There are a few basic recipes that I think every family should have in their wheelhouse. This homemade marinara sauce is definitely one of them!
If you are like me, you may be wondering why you should bother with making your own marinara sauce, when you can pick up a jar at the grocery pretty easily.
Time is a precious commodity, that I never seem to have enough of. So, if I am gonna spend it making a sauce then it better be good!
So, you can trust me when I say that this sauce is worth every second! The recipe couldn’t be easier, it can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer, and most importantly – it tastes freaking amazing!
Plus you know that I am all about that #frugallife and the best low carb marinara sauce options out there, are gonna cost you a pretty penny. Generally upward of 6$ PER JAR!!! No thank you! This sauce will only cost a fraction of that price, plus the taste in out of this world!
Seriously though, I feel like I need to warn you – you may not be able to go back to eating jarred sauces after trying this recipe!
They just won’t cut it anymore.
This sauce has evolved A LOT over the years. It started with me just adding some salt and oregano to canned tomatoes one night when I was in the middle of cooking supper and realized I had run out of the jarred marinara.
Over time I’ve tried other marinara recipes, taken the things I loved and ditched the things I didn’t in order to truly perfect this marinara! You won’t believe how easy this sauce is -in fact, my 9 year old was the chef behind the photos I’ve shared in this blog!
Also, note that I almost always triple or even quadruple this recipe since it freezes so well. The pictures I have shown are of a triple batch -so don’t let the proportions throw you off!
To get started:
Heat your olive oil over medium heat, then add the minced garlic. Allow the garlic to cook until just slightly brown, but be super careful not to burn it!
Add the rest of the ingredients, except the bay leaves, to the pot, stirring to combine. Cover and bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add the bay leaves and allow your marinara to simmer for about an hour on super low heat, stirring occasionally. Your sauce is now ready to eat, but read in for freezing instructions!
Allow the sauce to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight before transferring to freezer safe containers. *remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaves before freezing
To reheat, simply allow to thaw and the heat it to desired temperature in microwave or sauce pan. This marinara will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
What in the world are Parmesan rinds?
Don’t worry, I had no idea either until I saw this ingredient in another marinara recipe!
Parmesan rinds are exactly what they sound like! When cheese makes are slicing Parmesan wheels, the have to shave a bunch off the outside. It’s not great for eating, but it packs a bunch of flavor and makes a great addition to soups and sauces.
I find Parmesan rinds in my grocery store’s deli cheese section, but if you can’t find them, it’s OK to leave them out.
Let’s talk wine 🙂
I know, you may be thinking that the wine is going to add unnecessary carbs to this sauce. Well guess what – you are wrong, they are completely necessary 🙂 🙂
Of course you can leave it out, but it really only adds a fraction of a carb to the sauce and makes a HUGE impact in the flavor.
I don’t drink much, so I just use cooking wine, but you could also any leftover red wine – just be aware that drinking wines are typically higher in carbs then cooking wines. (I recently discovered Goya cooking wine which I actually prefer to the brand pictured here, plus it has less carbs!)
A few other substitutions …
Feel free to play around with the seasonings and the tomatoes. Like a little more basil – add it! Not a fan of the red pepper flakes -leave them out! Want a thicker sauce? go with diced tomatoes instead.
I LOVE how easy this sauce it to adjust, and something about standing over a pot of sauce with a wooden spoon, tasting and adjusting the seasoning – just makes me feel so cozy. and cozy is my favorite way to feel!
Easy Homemade Marinara: Low Carb | Keto Friendly
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 2 28oz Cans of Crushed Tomatoes
- 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp Basil
- 1/2 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1/3 cup Red Wine
- 2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 2 Bay Leaves
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the minced garlic. Allow the garlic to cook until just slightly brown, but be careful not to burn it!
- Add the rest of the ingredients, except the bay leaves, to the pot, stirring to combine. Cover and bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add the bay leaves and allow your sauce to simmer for about an hour on super low heat, stirring occasionally. Your sauce is now ready to eat.
- To freeze: Allow the sauce to cool at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight before transferring to freezer safe containers. *remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaves before freezing, also, if using glass containers, be sure to leave extra room at the top of the container to prevent cracking.
- To reheat, simply allow to thaw, and the heat it to desired temperature in microwave or sauce pan. This marinara will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
Notes
Be sure to try this sauce with my homemade Frozen pizzas for a real treat!
Can you chicken broth instead of the wine?
yes you could 🙂
This is the best sauce I have ever made. Simple to make & excellent. So full of flavor. Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Susan! I am so happy that you enjoyed it! Thank you for the review xo
What kind of red wine do you recommend?
I don’t drink, so I usually just buy cooking wine. But you can use any red wine that you like, the less sweet the better.