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–+ servings
spicy marinara sauce in a small pot with a wooden spoon in it.
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5 from 3 votes

Spicy Marinara Sauce

This smooth and spicy marinara sauce is easy to make with only pantry ingredients. Perfect for pasta, pizza, and many other dishes.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dips, Sauces and Dressings
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 56kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Large saucepan Note 1

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil Note 2
  • 3 cans whole or chopped tomatoes 400 g/ 14 oz each, Note 3
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon dried herbs Note 4
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For extra flavor at the end:

  • 1 -2 garlic cloves
  • 3 -4 basil leaves torn
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  • Chop the onion and the garlic cloves finely, but keep them separate.
    1 medium onion + 3 large garlic cloves
  • Saute: Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, stir it briefly in the pan.
    2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Add the canned tomatoes, and if they are whole, crush them roughly. I do that with my hand, take them in the hand, squeeze and break them, taking care that the juices inside them won't splatter all over the place.
    3 cans whole or chopped tomatoes
  • Cook: Add tomato paste, herbs, bay leaves, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook on a medium-high flame for about 20 minutes.
    2 tablespoons tomato paste + ½ teaspoon red chili flakes + 1 tablespoon dried herbs + 2 bay leaves + 1 teaspoon sugar + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt + more to taste + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Thicken: Turn the heat down and continue cooking for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
  • Adjust the taste with salt, pepper, or a bit more sugar, if necessary.
  • Blend: Remove the bay leaves and puree the sauce with a blender; according to your preference, you can make it as smooth as you like.
  • For extra flavor, add 1 -2 garlic cloves, 3 -4 basil leaves, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Notes

  1. The recipe makes about 2 jars, depending on their size. They will keep it in the fridge for about one week. To keep longer, freeze the jars.
  2. Butter: You can add 1 tablespoon of butter. It is less Italian, but it adds extra flavor.
  3. Tomatoes: You can make the marinara sauce with passata, too.
  4. Herbs: You can use dried summer savory, thyme, oregano, Italian herbs, Herbs de Provence, and so on.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/10 of the sauce | Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g