This Homemade Marinara Sauce is tomato based with added olive oil, garlic and fresh basil. It’s the perfect easy marinara sauce recipe to add to freshly cooked pasta. Watch the video showing you how to make this recipe, then scroll to the bottom of this post and print out the recipe so you can make it at home.
Homemade Marinara Sauce:
Soooooo, are you a jarred spaghetti sauce kind of family? Guilty here. Some jarred sauces have an off-taste, mostly too sweet due to (unnecessary) added sugar. I do have to say though that I love Classico’s Tomato-Basil variety, and I use it more often than not.
But then I received Kelsey Banfield’s cookbook The Naptime Chef in the mail. I flipped through her book trying to decide from the oodles of delicious-sounding recipes what I wanted to make. Since I had never made Homemade Marinara Sauce, this easy marinara sauce recipe caught my eye. It makes the house smell amazing, and it turns out to be much better than anything in the jar.
What’s the difference between Marinara Sauce and Spaghetti Sauce?
Marinara sauce recipes usually involve a base of tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil. There really isn’t such thing as “spaghetti sauce,” since spaghetti is just pasta that you can add any sauce to. Many people add marinara sauce to spaghetti, and others prefer a marinara sauce with ground beef added to it.
Just 6 simple ingredients turn this recipe into 6 cups of marinara sauce. I usually use up all my sauce in just one recipe, but you can certainly use some now and the rest later! I like to make ahead in mass quantities! Here’s the super-simple how-to:
How to make Marinara Sauce:
Heat some olive oil in a pan.
Add a bunch of sliced garlic and cook it in the oil until your whole kitchen smells of garlic and the garlic itself is golden. I have a garlic press that has a dual-chamber press and slicer, which makes slicing garlic VERY easy to do.
Tear apart 4 large leaves of fresh basil and stir those into the garlic in the pan.
Pour in two 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes with their juices, and bring that mixture to a boil.
Add Kosher salt and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes, swirl in a couple of teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, and your sauce is done! See how easy it is to make homemade marinara sauce?
How long is Homemade Marinara Sauce good for?
- To store: cool the sauce to room temperature before storing. It will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and it will keep in a covered freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Kelsey Banfield is a fellow food blogger friend of mine, and her debut cookbook, The Naptime Chef, was released on March 12th, 2012. Kelsey has always loved to cook. When her daughter was born, time for cooking became more challenging. Kelsey began using her daughter’s nap times to reinvent her favorite recipes and create quick meals, leaving her more time to spend with her family.
You certainly don’t have to have any nap-age children to utilize The Naptime Chef cookbook. My son is well past nap-age (though I’d certainly love it if he took a snoozer once in a while), yet I’m excited to try the following recipes from this book: Strawberries and Cream Overnight French Toast, Caramel-Stuffed Cinnamon Muffins, Creamy Parmesan and Chive Polenta, Summer Gazpacho, Bistro Steak with Gorgonzola Sauce, Sticky Orange Drumsticks, Chocolate- Zucchini Loaf, and Uncle Will’s Dirty Blondies. Everything looks so good! I’m thinking this would make a lovely gift for a baby shower too 🙂
Here are a few more homemade pasta sauce recipes you might enjoy:
- Red Pepper Tomato Sauce
- Ina Garten’s Pine Nut and Walnut Pesto Sauce
- Weeknight Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce
- Mom’s Spaghetti Sauce
- White Clam Sauce
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you will find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 large fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
- Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, with their juices
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or deep skillet, warm the olive oil at low heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil.
- Pour in the tomatoes with their juices, bring the sauce to a boil, and then add the Kosher salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 45 to 50 minutes. As the sauce thickens toward the end, stir in the balsamic vinegar. Remove the pan from heat.
Video
Notes
- To store: cool the sauce to room temperature before storing. It will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and it will keep in a covered freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Can you tell me, please, how I can make this using fresh tomatoes.
This one is meant for using canned tomatoes. Not sure about fresh!
Can this Marinara Sauce be canned for later use? If so, how? Thanks for any info you can share.
Looks amazing, would love to try!
I can easily give up meat in my sauce, but got to have the veggies!
A big batch of this marinara sauce and pasta always gets rave reviews in our house! It’s so easy and so good!
This is so good! There is nothing better than making a big batch of homemade marinara.
We use marinara sauce all the time but I’ve been too intimated to make my own. This looks so easy and delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
This looks so fresh and delicious! Such a great recipe!
What a great recipe! I love how easy it is!
Very good! I added half an onion and some carrots and before I added all the tomatoes I pureed it all up.
I made this it was just a bit too bitter for me so I added a tablespoon of honey made all the difference
This sauce is delicious! I made a few minor personal tweaks to it and oh my word its amazing and SO SO SO much better than jarred sauce. This is my go to from now on! I love that it is flavorful and makes enough to feed my large family, plus some!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Made this tonight didn’t have Two-28 oz cans of tomatoes only one so added 16 oz of tomato sauce very tasty! Thanks for sharing.
How much dried basil would you use instead of the fresh basil?
1 teaspoon dried basil = 1 tablespoon fresh
So I decided spaghetti was for dinner when I saw your recipe. Cue the grocery store – which was out of fresh basil and the garlic was pathetic and no good, so I bought a tube of basil paste and used some of the jar chopped garlic I keep in the fridge and about 1/4 cup fresh minced onion. I only bought one can of crushed tomatoes (didn’t realize it was a 2 can recipe) and used the full amount of everything else and I added some fresh ground pepper. The taste is excellent and I will make this again.
Glad to hear!
How long will the sauce stay good in canning jars?
I’m afraid I’m not familiar with canning, so I have no idea. I usually use it up right away!
Being of Sicilian descent I’m always looking for sauce variations. I’m presently cooking your sauce…anxious to see what the balsamic vinegar does to the flavor.Never heard of adding balsamic…but I live a shelterd life. My cousin whose a terrific .Italian cook told me to try adding 3 anchovie fillets to the sauce. Has anybody ever tried this. I’m going to try it on the next pot of sauce.
This was very good marinara sauce. The only thing I will change next time is that I thought it was very salty so I will only use 1 tsp of salt instead of 2.
I’m in the process of making this now and it smells fantastic ! I usually make my own recipes buy wanted something a little more simple. I only made half the recipe though since I don’t need much, and will be freezing the rest.
I’m in love with this recipe! So easy and way better than store bought.
i loved this recipe! it will be in heavy rotation chez cheeky. i made a few tweaks (mostly because i thought it only used one can of tomatoes so i upped the garlic, basil, and balsamic. still delish)
Does it make a difference consistency wise if you use fresh diced up tomatoes instead of the canned? i’m not a fan of all the salt in canned veggies
I’m not sure about that- I haven’t tried fresh.
Can this sauce be canned? If so, how long would it stay good for? I don’t use marinara frequently but when I do I would love for it to be homemade!
I’m not familiar with canning, so I’m not sure…
Reviews on this recipe would be nice. All i see are what peoples favorite meals are. Very weird posting that under someone elseS recipe….
Sorry- about that- it must seem confusing. This was originally a giveaway post for the cookbook mentioned. To enter the giveaway, commenters had to share their favorite meal. It’s an excellent, easy sauce recipe!
To improve on this while still keeping it simple and real Italian. Use Roma tomatoes from Italy, crush the tomatoes by hand. Skip the balsamic vinegar no real Italian chef does that, just use a good red wine. If you place your canning jars in the dishwasher with the sani-cycle and full heat dry remove when still hot, don’t cool the sauce while still boiling pour into jars, wipe the sides use new lids and when tighten flip jars over till at room temperature. Then place in fridge. I get 8 jars of sauce . With that you can change the sauce by jars, add a heavy cream and vodka to one jar and you got vodka sauce. cook some ground sirloin add a jar and you have meat sauce, or take a jar, cook the beef add some cream and you have bolonaise sauce.. The canning method is called country canning I have never had a bad jar yet, and it keeps for 3 months. Problem is I use pasta a lot so my jars never last more then 6 weeks.
Great tips!
Quesadillas or huevos rancheros. Yum!
Love making homemade mac and cheese!
mmm, I love some miso soup and rice!
Definitely sweet chilli prawn stir fry- quick, cheap and DELICIOUS 🙂
Stuffed Shells is our favorite dish. mmmm
Steak! Always love a good steak recipe!
My new favorite thing is: swiss steak in the crockpot, served with mashed potatoes and rosemary bread. Yummo!!! Plus it makes for a fragrant home!
Any kind of pasta is my favorite because it’s so quick and easy!
My definitely favorite is mostacoli ,…yummy!
pasta with bacon peas and butter!
I love to make something in the crock pot because the house always smells so good when I get home from work!
probably spaghetti, because my husband loves it!
I love to cook and try out new recipes, but our Friday night stand by dinner is homemade pizza, so tasty, yet very easy to make! Yummy, looking forward to Friday night already!
My favorite thing to make is fajitas made with leftover rotisserie chicken, mushrooms, onion, and old el paso fajita seasoning. Add sour cream and cheese and we’re good to go. Pretty darn easy and a great use of the leftover chicken.
I like to make stromboli using thawed frozen bread dough and filling(s) of choice, including cheese. I serve heated pizza sauce for dipping.
My favorite thing to do is try new recipes so we don’t have a lot of repeats in my house but tacos are a favorite.
My favorite thing to make for dinner is chicken frajitas! So yummy!
My favorite thing to make is Baked Spaghetti…and this Marinara Sauce will be Amazing on it so Thank you!! Thank you also for the opportunity to win such a great Cookbook!! 🙂
My favorite dinner to make is baked chicken. It’s easy with lots of variations to keep things interesting.
My family’s favorite meal is a quick Firecracker Chicken Stir fry. The sauce is flavorful and I like that is filled with veggies my children will eat!
Any type of pasta dish, I could eat pasta every day!
My favorite thing is pasta of any kind with any sauce
Lately I am obsessed with quesadillas with leftover cafe rio pork!
We love having breakfast for dinner, blueberry pancakes!
spaghetti & meatballs!
I love to make tacos. They’re so easy and yummy.
One of my absolute favorites would be our greek salad. We make it for all the family get togethers and its always requested.
Fresh tomato soup or roasted tomato sauce when tomatoes are in season.
Chicken Saltimboca
I love to make beef stroganoff. :0)
Just made pasta with tuna (in oil) and peas (I have substituted various veggies in season of course!)
Love to make chicken enchiladas for me and my two boys
I love to make a brisket or roast chicken. Throw the meat, veggies and spices in the oven on a low temp, and forget about it for a few hours…:)
Love how simple this sauce is – never tried adding balsamic vinegar to sauce before but I’m sure it adds some nice tang. This is the type of easy recipe I need for busy weeknights. Looking forward to seeing Kelsey at her book signing in a few weeks in my neck of the woods.
it’s hard to pick just one thing i like to make. Quesadillas, frittatas, curries, and stir fries are probably at the top of the list!
This sauce looks wonderful and I will certainly try it.
My favorite thing to make for dinner is roast, noodles, and mashed potatoes. It makes the house smell sooo good!!
Anything on the Grill!
My favorite thing to make is stuffed zucchini boats – YUM!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is homemade pizza
Chicken and dumplings.
I love to make pasta for my favorite dinner.
chicken alfredo!
My go-to family dinner dish is fettuccine primavera with grilled chickens strips. Easy and delicious!
I made your chocolate muffins this weekend, they were delicious!
I love to make quick soups for dinner – chicken corn is my favorite because it’s light and healthy, but ultra comforting!
I love making a good hamburger hotdish! They’re my favorite and you’re left with lots of leftovers for the week!
YUM!
My favorite meal for dinner is usually something I can make in the crockpot, lately it’s been a lot of hearty soups such as taco soup or anything with butternut squash. I love what I see as a trend in making more homemade things such as sauces, taco seasoning, cake mixes, etc.
Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas. Yummmmm.
I love to do a taco bar so everyone can personalize.
This looks easy and good!!
I love to make chicken Marsala for my gang- everyone likes it and it’s not too hard.
My favorite thing to make for dinner is taco salad.
grilled fish and steamed veggies – quick and easy!
I love to make roast chicken for dinner.
pasta or tacos
Mt favorite thing to make for dinner is Creamy Parmesan Basil Chicken. Delicious and super easy. I also love the Classico brand jar sauces. They are the closest to home made that I have found. Will definitely try this recipe though. Sounds great!
Chicken & Dumplins! yum! I do agree with the store bought sauce being too sweet, I have started checking labels but I would much rather make my own! Thanks for the post!!
I love to make lasagna for weekend dinners! Cannot wait to try this sauce next weekend!
Favorite Dinner: Quick Skillet Pizza! Delicious!
I lovvvvveeeeeee spaghetti!!! I am definitely going to try this recipe.
My favorite meal to make is cheese enchiladas.
Pizza with goat cheese, tomato and basil or with sausage, mushroom, kalamata olives and red peppers.
Love this recipe! Simple and NO ADDED sugar!
My favorite go-to meal…in a hurry or just because it’s delicious is stir-fried chicken with tons of fresh veggies, served with brown rice. It’s quick and healthy!
Right now “Enchilada Pie”. I have never made my own marinara sauce! As I get older, I find I’m wanting to make homemade things that I’ve just always purchased pre-made. …this looks great! 🙂
Chicken tacos! We just don’t seem to get sick of them (:
Its a tie between lasagna soup and burgers. This cookbook sounds like the one for me since I try to get most things, including at least food prep if not cooking, done during my little guys nap time.
Any pasta dish rocks our house.
I love Cranberry Chicken and polenta!
Beef stroganoff!!
I love making bread and pizza!
So many choices but would have to be Spaghetti and Meatballs. Your Marinara sauce would be perfect for this dish.
I love making Spam Teriyaki. It is a delicious stirfry.
I love to make homemade lasagna!
Black bean and corn quesadillas-Easy, yummy and healthy!
Pasta is our favorite go to meal especially on a busy week night
Pasta Pasta Pasta My hubby is Italian and could eat some type of pasta every night!
Love home made sauce!!
My family loves tacos!
Our favorite go to meal is soup and the second favorite is stir fry. Both are so easy and yummy.
Perfect timing. I making grilled pizza tonight and am heading to kitchen to make this marinara sauce, I’m going to make Jessica’s @ Howsweetitis garlic bread pizza crust. Yum, y’all want to drop by dinner?
Actually, love a good marinara sauce like this. Thank you.
Eggs in a nest- eggs baked in a mashed potato “nest”. We usually mix cheese into the potatoes, but sometimes we’ll mix in vegetables as well.
Anything with chicken, garlic, artichokes and alfredo sauce.
Absolutely cannot wait to try this marinara sauce on our fav lasagna recipe, sounds amazing!
So many choices, but I would have to say a big pan of lasagna. That way not only do I have supper one night, but for another night too.
LOVE to make any type of pasta and chicken dish.
Any kind of pasta w/sauce
I love making homemade pizza….it’s the best! I haven’t made my own sauce yet, but i hope to do it some time soon!
Lately it’s been blackened chicken with olive tapenade on top.
Anything with curry!
Homemade pizza, with caramelized onions & peppers.
My favorite meal to make for my family is Chicken Parmagiana. I aould love that cookbook. Thanks for posting!
Banana Bread. Thanks!
This sauce looks so easy and yummy! Anything that has kale and pasta is a winner in my house at dinner time.
We make home made lasagne Starting with noodles and ending with homemade sauce. It is a process but OH SO worth it. Loving your blog by the way!
I LOVE to make pesto pasta with chicken and a side salad, or a handful of spinach on top of the pasta. Homemade pesto is the best, but I’ve used the jarred stuff before and it is still delicious!
I would love to use jarred marinara on those nights when I’m just too lazy to cook but then I feel so guilty, especially because making marinara isn’t that difficult.
On another note, my favorite thing to cook is pancetta fried rice with a sunny side egg on top. It’s my go-to lazy recipe since I can just throw in any veggies I have in the fridge.
Thanks for the giveaway, Lori.
Lately I’ve been into making stews and soups (hearty and filling and great leftovers).
Love to make homemade calzones
I love to make Taco Ring from The Pampered Chef … it helps that my almost 4 year old LOVES it!
Spaghetti. I will be trying that sauce.
Mexican Lasagana is our family go to. Same concept as Italian lasagana except with tortiallas, refried beans and cheddar cheese. Delish!
Creamed Chicken on biscuits…just like my grandmother used to make.
My favorite thing to make for dinner is also the easiest….spaghetti with marinara! I will try this recipe next time!
We like to make pepperoni Stromboli! So easy and it satisfies our pizza craving!
I love to make ravioli lasagna. The marinara sauce would be deliscious in it. Easy and family loves it.
Chicken park is a family fav! Can’t always squeeze it in on a weeknight, but hey, that’s why weekends are so special, right?
I love to make garlic chicken with penne pasta and mixed vegetables.
I love to cook mini chicken pie bowls (filling w/a puff biscuit) so my kids get their veggies and protein all in one!
I am really excited about this recipe! Since I think I have all of the ingredients in my cupboard, I think I will try it tonight!
tacos
My favorite is spaghetti and meatballs, so I will definitely try this sauce…
My husband and I have pasta for dinner about once a week, it’s one of our regulars. I admit to using bottled sauce too, though I’d much rather use this marinara recipe! I was under the impression that marinara had to be a slow cook sauce, so I’m looking forward to trying this.
I love to make roast chicken for dinner – it’s never boring, and so many different sides go with it. I could eat roast chicken every night, every season!
Anything with macaroni & cheese these days, that’s what my daughter loves the most!
I love to make Mexican for dinner especially Mexican sandwiches with fresh guacamole and salsa.
Pate Chinois – which is a French Canadian variation on Shepherd’s Pie. Ground beef, corn, and mashed potatoes (I add peas & carrots to the ground beef, for a veggie boost). Hearty, and it’s super easy when you use pre-made or leftover mashed potatoes.
I love homemade marinara!
My favorite thing to make is probably roast chicken with grilled veggies. Or anything in the good ol’ crock pot 🙂
My favorite dinner is enchiladas!
My husband and I really enjoy a dinner of Baked Garlic Chicken ,steamed vegetables and creamed spinach –soooo good! and the whole house smells
like the garlic chicken –yum!!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is spaghetti with a salad and garlic bread. I love pasta!
I have never met a pasta dish that I didn’t love. Your marinara sauce will make a great addition.
Anything that is quick and easy is my favorite thing to make !!!
Whole foods – not processed. Steamed frest vegetables, baked potato, baked chicken, fish, roast pork or beef.
Baked spaghetti! It’s become my recent warm comfort food during these colder damp evenings!
My most favorite thing to make for dinner is Homemade Enchiladas & Spanish Rice. Everything from scratch even the sauce. Make to have all the fixings and a tall glass or Horchata. Yummy
My favorite is also the easiest. Make whatever kind of pasta you like, add a couple of spoonfuls of Trader Joe’s pesto and some steamed asparagus. If you are really hungry, you can add some leftover chicken. Easy and yummy.
My favorite to cook for dinner is spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and a salad.
Brick chicken with mashed potatoes & roasted asparagus!
Looks great!!! Will definitely try this!
My husband loves anything pasta. I’m going to make this sauce today to go alson with pasta for our dinner, yummy!
HI!
I love your blog! My favorite food to make is a dish called “Pata de Puerco con con Frijoles y Papas” which translates to Pig Foot with Beans and Potatoes”. I don’t actually use pig foot, but use pork meat. My mom used to make this and now I make it for my family. It’s my children’s favorite meal!
One of my favorite things for an easy dinner is tacos.
Anything pasta! Even if it is just angel hair with butter and salt. Always looking for more recipes and this marinara looks easy as well as yummy. Might add some cooked pureed carrots to make it sweeter for my girls.
Something quick, like pork teaks, or something that stretches to feed our family of six, like spaghetti pie, or stuffed bread. Always looking for new ideas…..
Panini or frittata!
I love large batch cooking for the freezer so that I can pull something out at the last minute and have an awesome meal in a hurry! Tonight…Teal’s Mexican Chicken with Black Beans. We can either eat it over rice or spread it on a heated burrito shell for a yummy wrap. We LOVE it!
In winter, our favourite is braised beef. (Or chicken!). In summer, probably ditto, though grilled. I would be a bad vegetarian!
I love to make Good Seasons Italian chicken in a crock pot. Put several pieces of chicken with the skin on in a crock pot. Sprinkle one packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix evenly over the chicken, pop on the lid, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The aroma and chicken are to die for!! Enjoy.
I love to make anything Mexican! My favorite is chicken enchiladas with white green chile sauce.
favorite thing to make is farfalle pasta tossed in pesto with steamed cauliflower and grape tomatoes. fast, healthy and very good.
That is exactly the way I make my marina sauce. I can’t stand the sweetness of jarred!
I love making street tacos for dinner using left over grilled meat, corn tortillas, cilantro, onion and homemade guacomole!
Spicy ground turkey in lettuce wraps. My husband and I just completed a 21 day cleanse and are trying to focus more on clean eating. Just had these yesterday and mixed the turkey with red onions, red peppers, mushrooms, fresh olives, wrapped in romaine leaf. So good my 8 year old couldn’t get enough!
This sauce would be so good on my Italian Chicken-I get the Italian style chicken tenders, bake them and put them over spaghetti noodles with marinara.
I like to make new recipes all of the time! But, if I had to pick one, lasagna!
Spaghetti! Love spaghetti.
My family loves when I make Cornflake chicken.
Something on the grill……roasted veggies……and a great bottle of wine!
My family’s favorite is anything pasta!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is chicken enchiladas!! Love them!
roasted veggies with quinoa!
Any kind of pasta!
Love to make lasagna to share with neighbors, since I’m a widow. This recipe sounds so good!
I’m a Mama, and I need to start making better use of nap time!! This sounds like just the inspiration I need!
my family loves breakfast tacos for dinner…eggs, sausage and lots of cheese inside a warm toasty tortilla topped with salsa! supper quick and very kid-friendly, the boys love to make them too.
Fettuccine with roasted veggies and grebes goat cheese. Adds some fresh basil 15 minutes and you are done. Yum! Yum!
One of our favorite things to make is stir fry. The combinations are endless and it can be very healthy & VERY tasty.
Baked chicken with Ritz crackers and potato salad.
Short rib tacos with pickled red onions, salsa verde, and cohito cheese.
Black beans and brown rice is my favorite quick meal. Spiced up with taco seasonings, it’s easy, fast and nutritious.
We have so many favorites in our house! I’d have to say Spaghetti night is always popular!
I love making black beans & rice, with chopped onions or scallions, shredded sharp cheddar, & lots of salsa. It’s easy & quick to make, everything in it is good for you, & my whole family loves it (even my littlest picky eater!)
My family’s ‘s favorite dinner is Spaghetti (whole grain) with Sardines, Dill and Capers! It’s economical, healthy and delicious. I usually serve with a simple tossed green salad and a slice of herbal bread. Yummmm
Easy and fresh.
a great concept… fantastic images and delicious-sounding recipes. sign me up!
best
tv
SALMON!
Chicken and dumplings..the easy kind, is our go-to meal!
I love to make stuffed shells for dinner.
If my three year old has any say in it, we make “twirly” noodles and sauce! If I had to choose it would be beef and veggie enchilada casserole. It is easy to prep and I always make two (one to freeze).
My husband’s and my favorite meal is nachos. Ground beef and taco seasoning, with some yellow rice and shredded cheese, on top of tortilla chips. Mmm!
My fav meal to make for dinner is fajitas! So easy and delicious
My fave is a taco flavored shrimp dish served with corn & black bean salsa, mexican rice and lots of fresh cilantro. Yum!
I love to make Korean short ribs – cooking it low and slow always ensures that it turns out delicious!
I have several favorites: lasagna, beef stroganoff, and beef barley soup.
I am a pasta girl! I would fix it every night! My hubby is a hamburger guy, so it the Italian pasta group is a staple at our house!
Your sauce looks amazing!!!
Homemade individual pizzas are a great go-to when everyone wants something a little different!
I love to make Lasagna for dinner with buttery garlic knots! My daughter loves it too!
Sheopard’s pot pie, Mmmmm good!! Made with ground chuck and ooey gooey cheesy potatoes, oh and cant forget the green beans in between!! 🙂
Oh and I am Italian, so I know my sauces (gravy). Keep them coming.
Anything from your blog. It has helped me loose 47 lbs. I’m one of those that wasn’t going to give up.
I am 63 yrs old so it is possible!!!!!!
Yoga, W.W. and your recipes???? PRICELESS.
That is so very sweet of you to say… I’m so happy you are finding it useful!!
I love to make anything mexican or asian inspired. If it can be made quickly in the crockpot, even better.
I love making pasta or tacos for dinner because they are so easy to make and add veg to.
My fav thing to make for dinner is spaghetti! That marinara sauce recipe will really come in handy.
A nice juicy pot roast.
Pasta of some sort is always a good go-to dinner.
I love to make turkey and spinach meatballs. It’s a recipe from food blog skinny taste.com that I’ve adapted slightly. My entire family loves it and it’s healthy.
I love the Marinara sauce today! My favorite dish depends on the time of the year when its cold I love chili but hot summer day a good taco salad is wonderful.
I love making eggplant parmasian to go with the sauce and speghetti
enjoying my morning cuppa as I ponder”making my own” which sounds delish esp with the balsalmic:)
My favoite “go to” dinner is speghetti or tacos. Can’t wait to try this maranara sauce – bet it would be good with garden fresh tomatoes. 🙂
Being Italian this will be a delicious recipe for my family.
Lois Ramaeker
My family loves any dish with chicken!
My favorite thing to make is slow cooler Italian shredded beef and baked cheesy hash browns.
Quick vegetable pastas are one of my favorite things to make for dinner. Quickly sauteeing some veggies with garlic is all it takes.
baked salmon with a teriyaki (?sp) sauce topped with toasted panko crumbs. Broil at the end and it’s delicious and EASY.
My favorite thing to make for dinner is enchilladas. My family likes them several different ways so there is a lot of variety.
My new favorite thing to make for dinner is a recent addition to my dinner recipes – Penne Alfredo with Broccoli and Bacon
I love a roast chicken. Great for dinner and then easy to shred and use for other meals later. Thomas Keller’s simple roast chicken recipe is the best – so easy, moist, and delicious!
We love Tex-Mex: salsa, guacamole, quesadillas, tacos…YUM!
I love to make chili and homemade bread or homemade chicken noodle soup!
I love making roasted chicken with steamed veggies.
Our go to is normally burrito/soft taco related. Sometimes with meat sometimes just beans and rice. Super easy.
CHILI!!!!! Oh my gosh, we looooove chili. Sour cream, cheese, onions.. the WORKS!
Stuffed peppers! I started with the cooking light recipe, but have changed it up a lot.
We love spaghetti for dinner! I will definitely try this recipe!
My favorite thing to make is parmesan crusted chicken with sundried tomato alfredo. – YUM!
Hmm… my favourite thing to cook for dinner would be breakfast, lol. But otherwise any sort of potato dish is good!
i love to make big batches of pinto beans in my slow cooker.
My favorite thing to make for dinner is veggie lasagna! yumm!
Right now I am loving roasted vegetables.
Spaghetti – can’t wait to try this sauce!
this is a hard question cause I really like to cook but I am going to say soup, I like to make soup…
I love to make crock pot chicken parmesan!
We love to make breakfast for dinner
I love making pizza for dinner.
Currently I could really use the book, so my favourite thing to make is something that goes in the slowcooker – I can make it between the little one’s meals without it being cold by dinner time, and I can break in the middle of what I’m doing if she fusses.
When I can cook again, I’m looking forward to making plain and simple curried lentils again.
I love to make gnocchi with homemade red gravy and fresh Italian on the side.
I could use a nap myself!! Tonight it’s pasta with canned alfredo sauce. Not my favorite, but quick and easy!
Chicken Parmesan Casserole! In fact, I’ve got some in the oven right now!
My favorite dinner to make is homemade pizza. Everyone loves it!
My favorite thing to make/eat for dinner is a nice, hearty pot of beef stew.
Looks fabulous! and so easy too, thanks for sharing!
Our fave dinner option is chicken enchiladas, with all the trimmings of course. Great way to use leftover chicken.
Love it! I tried it today and added just a teaspoon of sugar (I seem to put sugar in everything! :))) and it was light and absolutely delicious.
Pasta is always the quick meal in our home!!!!
Chicken Parmesan
My current favorite thing to make for dinner is salad- throw all kinds of goodies in there and meld flavors!
My favorite dinner to prepare would be something with
pasta!
I try to keep fresh vegetables in our refridge all the time: asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc. so we always have an instant side available. Add just a little olive oil, s&p toss and throw into oven for 20 -30 min. and you have a side. I also have boneless, skinless,chicken breasts season and saute. We eat a lot of rice. These are quick, easy and tasty and you can easily make a pan sauce after sauting your chicken.
I love Pizza Night!! I make the crusts and provide tons of toppings so the whole family is happy with their own creations!!
Spaghetti here too. I’m not actually a big fan of it, although my family really likes it. I need some new tricks! This book looks great!
I love to make Parmesan crusted turkey cutlets. They are super easy and my hubby’s absolute favorite.
My favorite thing to make is typical Kaesespaetzle which is a delicious German dish!
Potato soup with French bread that we dip in olive oil. Love that for a cold winter day.
My favorite is probably hummus melts . . .hummus on top of bagels or flat-outs w/ spinach, tomatoes and cheese, then broiled in the oven (long enough for the cheese to melt). Everyone loves it and it’s done in a flash! This sauce looks delish!
Tonight is tortellini soup, herb bread and mint brownies. DD is coming home from college and that was her request!!
I have 3 favorites-quesadillas, meatloaf and potatoes, and mac and cheese-all comfort food. I am always looking for ideas.
I have a great chicken florentine sauce that we put over pasta. So good!
spaghetti or tacos
I really like to cook soups, but even better I like to make chicken-n-dumplings. Good old comfort food. Great on those days of cold and rainy days.
I love to make spaghetti, both my and my husbands favorite meal.
I love to make soup in the slow cooker. I put it together in the morning, then come home after work to a house that smells delicious and dinner that is ready.
Homemade macaroni and cheese, nothing like comfort food 🙂
Fajitas!
One of my favorite things to make for dinner is mesquite lime chicken with oven risotto and oven roasted green beans
Making one of my husband’s favorites tonight, Chicken A La King over rice. Yummy!
I love making homemade pizza…in fact, it’s our favorite Friday night meal, and the dough is rising now!
Food & Wine mag.’s Pretzle Encrusted Chicken. Easy and delicious.
i love making tofu with peanut sauce for rice for dinner!
Crockpot Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches is my go-to favorite dinner!
My favorite thing to make for dinner are spaghetti and lasagna 🙂
I love her! Would definitely love her cookbook. My favorite dinner to make is chicken parmesan. It’s my husband’s favorite food and he loves to help me make it so we have a good time in the kitchen making a delicious meal.
We love making Orzo with butter and veggies for dinner!
Lately tacos have been a big hit around here.
My favorite thing to make is spaghetti. Everyone likes it!
That’s a great idea for a cookbook! I love making soup for dinner. It’s always comforting.
Hi Lori! Thanks for hosting the giveaway! My favorite thing to make for dinner is tilapia, lightly sauteed and served on a salad with our special sauce! Blessings from Bama!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is breakfast for dinner – french toast and pancakes are my specialty! 🙂
That looks delish! I may never buy jarred sauce again. I love to make Mexican food for dinner. There are so many ways to go with it and it’s often reasonably low in fat. Our favorite are spicy bean burritos.
I love making chili!!
I have really been enjoying trying new recipes a couple of times a week. Just made the Paleo Shepherd’s Pie (from Elana’s Pantry)-DELICIOUS! Will definitely be making this marinara sauce!
We like to make lasagna or baked spaghetti.
I love making veggie-ful pasta dishes and would love to win her book!
Guilty too! I need to start making my own sauce. Thanks for sharing!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is pasta!
Homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, so yummy! Life is Good 🙂
Spaghetti or lasagna,hands down!!!!!
Anything pasta for dinner!
My favorite thing to make is pizza- there are so many options! It was the first meal my kids helped me make.
I have three very picky eaters, and pasta is always a hit, so I’ll have to choose pasta. A close second is tacos since they can be customized to taste.
I have a 10-wk-old so our meals have become a bit haphazard. Anything I can prep after she goes to bed and then just toss together the next day, like fajitas or a quick casserole, has become my go-to.
i love anything mexican!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is always always always spaghetti with meatballs!
My go-to is pasta since my boys will eat it with little griping 🙂 I sneak veggies in every way I can
My favorite thing to make for dinner is chicken enchiladas…they make the house smell so darn good!
quesadillas or pasta are our go-to meals, along with a quick green salad.
Chicken, asparagus and basalmic salad. I’m eating leftovers of it right now!
Pasta would be one of our favourite dinners. My wife is gluten free, and so many store bought sauces contain gluten, I’ve been experimenting with pasta sauces for a while now (don’t worry, we buy gluten free pasta for her). I’ll be trying this Marinara Sauce next time!
Thanks for sharing this Lori.
favorite thing to make for dinner is anything my family will eat 🙂
My go-to is soup. Throw some veggies, beans/grains, and homemade stock in a pot with whatever I feel like, and goodness always happens. 🙂
Yummy! Very simple recipe, must try this!
As always thanks for all the great recipe ideas!
<3
Our favorite EASY dinner is chicken fried rice– and sometimes we even cheat and get the Trader Joe’s mix and add extra egg and chicken!
I like making crock-pot meals best for convenience sake.
My favorite thing to make is chicken breasts in the crockpot with Philadelphia cooking creme. Then shred, and serve over pasta.
pizza
My stuffed meatloaf! It can be prepped in seconds and just popped in the oven.
Tacos! So quick and everyone can customize their own and avoid whatever they don’t like
WOW! Makes me want to eat some chicken parmigiana.
Grilled steak or chicken! Easy and yummy!
Anything easy that my kids will eat!
My fav things to make for dinner is black bean chili with all the fixins. Thanks!
My favorite thing to make for dinner would be chicken fettuccine alfredo!
I love BBQ bone in chicken breasts with roasted sweet potatoes!
Favorite dinner – Sunshine Salad – Romaine Lettuce, pecans, blue cheese, red onions, and cherry tomatoes with a poppy seed dressing. Love your blog!
I’ve been looking for a good but EASY marinara sauce. This looks great. Will def try! I like the idea of adding some red wine.
We’ve got three go-to basics at the moment – Fettuccine Alfredo, Benihana-style fried rice, and Japanese curry – but I’m always on the lookout for fun new things to try.
I rarely make the same thing twice (I’m a glutton for punishment!) but my favorite is when we have breakfast for dinner!
Hmmm….. My Favorite Thing to Make for Dinner Would be: Spicy Marinated Chicken (Jerk Chicken, Sriracha Tenders, Buffalo Chicken Tenders) with a Roasted Vegetable (Broccoli, Cauliflower or Brussels) and Sweet Potato Fries or Potato Salad.
I love to make and eat homemade soups.
I love making lasagna.
I’m boring… Roast Chicken because then I can parlay that into so many other things throughout the week. 🙂
Anything I can make in my crockpot is my favorite – ie Italian Chicken
I love to make paninis for dinner! There are so many yummy combinations that it’s easy to please everybody!
I have that exact same garlic press!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is anything Mexican, though lately I’ve been on a pizza and panini kick.
Lately, I’ve been stuck on pasta for dinner … I try to mix it up, but it usually ends up being some combination of pasta, white sauce, chicken, and a veggie.
Chicken Stir fry has been my family favorite lately. I can’t wait to try this sauce with my favorite pasta dish Baked Ziti 🙂
I definitely love soft tacos. It’s such an easy and customizable meal, and it’s fun to eat!
Tacos because they are so fast and the kids love them!
I don’t know if I have 1 favorite thing to make. But I discovered an easy dinner idea. Pesto chicken. It’s chicken coated in shake n bake topped with pesto and mozzerella cheese. YUM!
Lentil soup, fish and vegetables for us.
I love to make tacos- from bbq & baked beans to tacos al pastor!
Chicken Paprika from the Dinosaur BBQ Cookbook. It’s the best!
Stir fry is my favorite go to – you can update it based on the vegetable in season and I love sesame oil. Yum
Tacos or pastaaaaa!!
Lasagna is my favorite go-to dinner!
Usually dinner for us varies weekly, however lately we have been stuck on Fish Taco’s and our version of black beans (we have been using dark red kidney beans with our black bean recipe). That with Mango Salsa. We just cannot seem to get enough lately!! And of course a good beer to wash it all down 😉
It has to be my husbands favorites……corned beef and cabbage or baked chicken wings. My favorite are eggs of any kind!
My favorite thing to cook for dinner is chicken broccoli alfredo because everyone eats it without any complaints!
My current favorite thing to make for dinner is a healthier version of eggplant parmesan with the eggplant portion baked instead of fried.
OOPS! My favorite thing to make for dinner is grilled chicken & a simple salad 🙂
My Kids love Homemade Chicken Parmesana!!!!!
I am definitely going to try this. I always use jarred sauce as a base & “dress it up”…..thanks for sharing! The cookbook sounds awesome. Can’t wait until yours comes out; I am going to do a giveaway on my blog when it does! 🙂
My go to meal is talapia with crabmeat on top, salad, wild rice.
My favourite go-to meal is definetly pasta with chicken and veggies…the sauce is always an adventure because I end up using whatever we have in the pantry or fridge! Last night was cream cheese and balsamic dressing and it was delicious. I have a toddler – so would love that cookbook!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is taco salad.
My favorite thing to serve for dinner? Anything my husband cooks!
My favorite go-to meal is roast with veggies cooking in the crockpot – super easy and time saving.
My favorite thing to make for dinner is a big pot of hearty soup or stew…feeds the whole family and is great for leftovers. I always have crusty, warm bread on the side, too!
We love breakfast for dinner… Shakshouka or poached eggs with asparagus and truffle salt to name a few!
Left to my own devices, I’d eat italian food like this yummy sauce most nights. My husband on the other hand could live off mexican/tex-mex food of all varieties. It makes for some interesting dinner wars. 🙂
Corn chowder is my favorite thing right now. Mmmm, delish 🙂
Stir fry! Easy and delicious, and so much you can do with it!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is smothered chicken: peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheese on top of a yummy chicken breast, roasted in the oven. We frequently have it with rice and veggies. Yummy stuff.
That sauce looks great. I’d love to get to try out the cookbook. :] Thanks!
i like to make macaroni
my favorite thing to make for dinner is simple spaghetti!
Our “go to” meal is Emeril’s Kicked Up Tomato Sauce….always a hit in our house, except when one time when we used wholewheat pasta…Gag!
Risotto is my favorite thing to make for dinner, all kinds of it. This sauce looks amazing! I love a rich homemade marinara sauce!
My favorite thing to make for dinner is: anything in the crockpot. I love to fix it and forget it. Makes me really feel like I have my act together at dinner time!
wow! looks delicious!! thanks for the post and i’d love to have this!! xoxo
My go to meal is usually a quesadilla… it is a good way to use up whatever leftovers I have and it always has a new taste… Yumm-O!! I would love to win the cookbook!! I need some help!
I’m of Italian descent and I’ve been making sauce since I’m a little girl (we call it gravy, where I’m originally from in the Bronx!) I love that this recipe calls for some balsamic – and I will definitely give it a try to mix up my usual marinara! Thanks for the post!
My favorite thing to make is homemade pizza! There are so many different combinations you can put together and I love trying new ones! 🙂
This marinara sauce is great! I’m a big fan of the Classico brand as well, but I always feel guilty not making sauce from scratch.
My favorite thing to make for dinner is risotto.
Pasta wit peas, leeks, and proscuitto…my whole family enjoys it! 🙂
I love making sauce! It’s so much better than jarred and not too hard to make plus it makes the house smell great!
Wow, I really love that! Guilty, too, of the jarred sauces – but I am always looking for a way to spice them up. I will definitely be trying this! Maybe tonight. Oh, and, me to on that snooze thing!!
I love making jazzed up salads-the more goodies in there, the better!
I think I will try the marinara sauce on vege pizza. I think my kids will love it. Love new recipes always trying something new 🙂
A little red wine would accent this marinara sauce perfectly!
Quesadillas! Working full-time means we need something fairly quick and easy and these can be made with a ton of different ingredients.
spaghetti is def our go-to favorite!