As with a lot of recipes that you’ll find here, homemade marinara sauce blossomed out of necessity and lack of ingredients to make spaghetti. On the date of its inception, I had already browned the ground beef and cooked the noodles for spaghetti before I realized I had inadvertently run us out of spaghetti sauce…
Thankfully, I typically have plain tomato sauce in my pantry. So, I grabbed it and went to work carefully adding herbs and flavors from my pantry until I came up with something that not only resembled spaghetti sauce, but also tasted (in Mr. FFB’s opinion) just like Pizza Hut’s marinara. Win!
I very seldom, if ever, buy spaghetti sauce or marinara from the store anymore because this recipe is so easy, and frankly, tastes better. And remember, I base all of my purchasing decisions on taste first, followed by price. Another reason this homemade marinara sauce has become my go-to is it can easily be adjusted to fit the different amounts of marinara I may need for any given meal – one pizza, the “Joey special” – two pizzas (🙋♀️ if you’re a Friends fan), eggplant parm, or a family-sized helping of spaghetti.
Don’t forget the rules of food safety! Here is the short list:
- Always wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
- Never thaw meat on the counter – instead thaw in the refrigerator, microwave or cool water bath.
- Always wash cutting boards and plates after having been in contact with raw meat.
- Always cook to appropriate internal temperatures. Safe internal temperatures vary based on cut. Hamburger must reach a safe and savory 160 degrees, while steak is safe at 145 degrees.
5 Ingredient Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
A quick and easy alternative to pre-made spaghetti or marinara sauce.
Ingredients
1 29-ounce jar of plain tomato sauce
2 teaspoons dry basil
2 teaspoons dry oregano
2 teaspoons dry parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
Add the tomato sauce followed by the dry ingredients to a small sauce pan – I typically use a 1.5 quart sauce pan. Stir until all ingredients are combined and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes before serving, adding meat, or using in lasagna, eggplant parm, or another dish. Enjoy!
Notes
If you’re making two pizzas, or need just a little less sauce, cut the tomato sauce back to a 15-ounce can and each of the dry ingredients back to 1 teaspoon.
If you only need enough for one pizza, cut the tomato sauce back to an 8-ounce can and the dry ingredients back to 1/2 teaspoon each.
Keywords: homemade marinara sauce
Hello! I’m Terryn – the wife, mother, food safety enthusiast, Stormy Kromer fanatic who has slightly (okay, a lot) random tendencies, dabbles in photography, and shares (maybe a little too much) here at FFB.