Dairy Free Classic Marinara Sauce
A great marinara is one of those sauces that makes everything taste more alive — and this one is built entirely on pantry staples that happen to be naturally free of dairy. No butter, no cream, no parmesan stirred in at the end. Just good olive oil, San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil doing exactly what they were meant to do. The technique here is what sets it apart. Slowly coaxing the garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil before the tomatoes ever hit the pan builds a deeply fragrant base that carries through every bite. Crushing the whole peeled tomatoes by hand right in the pan keeps the texture rustic and a little uneven — which is exactly how a proper marinara should feel. After a 20-minute simmer, the sauce thickens just enough to coat pasta without turning heavy or paste-like, and a handful of torn basil stirred in at the end keeps it bright and fresh. It's the kind of sauce that works on everything from spaghetti to pizza to a crusty piece of bread, and you'll want to keep a batch in the fridge all week.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp granulated sugar (optional)
- 6 fresh basil leaves, torn
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely — garlic can brown quickly and will turn bitter.
- 2
Pour the canned tomatoes and their juices into the pan. Using a potato masher or fork, crush the tomatoes into rough, uneven pieces directly in the pan.
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