time sterilize the lids in a small pot of simmering water for 20 minutes. Keep the lids and jars hot until ready to fill.
- Place 1/4 teaspoon citric acid or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice in the bottom of each sterilized pint-sized jar.
- Ladle the hot marinara sauce into the hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. I use a canning funnel to prevent splashes.
- Wipe the rims clean with a clean damp cloth.
- Use the metal tongs to place the lids on the jars. Screw on the rims. Place the jars in a boiling water canner and process 35 minutes for pints. Turn off the heat and let the jars sit for 5 minutes. Remove the jars and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours. Check the seals.
Notes
Homemade marinara sauce is simple, satisfying, and full of fresh flavor you’ll love. Whether you make a small batch for tonight’s dinner or can a big pot for later, this recipe will be a staple in your kitchen. Print the recipe, give it a try, and don’t forget to pin the post, so you can find it again whenever you need it.