A simple, authentic marinara sauce that takes 20 minutes and tastes better than anything from a jar.
⏱ 3 min readEasyUpdated May 2026
Quick Answer
Fry 4 garlic cloves in olive oil for 1 minute. Add a 400g tin of whole peeled tomatoes, crush them, season and simmer 15 minutes. Add fresh basil at the end. That is it — no onion, no sugar, no fuss.
Classic Marinara Sauce
400g tin whole peeled San Marzano or good quality plum tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or roughly chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of dried chilli flakes (optional)
Salt and black pepper
Small bunch fresh basil
1
Gently fry the garlic in olive oil
Add olive oil and sliced garlic to a cold pan. Heat over medium-low heat. The garlic should sizzle gently and turn pale golden — not brown. This takes about 1–2 minutes. Add chilli flakes now if using. Browning the garlic makes the sauce bitter — keep the heat moderate.
2
Add the tomatoes and crush them
Pour in the tinned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to crush the whole tomatoes directly in the pan — this gives a chunkier texture than using pre-blended tomatoes. Season generously with salt.
3
Simmer 15 minutes
Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the raw tomato taste has mellowed to something rich and rounded. Taste and adjust salt — marinara should be well-seasoned.
4
Add fresh basil and serve
Remove from heat. Tear fresh basil leaves and stir in. Basil added off the heat retains a brighter, fresher flavour than basil cooked in the sauce.
The tomato mattersMarinara has so few ingredients that the quality of each one is apparent. San Marzano DOP tinned tomatoes (look for the DOP certification on the tin) are significantly sweeter and less acidic than standard tinned tomatoes and make a noticeably better sauce. Worth the extra cost for a recipe this simple.
What to Serve With Marinara
Spaghetti or any long pasta. As a pizza base instead of shop-bought sauce. For dipping bread or garlic bread. Over polenta. With meatballs. As a base for shakshuka.
Frequently Asked Questions
Marinara is a quick, olive-oil-based sauce made from tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil. Traditional tomato sauce (sugo) often includes onion, carrot, celery and may simmer for longer. Arrabbiata is the same base as marinara but with significantly more chilli. Bolognese is a meat-based slow-cooked sauce — entirely different. Marinara is specifically the quick, garlic-forward version.
Yes — use about 600g of ripe fresh tomatoes (Roma or San Marzano). Score an X at the base, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, peel, remove seeds and chop roughly. The sauce will need slightly longer to cook down. Fresh tomatoes produce a lighter, brighter sauce; tinned produce a deeper, more concentrated flavour. Both are excellent.