Quick and Easy Homemade Italian Marinara Sauce

❤️ Heart-Healthy Benefits of Tomatoes & Marinara Sauce

Tomatoes are more than just the star ingredient in marinara sauce; they’re a nutritional powerhouse for your heart. Packed with lycopene, a potent antioxidant, tomatoes help reduce oxidative stress in the arteries, lowering the risk of plaque buildup and heart disease. Lycopene has also been linked to lower LDL cholesterol and reduced blood pressure, two key factors in cardiovascular health.

Cooking tomatoes, as in a simmered marinara sauce, actually increases the bioavailability of lycopene, meaning your body can absorb more of it compared to raw tomatoes. This makes marinara sauce a delicious way to boost your heart health.

Marinara also delivers vitamin C, potassium, and folate, nutrients that support healthy blood vessels and regulate our heart rhythm. When made with heart-healthy ingredients like extra virgin olive oil and no added salt, marinara becomes even healthier; olive oil’s monounsaturated fats help improve cholesterol profiles, while garlic and herbs can add anti-inflammatory benefits.

In short, a homemade marinara isn’t just a comfort food; it’s a flavorful ally for cardiovascular wellness. And there are so many ways to eat it; with whole-grain pasta, vegetables, healthy vegan or low fat meatballs, ravioli, gnocchi, and so on...

In our household marinara sauce is a regular favorite addition to our menu. Many years ago I used to buy jarred marinara sauce, but that has so much sodium and other stuff that I had to stop using them when I started my health issues. I learned how to make marinara sauce from scratch, and it is actually quite easy and quick and tastes much better than most of the jar sauces.

Here is a recipe of my homemade marinara sauce that we all love.

Quick & Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce

Servings: ~4 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25–30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (28 oz each) whole or crushed "no salt added" tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil (optional, for extra depth)
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat, I always add in mine)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped from my summer garden

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Instructions

1. Sauté Aromatics
   Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4–5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant.

2. Add Tomatoes & Spices
   Add canned tomatoes with their juices. If you are using whole tomatoes, crush them with a spoon. Stir in oregano, dried basil (if using), red pepper flakes, and black pepper.

3. Simmer
   Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors meld.
4. Finish with Fresh Basil
   Remove from heat, stir in fresh basil, and adjust seasoning to taste.

 

5. Serve over whole-grain pasta, roasted vegetables, or as a base for other dishes. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. I sometimes make big batch of it and freeze for few months and it still tastes great. 

I hope your family enjoys every bite of this delicious, heart-healthy sauce just like ours does!