Breastfeeding Friendly Tomato Sauce (Marinara)
A good homemade marinara is one of those kitchen staples that quietly makes everything better, and this version is genuinely hard to beat. San Marzano tomatoes, slowly simmered with golden garlic and a handful of torn basil, produce a sauce that's rich, bright, and deeply satisfying without a single unnecessary ingredient. When you're nursing, keeping tabs on what goes into your food matters, and this recipe makes that easy — every component is whole and recognizable, with no hidden additives or preservatives to second-guess. The gentle simmer does the heavy lifting, coaxing the tomatoes into a deeper, brick-red sauce that tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did. A finishing drizzle of olive oil adds a silky richness that pulls the whole thing together beautifully. Toss it with pasta, spoon it over roasted vegetables, or use it as a base for a quick weeknight bake — this is the kind of sauce you'll want to keep in steady 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)
- 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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