Mushroom Free Tomato Sauce (Marinara)
A great marinara is one of those foundational recipes that makes everything else in the kitchen click into place. This version keeps things beautifully simple — San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand, golden-toasted garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and fresh basil stirred in at the very end for brightness. The hand-crushing step is a small thing that makes a real difference, giving the sauce a rustic, uneven texture that clings to pasta far better than anything blitzed smooth. Simmering uncovered lets the color deepen from vivid red to a rich brick tone, which is your visual cue that the flavors have concentrated and mellowed just right. For anyone navigating a mushroom-free diet, this sauce is a genuinely safe and satisfying option — every ingredient is clean and straightforward, with zero risk of hidden fungi sneaking in the way they can in jarred or restaurant versions. A finishing drizzle of olive oil rounds everything out with a silky, almost luxurious quality that makes the whole pot taste like it took far more effort than it did. Spoon it over pasta, use it as a pizza base, or keep a batch in the fridge all week — it earns its place every single time.
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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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