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This homemade marinara sauce is made ultra-simply from scratch with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. No cans here, just delicious, fresh from the garden tomato sauce! With hundreds of five-star reviews, you can be sure this homemade tomato sauce will be a hit!

Homemade marinara sauce mixed with spaghetti.
This fresh tomato marinara sauce is my go-to when my garden bursts with more tomatoes than I know what to do with! I keep a jar in my fridge all summer long.
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If it’s the peak of summer, your garden is churning out more tomatoes than you know what to do with, and you’re hungry…I have two words for you: homemade marinara.

More specifically, a homemade marinara with fresh tomatoes (no canned tomatoes or tomato paste here)! Because summer is all about celebrating that garden-fresh produce, and this marinara is the perfect way to celebrate.

Reader rating

★★★★★

“This is THE marinara sauce! When it was finished cooking and cooled, I tasted it and could not believe how delicious! When one of my daughters arrived for dinner I asked her to taste it just to be sure. She did but said nothing. I asked if it was all right. She said she was just savoring the flavor and didn’t want to interrupt that. Other guests said it was the best marinara they had ever eaten.” —Claudette

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A pan of spaghetti with tomato sauce and herbs sits on a green surface with metal tongs, next to a white cloth with blue stripes.

Most recipes will have you blanch the tomato to remove the skin, but I find that it’s unnecessary and takes too much time (plus, the skin has insoluble fiber – double win). Let’s cook!

@liveeatlearn

This homemade marinara sauce is made ultra-simply from scratch with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. No cans here, just delicious, fresh from the garden tomato sauce! With almost 300 five-star reviews, you can be sure this homemade tomato sauce will be a hit! 🍅 #tomatoseason #tomatogarden #summerrecipe #tomatorecipes #marinara

♬ SUNFLOWER (Beat) – FreshlyRC
A plate of tomatoes, bowls of chopped garlic, herbs, honey, oil, and seasonings are arranged on a green surface. Each ingredient is clearly labeled.
You can use almost any tomato to make marinara sauce from scratch, but the best ones will be the paste tomatoes. These are meatier and have less water content, meaning you need to cook them for less time to get to that nice, thick sauce. Look for Roma or San Marzano tomatoes (and learn about the different types of tomatoes here).

What’s the best texture for marinara?

This homemade marinara sauce recipe is naturally chunky, but you can easily make it into a smooth and silky marinara with a quick blitz in the blender. I prefer to use a handheld immersion blender to puree it right in the pot, but you could also transfer it (carefully – hot!) to a countertop blender.

Two glass jars on a green surface, one labeled Blended with smooth orange sauce, and the other labeled Chunky with a coarser red sauce containing visible vegetable pieces.
I prefer to keep the sauce chunky, but it’s a matter of preference and how you intend to use it!
A plate of spaghetti topped with tomato sauce, chopped herbs, and grated cheese, with a fork and spoon on the sides.
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Homemade Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

4.59 from 307 ratings
By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
This homemade marinara sauce is made from scratch with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and herbs—no cans needed! A top-rated recipe with hundreds of five-star reviews.

Ingredients 

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 fresh tomatoes, 1 to 1.5 lbs, diced
  • 2 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Italian parsley, flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp honey, 15 g
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
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Instructions 

  • Tomatoes: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and allow to simmer uncovered until tomatoes have mostly broken down, about 25 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.
    Overhead view of a pan filled with chopped tomatoes and onions being stirred with a wooden spoon on a green surface.
  • Herbs: Stir in remaining ingredients. Continue simmering about 10 minutes.
    A stainless steel pan with tomato sauce, chopped fresh herbs, and a wooden spoon sits on a green surface.
  • Serve: You can serve it like this or puree it in a food processor or blender for a smoother sauce.
    A saucepan with tomato-based pasta sauce containing herbs and vegetables sits on a green surface, next to a bowl of spaghetti and a chopping board with chopped herbs.

Notes

For a vegan option, use maple syrup or granulated sugar instead of honey.
Store leftovers in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
To freeze marinara sauce, keep it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let it thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat on the stove or in the microwave. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.6g | Protein: 0.8g | Fat: 1.9g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4.2g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

Seasonal Tip

They say what grows together goes together, so why not use the fresh cucumber growing in your garden to make this easy tzatziki sauce? Serve it as a dip with veggies, as a side, or as an appetizer with this marinara!

Got fresh tomatoes?

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4.59 from 307 votes (233 ratings without comment)

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244 Comments

  1. Erica Brent says:

    5 stars
    So yummy

    Reply
  2. Judy says:

    5 stars
    This recipe rocks! I’ve even used it reduced as a sauce for pizza! Absolutely delicious & I’ve tried out many top rated recipes online. Only change is I used lots & lots of homegrown basil.

    Reply
    1. The Live Eat Learn Team says:

      You’re the best, thanks for the feedback Judy!

  3. Lisa says:

    5 stars
    I have made this several times with fresh garden tomatoes. I freeze it to have in the fall and winter. It is soooooo good!

    Reply
    1. The Live Eat Learn Team says:

      Thanks for the kind words Lisa, happy eating!

  4. Claire says:

    5 stars
    This is tasty and easy. Lovely to have a home made tomato sauce. Only comment is that I don’t think it serves 8 unless they only have a tiny dollop each.

    Reply
    1. The Live Eat Learn Team says:

      Thrilled you enjoyed it Claire, thanks for sharing your feedback!

  5. Marty says:

    I love your recipes! Are most of the recipes you share included in your cookbook? Thank you

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Hi Marty! My cookbook contains about 100 of the top recipes from 10 years of creating recipes on Live Eat Learn. There are over a thousand recipes here on the site, so unfortunately I couldn’t squeeze them all in (but if you like the recipes on the site, you’ll love the book!).

  6. Alicia Vivian says:

    4 stars
    This tasted delicious, but I doubled the recipe and wound up with only two cups of sauce! May want to adjust the expected output.

    Reply
  7. Gail Warren says:

    Can you use diced canned tomatoes to make marinara sauce yourself? I bought EAT.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Yes, diced tomatoes would absolutely work!