Skip to Content
Recipes

A Simple, Delicious Marinara Sauce

A go-to, low-fuss marinara sauce recipe from the author of cookbook/memoir cooking with italian roots.

marinara sauce

Marinara Sauce.

Christina Minutillo, author of the new cookbook/memoir cooking with italian roots, shares her grandmother's recipe for marinara sauce. This sauce, easy to make and use as a base for so many Italian and Italian-American dishes, is a main ingredient in her "Gram's Pizzelle with Marinara Sauce," which she includes and writes about in this excerpt from her excellent new book.

Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce

Recipe by Christina Minutillo
0.0 from 0 votes
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp 2 olive oil

  • 4 4 fresh garlic cloves, peeled and minced

  • 2 28 oz cans 2 28 oz crushed tomatoes

  • 6 6 fresh basil leaves, torn

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 grated parmesan cheese

  • 1 tsp 1 salt

Directions

  • Coat the bottom of a medium saucepan with olive oil and heat on medium-low on the stove top.
  • Add the garlic and sauté just until sizzling and aromatic.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan.
  • Rinse the cans with a little water, about ¼ of the can, and pour into the pan.
  • Add basil, grated parmesan, and salt and stir.
  • Increase heat to medium and bring to a slow boil while stirring.
  • Then reduce heat to low, cover, and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @appetitomagazine on Instagram and hashtag it with #italianfoodanddrink

Like this recipe?

Follow @Appetitomagazine on Pinterest

Follow us on Facebook!

Follow us on Facebook

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Appetito

Winter Hearth Italian Sausage Soup for Those Cold Winter Nights

A cozy, slow-simmered Italian sausage soup for those cold winter nights.

January 28, 2026

Q&A: PopUp Bagels, Sabatino Discuss Partnership Bringing New York, Italy Together

How a shared respect for ingredients sparked a New York–Italy collaboration.

January 28, 2026

Matcha in Milan: How Green Tea is Reshaping Café Culture

A look at how matcha is finding its place alongside espresso in one of the world’s most coffee-obsessed cities.

January 27, 2026

Real Italian, Real Fast: Vinny DelGiudice’s Pasta with Cauliflower

The first installment of Vinny DelGiudice’s new Appetito column focused on everyday Italian home cooking.

January 27, 2026

Meet Danilo Bonifazi, Hotel Manager of Palazzo Navona

A look at the vision behind one of Rome’s most admired boutique hotels.

January 26, 2026

From the Dolomites to NoDa: Italian Comfort, Charlotte Soul

At Ever Andalo in Charlotte’s NoDa neighborhood, Italian comfort cooking meets a relaxed, community-driven approach to dining.

January 26, 2026
See all posts