This Spaghetti Marinara recipe is an easy meal that cooks in under an hour, but tastes like it simmered all day! Naturally sweet San Marzano tomatoes are cooked down with garlic and basil in extra-virgin olive oil for a delicious tomato sauce that’s absolutely perfect tossed with pasta.
Heat the olive oil in a 5-quart pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the garlic. Turn the heat down to low and cook until the garlic is fragrant and starting to brown a little, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Use a spoon or potato masher to crush the tomatoes a bit. Stir in the basil springs.
Bring to a boil, and then cover the pot, but leave the lid ajar. Turn the heat down to simmer, and cook 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce is done when it’s thickened and the oil has separated from the tomato. (See photo in the post above for reference.)
Remove the cooked basil springs and discard.
Serve with any type of pasta you like, or use it any way you’d use marinara sauce.
Notes
Net Carbs: 7g per serving (¼ cup)
Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 2 cups of marinara sauce, or 8 (¼-cup) servings.
Nutritional Information: The nutrition information was calculated for the sauce only, without the serving options.
Storage: Store marinara sauce covered in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Special Diet Friendly: The marinara sauce is gluten free and vegan, and you can make it paleo by omitting the sugar or using a paleo-friendly sweetener (such as coconut sugar or honey) instead.