Perfect Homemade Marinara Sauce

I’m so happy to have a go to perfect homemade marinara sauce recipe written down! I am always just throwing the ingredients together willy-nilly, until I like the flavor. This time, I wanted to have a recipe to turn to, so here it is!

The recipe calls for using canned crushed tomatoes and also “chunky crushed tomatoes.” If you can’t find chunky crushed tomatoes in your area, just use 42 ounces (by weight, on the can) of regular crushed tomatoes.

I have a hard time with the acidity of some tomato products, so I’m always trying to make tomato sauces more mellow. Adding the sugar, cinnamon and vegan butter to the sauce tones down the acidity and makes the sauce much more palatable. Use my measurements for those ingredients, then adjust them to your taste.

When adding fresh basil to a simmering sauce, the flavor will cook away if the basil is added too early. So, add the basil at the end of the cooking time and stir it in until it is wilted. This will give you the strongest basil flavor.

You can use this perfect homemade marinara sauce in these recipes:

Quinoa Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Leftover Vegan Meatloaf Sandwiches

Print Recipe

Perfect Homemade Marinara Sauce

Keep this recipe on hand to use any time you need an easy, but very delicious, marinara sauce.

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Italian

Keyword

basil, cinnamon, crushed red pepper, crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh parsley, garlic, granulated sugar, olive oil, parsley, sugar, vegan butter

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

12 minutes

Servings

cups

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or 1/2 teaspoon if you like a spicier sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 14 ounce can chunky crushed tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 pinches cinnamon or 3 pinches, to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade cut, optional or 1 tablespoon dried basil

Course Main Dish Cuisine Italian Keyword basil, cinnamon, crushed red pepper, crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh parsley, garlic, granulated sugar, olive oil, parsley, sugar, vegan butter Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 12 minutes Servings cups Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic minced 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or 1/2 teaspoon if you like a spicier sauce 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes 14 ounce can chunky crushed tomatoes salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon vegan butter 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar 2 pinches cinnamon or 3 pinches, to taste 1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade cut, optional or 1 tablespoon dried basil

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat then add the minced garlic to the pan.
2. Sauté for one minute. Add the fresh parsley and crushed red pepper. Stir 1 minutes.
3. Add the canned crushed tomatoes and the can of chunky crushed tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Bring to a boil and lower the heat until the sauce simmers.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of vegan butter, and the sugar and cinnamon. Continue to simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.
6. If using fresh basil, add into the simmering sauce and cook for 1 minute, until the basil has wilted.
7. Serve hot with your favorite pasta and vegetables, or use recipes where marinara is called for.
8. Can store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Recipe Notes

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Leave any feedback in comments below. Also, share your comments on Instagram: @key_lime_coconut or on Twitter: @keylime_coconut.
We love seeing hashtags #keylimecoconut and #keylimecoconutblog when you try our recipes.