MSG Free Tomato Sauce (Marinara)
A great marinara should taste like tomatoes, garlic, and nothing else — and that's exactly what this one delivers. Store-bought jarred sauces are notorious for hiding flavor enhancers and additives that can be hard to spot on a label, so making your own from scratch is the cleanest way to know exactly what's in the pot. San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand, give the sauce a rustic, chunky texture that no blender or food processor can replicate. Sliced garlic blooms slowly in olive oil with a pinch of red pepper flakes, building a fragrant, deeply savory base before the tomatoes ever hit the pan. A long, unhurried simmer transforms the sauce from bright and sharp to a rich, brick-red depth that coats pasta beautifully. Torn fresh basil and a final drizzle of olive oil stirred in off the heat keep everything tasting vibrant and alive. Simple, honest, and completely free of anything you didn't put there yourself.
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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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