Low Sugar Tomato Sauce (Marinara)
A great marinara doesn't need much — and this one proves it. Slow-cooked garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes come together into a deeply savory, brick-red sauce that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. The only sweetener in the entire recipe is a half-teaspoon of granulated sugar marked optional, used purely to balance any natural sharpness in the tomatoes if needed — not to make the sauce taste sweet. That kind of restraint is exactly what sets a homemade sauce apart from the jarred versions, which often sneak in surprising amounts of added sugar. Finishing with torn fresh basil and a drizzle of good olive oil keeps every element clean and intentional. Whether you're spooning it over pasta, using it as a pizza base, or dipping crusty bread straight into the pan, this is the kind of sauce worth keeping in your regular rotation.
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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)
Can be omittedgranulated sugar
- 6 fresh basil leaves, torn
For finishing
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Instructions
- 1
Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl and crush them by hand until broken into rough, uneven pieces — some chunks are fine.
- 2
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is pale golden and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Watch closely, as the garlic can brown quickly.
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