Back in kindergarten, marinara sauce or tomato sauce was made of ketchup, butter, more sugar and milk. Looking back, it seems unbelievable that something like that was fed to toddlers. As for me, times have definitely changed and I don’t but neither ketchup nor sugar nor butter nor milk in my marinara sauce. Homemade marinara sauce is a simple concoction of tomatoes, herbs, and garlic – the fresher the better. If you’re short of time, getting a good quality marinara sauce at the store is of course just as feasible. However, making it yourself is super rewarding: you can control what goes in it and make it exactly to how you like it.

When I lay out my meal plan for the week ahead and I opt for a few meals that benefit from a marinara sauce that is rich in flavor, I cook up a huge batch. It keep well refrigerated for a couple of days. If you have space in your freezer, I even recommend cooking a huge batch and freezing some for later.

As outlined above, tomato sauce is incredibly versatile. It can be used for

• Anything Italian really such as
  • Pizza
  • Pasta
  • Risotto (marinara sauce instead of broth is great for adding extra flavour
• Sauce for Eggplants such as Eggplant Meatballs
• Russian Borsh Recipes such as my favorite one from Oh She Glows

This Marinara Sauce recipe requires very little equipment:

• Measuring cups such as Klee Utensils 10-Piece Colorful Stainless Steel Measuring Cups (affiliate link)
• My favorite food container Prep Naturals Glass Meal Prep Containers (affiliate link) or if you want to freeze some of the sauce
• Freezer-friendly bags such as Glad Food Storage and Freezer 2 in 1 Zipper Bags (affiliate link)

Depending on where you live, you might not find the following ingredients readily available at your local store. I recommend Amazon for the following ingredients:

• Nutritional yeast (affiliate link)

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #theveganprepper. I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

Print Recipe

Marinara Sauce - THE meal prep essential

Easy, 1-pot marinara sauce that's rich in flavor, color and nutrients. Simply seasoned, cooked low and slow during a prep session, and perfect for many dishes during a meal prepped week!

Cuisine: gluten-free, grain-free, Italian, Vegan

Keyword: 10 ingredient or less, 30 minutes or less, marinara sauce, tomato sauce

Servings: 7 1/2 cups

Equipment

• 1 pot or sauce pan

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic minced
• 2 28-ounce cans peeled crushed or diced tomatoes without salt if where you live, "tomate frito" exists, use this
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp maple syrup optional/skip if using tomate frito
• 3/4-1 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flake increase according to preference
• 1-3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3-4 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup parsley or basil combining parsley and basil or even parsley and cilantro will also work

Instructions

• Heat a large pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add oil and garlic. Sauté briefly for 1 minute, stirring frequently, until barely golden brown. Then add tomatoes, oregano, maple syrup, salt, and pepper flake.

  Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add parsley and/or basil and stir. Cook for 5 minutes more.Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, oregano or basil for freshness/herbed flavor, pepper flake for heat, or maple syrupr for sweetness.

  Add nutritional yeast and tomato paste.

  If the sauce has thickened too much at this point, thin with a little water. Although I prefer mine thicker and leave it on the thick/chunky side.Serve with your favorite Italian dishes