Classic Marinara Sauce

Recipe from Lidia Bastianich

Adapted by Julia Moskin

Updated February 2, 2025

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(11,724)
Comments
Read comments

Homemade marinara is almost as fast and tastes immeasurably better than even the best supermarket sauce — and it's made with basic pantry ingredients. All the tricks to a bright red, lively-tasting sauce, made just as it is in the south of Italy (no butter, no onions) are in this recipe. Use a skillet instead of the usual saucepan: the water evaporates quickly, so the tomatoes are just cooked through as the sauce becomes thick. (Our colleagues over at Wirecutter have spent a lot of time testing skillets to find the best on the market. If you're looking to purchase one, check out their skillet guide.) —Julia Moskin

Featured in: Marinara Worth Mastering

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:3½ cups, enough for 1 pound of pasta

  • 1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, certified D.O.P. if possible

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 7 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered

  • Small dried whole chile, or pinch crushed red pepper flakes

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 large fresh basil sprig, or ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, more to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

6 grams carbs; 94 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 8 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 276 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pour tomatoes into a large bowl and crush with your hands. Pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Reserve.

  2. Step 2

    In a large skillet (do not use a deep pot) over medium heat, heat the oil. When it is hot, add garlic.

  3. Step 3

    As soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. Add whole chile or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using) and salt. Stir.

  4. Step 4

    Place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (like a flower). Let it wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (If using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, adding more salt and oregano as needed.) Discard basil and chile (if using).

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
11,724 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

CFXK

Just leave your preconceived notions of marinara sauce at the door and make this exactly as presented here. Don't listen to the modifiers. You won't be disappointed and you will NEVER feel the need to modify or tweak.

Andrea

I have a different opinion especially concerning the use of the basil , to get the most flavor from this unique though fragile herb the secret is not to cook it along the sauce but just at the end when the sauce is done and you are going to pour the pasta , you lay down a top of the plant and you mix it with the whole , the heat will make the herb screaming out its taste and flavor , better , perfum ! That is the way to take the maximum from our most distinguished herb.

Jamadan

I suggest avoiding a cast iron skillet. The acidic tomatoes can pull a metallic taste into the sauce.

KK

Added an anchovy with the garlic, no regrets. Next time I’ll use less than the recommended amount of water.

Ed

OK. I know this is heresy, but last night I got home late & just wanted to whip up some pasta with my go-to Julia Moskin's marinara. The other night my wife was going to prepare tacos, but we had a change of plans, so the taco meat was put back in the fridge. So, instead of doing a meat sauce from scratch, I just added the already cooked taco meat towards the end of the marinara simmer. The rich spices of the taco meat + the garlic-rich marinara made the best meat sauce I ever tasted!

Shast

Has anyone scaled this for a crowd? Making it for 40 and I’m not sure how much sauce to make.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from “Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking,” by Lidia Bastianich (Knopf, 2013)

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.