Italian · Sauce · All year
Marinara
4.6 · community
5m
Prep
25m
Cook
Easy
Level
110
Energy
The 25-minute tomato sauce: garlic, good canned tomatoes, olive oil, basil. Bright and fresh where long-cooked sauces are deep — both belong in your life.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
4
Before you start
Mise en place
Yield: About 700 ml
Equipment
Small saucepan
Whisk
Prep checklist
Canned Tomatoes — whole San Marzano type, crushed by hand
Garlic — thinly sliced
Sugar — only if needed
3 steps
Method
1
Warm the garlic in oil from cold over medium heat until pale gold and sweet-smelling, 2 minutes; add chili flakes for 10 seconds.
2 min — timer available in cooking mode
2
Add tomatoes and a big pinch of salt. Simmer briskly, uncovered, 20 minutes, until slightly thickened and the oil pools orange at the edges.
20 min — timer available in cooking mode
Why this works
That orange oil is the doneness signal — the sauce has concentrated and the fat has taken on tomato flavor.
3
Tear in the basil off the heat. Taste: if it's sharp, the teaspoon of sugar rounds it; if flat, salt.
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Airtight jar in the fridge, 3–5 days. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of starch-thickened sauces to stop a skin forming.
Freezing
Most sauces freeze 2–3 months; freeze in ice-cube trays for single portions. Emulsified butter/egg sauces don't freeze — they break on thawing.
Reheating
Reheat gently over low heat, whisking; butter- and egg-based sauces split when boiled. Loosen with a spoonful of warm water or stock.
Make ahead
Most sauces keep 3–5 days refrigerated and freeze in ice-cube trays for instant single portions. Emulsified butter sauces are best made within the hour.
Wine pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
Beer pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Spaghetti or penne
Chicken or eggplant parmesan
Pizza base, dipping sauce for everything
Garnish
A final swirl of butter or oil
Fresh herbs
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
1
Salty
3
Sour
2
Bitter
0
Umami
4
Heat
0
Per serving
Nutrition
110
kcal
2g
protein
13g
carbs
6g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
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Your notes
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Lessons behind this dish
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