This marinara dipping sauce recipe is the best! Skip store-bought and make this perfect dipping sauce for bread sticks or to add to your next pasta dish. Made in just a few minutes, this will become your new favorite easy sauce.
Original recipe: January 2020 | Updated: April 2021
Why This Recipe Works
One of my newer recipe obsessions in 2019 was homemade sauces. There are a few ingredients in a lot of store-bought sauces that don’t agree with my husband’s stomach which is what prompted the trend. And it turns out that homemade sauces are the BEST.
Something else I experimented with recently was replacing spaghetti sauce with marinara sauce in recipes. This is a game changer! It offers a thicker texture and bolder flavor. And of course you can’t go wrong with using marinara as a dipping sauce for any type of bread.
Recipe Ingredients
Onion – Use any variety of onion for this marinara sauce between yellow, white and red.
Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves in this recipe if at all possible. If needed, replace fresh with 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
Basil – Using fresh basil leaves to make this sauce is best. If you don’t have access to fresh, replace with 1 teaspoon dried basil.
Tomatoes – In place of the crushed tomatoes, you can use 6-8 cups fresh tomatoes or frozen tomatoes, thawed and chopped (juices included) – this equals about 30-40 Roma tomatoes.
Crushed tomatoes can be replaced with an equal amount of tomato sauce.
How To Make This Marinara Sauce Recipe – Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and finely chopped onion and cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Next add fresh basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Add whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Use a potato masher to break down the whole tomatoes just a bit.
STEP 2
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve with your favorite pasta or as a dip for bread sticks. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge!
Recipe Notes
- Add a few teaspoons of red pepper flakes or additional black pepper for an added touch of spice.
- Be sure to give it a taste before taking it off the stove. If it needs sweetness, add a bit of sugar. Add onion powder for an extra punch of flavor.
- For a smoother texture, run an immersion blender through the sauce for a minute or so.
- Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the top just before serving as a dipping sauce for a burst of cheesy flavor.
Recipes to Make Using Marinara
Aside from the obvious reason (the amazing FLAVOR!), my favorite thing about this sauce pairs well with so many other foods making it super versatile. Here are a few ideas for ways to enjoy it!
- Pour it over the top of cooked noodles of any kind.
- Dip bread sticks, mozzarella sticks, zucchini fries, jalapeno poppers or pizza bites into it!
- Use it in place of store-bought sauce in your next pan of Baked Spaghetti or Baked Ziti!
- Lasagna and Cheesy Manicotti are both sooo good when made with this sauce!
- Use it as an ingredient to stuff spaghetti squash with.
- Add it to your morning eggs because everything tastes great with eggs.
Marinara vs Alfredo Sauce
The two most popular Italian sauces get the full comparison in this post discussing the powerhouses of pasta dishes – Marinara vs Alfredo Sauce!
Substitute for Marinara Sauce – 5 ideas!
If you are looking for a substitute for marinara sauce, you have options! Click over for some excellent alternatives!
18 Homemade Sauces to Use Now or Freeze for Later
Making homemade sauces is a great way to know exactly what ingredients are going into them, they are more affordable than store-bought and they’re just tastier! Homemade all the way!
FAQ About Marinara Sauce
Store homemade marinara sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If there are visible signs of mold, discard the sauce. To extend the shelf life, freeze it! Allow the sauce to cool completely and pour it into an airtight container.
Store marinara sauce in the freezer for up to 4 months. When you are ready to use the sauce, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw completely. Pour it into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes before serving.
Since tomatoes and spices take up most of the ingredient list in marinara sauce, it is one of the healthier dipping sauces. If you are looking for a boost in calories or fat, marinara is not a good fit. If you’re looking for a veggie-based, leaner sauce you have found your sauce.
Marinara Sauce is a very simple tomato-based sauce with minimal ingredients, including tomatoes, onion, garlic and seasonings.
Yes! Marinara sauce can definitely be used in place of pizza sauce. Pizza sauce is typically a bit thicker in consistency, but the two can be used interchangeably.
More Favorite Homemade Sauces
I’m obsessed with making savory homemade sauces! Down with store bought! Here are a handful of my favorites that you are sure to fall in love with. These all make for great gifts, too!
- Enchilada Sauce is more delicious than anything you can buy at the store and it is super easy to make. It only requires a handful of ingredients and is done in 15 minutes, with perfect flavor and consistency.
- Alfredo Sauce is super easy to make, done in under 10 minutes.
- This homemade Pizza Sauce takes less than 25 minutes to make!
- Pasta Sauce is super easy, meaty and hearty when made in an Instant Pot. Using a pressure cooker to cook pasta sauce makes it flavorful and quick to prepare, but tastes like is has simmered on the stove all day.
- Make your own Taco Sauce taco sauce to use in a variety of Mexican dishes, such as tacos, burritos and taco salads. Ditch the store-bought version so you know EXACTLY what goes inside! Make homemade taco sauce with a handful of ingredients and in just a few minutes.
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Marinara Dipping Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Use a potato masher to break down the whole tomatoes just a bit.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite pasta or as a dip for bread sticks. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge!
Notes
- In place of the crushed tomatoes, you can use 6-8 cups fresh tomatoes or frozen tomatoes, thawed and chopped (juices included) – this equals about 30-40 Roma tomatoes.
- Add a few teaspoons of red pepper flakes for an extra touch of spice.
- Crushed tomatoes can be replaced with an equal amount of tomato sauce.
- Be sure to give it a taste before taking it off the stove. If it needs sweetness, add a bit of sugar. Add onion powder for an extra punch of flavor.
I didn’t have a dinner plan tonight and decided to make lasagna. This was so easy to put together last minute and was so flavorful with the lasagna recipe in the IP too. Thanks!