This is my favorite go-to recipe when I need to whip up a quick sauce. You may have seen this recipe used in some of my other recipes, but I felt it deserved a post of it's own.
This is perfect to use in baked pasta recipes, eggplant parmesan, shrimp parmigiana, french bread pizzas or when I need a quick dipping sauce for zucchini sticks, mozzarella sticks or anything you like to serve with sauce.
I'm really picky with the brand of tomatoes I use, I always get the best results with Tuttorosso
(green label), but if you have a favorite brand you are loyal to, feel free to use it.Quick Marinara Sauce
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/2 cup • Old Points: 1 pt • Points+: 1 pt
Calories: 51.5 • Fat: 0.8 • Carbs: 9.0 g • Fiber: 1.1 • Protein: 0.1 g
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (I like Tuttorosso
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- salt and fresh pepper to taste
Directions:
In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn.
Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, and bay leaf. Stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer about 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh basil.
OMG I love it too! It's great on ANYTHING! I use San Marzano crushed tomatoes. Mmmm :) Simple and tasty.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if there would be much difference, other than texture, if I used tomato sauce rather than crushed tomatoes? It's a texture thing for some in the family. I could always run the tomatoes through the food processor or blender first, but why dirty an appliance if you don't have to. Also, have you had any experience making a large batch, maybe even in a crock pot, then freezing portions to be ready to go for later use? I've successfully frozen other sauces, just curious if you've tried it with this? Love the site, BTW, and apprciate you posting the 'old' points as well - some of us still like that plan.
ReplyDeleteTo make the consistency better to suit your family you could probably use an immersion blender to smooth it out~
DeleteWhat a lovely, vibrant sauce.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't like the taste of the sauce when I use tomato sauce. Tuttoroso crushed tomatoes is not that chunky and the flavor is so much better.
ReplyDeleteThis is a quick sauce and cookign it in the crock pot would be overkill, but you can certainly make larger batches of this and freeze it to use later!
How would you do this with fresh tomatoes from my garden? I need to use them up! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing out the zucchini sticks! I haven't seen those on your site before! LOVE THIS!
ReplyDeleteHaley @ The Girly Girl Cooks
The big bowl of sauce looks fairly smooth. Did you process the sauce?
ReplyDeleteHaley, they are great!
ReplyDeleteTara, nope, that's how it is straight out of the can.
Thanks a bunch! I saved this recipe as it is much simpler than the one I had.
ReplyDeleteGina, this sounds delicious, but then your recipes always do/are. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteIve been looking for a sauce recipe that I could whip up with ingredients I can keep on hand.
ReplyDeleteCan you use dried basil instead of fresh basil? Thanks! Sandy
ReplyDeletesooo colourful...
ReplyDeleteyou are right! It looks so good
DeleteSuch a beautiful colour!
ReplyDeleteand we were just talking about this last night.
ReplyDeletesomething the child and I could MAKE so perhaps she'd eat :)
THANK YOU
This sounds fantastic! Yum!
ReplyDeleteI knew there was a quicker sauce than the other one on your site!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to give this a try! Looks so delicious!
ReplyDeleteI make my marnara sauce exactly like yours except for the oregano.....love all your recipes and made many of them.....thanks
ReplyDeleteI pump up the fiber in my recipe by adding 6oz of pureed butternut squash (from baby food aisle)...doesn't change the taste. Tried this with pureed carrots - way too sweet for our taste.
ReplyDeleteThis is very similar to my go-to tomato sauce recipe. I love using the ground oregano rather than the oregano "flakes". Gives it a much richer taste.
ReplyDeleteMy Italian granmda-in-law uses this same tomato brand and I swear it makes all the difference. It smells incredible while cooking too!! Thanks for including the pnt value for us. I follow WW.
ReplyDeleteThis looks so wonderful and easy! I need a good go-to marinara sauce recipe and i think you may well have provided it for me :)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE when you post the quick, easy stuff. As a mom with two toddlers, I want to feed them healthy options that taste good, but I need them to be easy, and so many of your recipes fit the bill...thank you and keep them coming! AND I love your pictures!!!
ReplyDeleteFor the bay leaf in this sauce, can I use dried? Do you crush it up and just leave it in the sauce or pull it out?
I used dried bay leaf, left it whole to easily remove.
ReplyDeleteYou can use dried basil, but I think fresh is best here.
How long can you refrigerate the sauce? Also, if you freeze it, what kind of container do you put it in (I don't want to stain any more Tupperware.
ReplyDeleteYou can refrigerate it about 4-5 days. I like to freeze my sauce in freezer bags so I can lay them flat and toss them when I'm done.
ReplyDeleteMmm tasty! This sauce is great to be served with roasted peppers! Very healthy it is in my diet
ReplyDeleteThis stuff is good. When I want a sweeter sauce I add a packet or 2 of splenda.
ReplyDeleteGina,
ReplyDeleteI have a question about points. Why would this be 1 point if veggies are 0. Do crushed tomatoes count for points. Just wondering, still new to WW. Thanks for all the awesome recipes!
how would i go about using my garden tomatoes for this recipe??
ReplyDeleteI'll try to post a version using fresh tomatoes.
DeleteI accidentally put the basil in with all the other ingredients to simmer. It said to put it in last. Will that mess up the taste?
ReplyDeleteIt's fine.
DeleteI'm making this tonight. Sounds delish, thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I loved this recipe! I had never tasted "light" cooked eggplant before. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is delicious! We just got a foot of snow in Denver so I decided to start cooking! This is so easy to make and I had everything on hand. Thanks for all of your great recipes! I get most of our family favorites from your site!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering how long would the extra sauce keep in the refrigerator? Love your recipes!
ReplyDeleteYes, if I plan on using it right away, otherwise I freeze it.
DeleteHi Gina!
ReplyDeleteKinda new to your site...brand new to WW PP. I love love your recipes and your site became my "go to" even before joining WW last week. I am confused as to why this recipe equals 1 point. I thought veggies equal zero... is it the oil?
Hi Gina! I don't know how I missed this recipe before but I'm going to try it tonight. I want to make a lasagna and wanted to whip up a quick & light sauce instead of buying one. I can't wait to make this!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteJust came across your blog yesterday through a link somewhere and am addicted! Was wondering if you'd do anything different/ add anything else if it was fresh tomatoes instead of from a can?
Thanks
Yes, I would peel them, and run them through a food mill after cooking.
DeleteFinally got around to making this, using Tutorroso tomatoes, yum! The perfect, easy go-to sauce.
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if anyone can tell me how much this recipe makes? I want to use it for 2 lavash flat bread pizzas and the mozzarella sticks? Do I need to double it?
ReplyDeleteIt makes about 3 cups. You'll have enough.
DeleteHow long will this keep if I freeze or refrigerate?
ReplyDelete5-6 days?
DeleteMade this w/the mozz sticks yesterday afternoon as a snack. My mom could not get over how wonderful this sauce was. It was super easy to make even though I picked up chopped tomatoes with the italian recipe. I still added according to this recipe and since I don't like tomatoes I put it in a blender and pureed it. It came out super and better than the italian restaurants in the area's marinara sauce. My mom thought it was even better than the store bought spaghetti sauce in a jar. I will be makin this in the future w/the parmagiana chicken for sure! Thanks for a super recipe that is easy!
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to make this for a while and finally got around to it this week. THANK YOU! It was far better than the jarred sauces. While they're convenient, I started this when I started boiling the water for my pasta and they both finished up around the same time. Perfection. Thanks again for all of the great recipes!
ReplyDeleteQuick question- what do you mean by smashed garlic? How do I do that? I know that may be a silly question, but the only garlic I usually use is minced. I am making your eggplant parm right now and can't wait to try this sauce recipe over the weekend- I didn't have the ingredients this time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all you do, I absolutely love cooking using your site!
Use fresh garlic. Pull off a clove, leave in the wrapper. Take a chopping knife and put the flat side over the garlic. Give it a good "whack" with your knife and it will crush the garlic and make the peel very easy to remove! It brings the oils out and give all the garlic flavor! You'll never want to use the minced ever again!
DeleteLet me clarify. Don't whack it with your knife. You use your palm or fist to hit the knife as it is sitting on the garlic. Don't need any injuries here!
DeleteI will never buy marinara sauce again. This is amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteI loved this. Very quick easy & delicious. And I am usually not even a huge fan of marinara sauce. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteHi just like m.Lilly, to only use jar minced garlic..I did no what a smashed garlic was. By using the garlic that was wouldn't in just be in one place in the sauce, I just cant imagine the fresh one, all I can see is a lumpiness sauce. Sure hope someone can help.Gina thank you so so much for all the work you must do to run this site, U deserve a medal..Thanks Brenda
ReplyDeleteIf you have a garlic press, it doesn't make your sauce lumpy at all. That's how I smash my garlic - put it thru a press. It's so much easier than mincing it and you get all the oils from the garlic too.
DeleteDo you fish out the smashed garlic along with the bay leaf? The recipe doesn't mention removing either, but I'm assuming you need to.
ReplyDeleteAlso - is this a sweet sauce? I could add some splenda if not, though I was intrigued by the post upthread about pureed carrot. Hmmm.
How long will the marinara sauce last in fridge?
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe! Thanks, used tomatoes from my garden. I had already taken the tomatoes and blanched them to remove the skins and squeezed out excess moisture & seeds, then processed them in my food processor. Wasn't quite sure what to do with them (not enough to justify spending an hour or two canning them) and found this recipe! I will freeze my leftovers! Thanks!! Last night we used some of it for homemade pizza! Delish!!
ReplyDeleteDo you use fresh or dried oregano?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it matter. whatever is best for you1:)
DeleteIs it possible to use fresh tomatoes? I have a large box of a dozen or so, but have no idea how to use them up! This would be perfect, if it works..
ReplyDeleteOops! Just noticed the other posts using fresh tomatoes. Follow-up question: How many fresh medium sized tomatos would you use to make this recipe?
ReplyDeleteDo you have a scale? I'd weigh out just a bit more than the weight of the 28 oz can.
DeleteI love how simple this marinara sauce is to put together; I put it in my CrockPot.
ReplyDeleteI've only looked at this recipe. Do you normally include sodium in the nutritional information? I have to watch my sodium intake and was just wondering. I'm going to try the spaghetti squash lasagna. Sounds yummy!
ReplyDeletethis was amazing!!! ate it w/ ur spaghetti squash and cx recipe and i will definitely make it again.
ReplyDeleteWhere can you buy the Tuttorosso tomatoes?? I can't wait to try it!
ReplyDelete