Seed Oil Free Tomato Sauce (Marinara)
A great marinara lives or dies by its fat, and this one leans entirely on extra-virgin olive oil — no canola, no soybean oil, no mystery blends hiding in the background. That single swap is exactly what makes this sauce a clean, seed-oil-free staple you can feel good about ladling over everything. San Marzano tomatoes get crushed by hand for a rustic, uneven texture that holds up beautifully through a slow simmer, deepening from bright red to a rich brick tone as the flavors concentrate. Thinly sliced garlic blooms gently in the warm oil alongside red pepper flakes, building a savory, fragrant base before the tomatoes ever hit the pan. A finishing drizzle of olive oil and torn fresh basil stirred in off the heat give the sauce a glossy, aromatic lift that no bottled version can replicate. This is the kind of recipe you make once and then keep in your back pocket forever — simple enough for a weeknight, good enough to serve to anyone.
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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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