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

How to Make Chicken Cacciatore Meatballs

Nostalgia for classic Italian American cooking inspired this boneless version of Chicken Cacciatore that is simple and healthy.

Italy to Take Center Stage at 2025 NYC Summer Fancy Food Show

Italy returns to the Fancy Food Show as Country Partner with a record-breaking pavilion, live cooking events, and regional representation that celebrates the art of Italian taste.

Inside the World of Vincenzo’s Plate

From Sunday lunch in Pescara to pasta lessons for millions, Vincenzo Prosperi shares how family, flavor, and authenticity shaped Vincenzo’s Plate.

The Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown offers elevated Washington, D.C. stay

Appetito reviews the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown while offering an itinerary of Italian informed drinking and dining options around town.

May 28, 2025

From California to Cannoli: Dara’s Sicilian Life with Santi

What started with a chance beach encounter turned into a life of food, family, and storytelling in the Sicilian countryside. Dara shares what it’s like to build a home with Santi in the heart of Italy.

See all posts