Spaghetti Marinara
Simple, quick and classic, this reliable favourite is a go-to dinner option that belongs in any home cook’s repertoire. With only 9 ingredients - fresh, bold flavours and between just 15-20 minutes needed to prepare, it’s no wonder this timeless dish is so popular!
For as long as I can remember, Italian cuisine has been one of my favourites. I love lasagna, cannelloni, ravioli, cannoli, gelato and of course, the innumerous pasta and sauce combinations. When asked what I wanted for dinner as a child, my answer would always be an excited shout of “Pasta, sauce and cheese!”. In fact, I remember feeling so passionately about the subject at the time that I told my family I wanted to marry an Italian man when I grew up so that he could cook for me everyday…Something I had considered to be a rather wise decision at the time. Thinking back on that now I always laugh, since 4 year old me actually thought it was a solid idea to choose a life partner based on what recipes they knew. And whilst I question that logic now and consequently find myself no longer heart-set on an Italian man, my love for Italian food still remains. And this fantastic “pasta, sauce and cheese” recipe is still one of my favourites. :)
I think you would struggle to find someone who hasn’t in their lifetime tried some variation of spaghetti with classic red marinara sauce. Whether you had it on the table growing up or tried it at your local Italian restaurant, this delightful dish is famed the world over and in my opinion, a must know for any home cook.
One of the best things about this meal is that it makes use of common household ingredients like pasta, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, onion and simple herbs and seasonings. Like most traditional European food, it takes just a few select ingredients and lets the natural flavours of the produce shine.
Another fantastic aspect of all pasta dishes, including this one, is that they come together so quickly. It’s simply a matter of boiling your pasta, throwing together your sauce and then combining the two. The whole process rarely lasts more than 20 minutes from start to finish, which is probably the main reason why dishes like this have become so common in most households as a busy weeknight dinner fix and next day lunch.
And with such fresh and healthy ingredients, vivid colours and mouth-watering flavours, it really is no wonder this dish is so persistently popular, generation after generation.
So if you want to go back to basics and finally learn how to ace this enduring and virtually essential home cook’s recipe, read on!
CONTENTS OF THIS RECIPE POST
I always recommend reading the entire post to get the best understanding of the recipe, helpful tips, information about ingredients, storage advice etc. Here’s an overview of what topics are covered in this recipe post :)
WHAT INGREDIENTS GO INTO SPAGHETTI MARINARA?
Spaghetti
The pasta paired with this marinara sauce is spaghetti. You might be wondering why that’s the case and if you can substitute any type of pasta in this recipe. To find out, check out the section in this post called “Why Spaghetti?”.
Garlic & Brown Onion
Work together to create the base flavour in this sauce.
Olive Oil
Is needed to sauté the garlic, brown onion and tomato paste.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the main ingredient of this marinara recipe, giving the sauce its signature bright red colour and core flavour. You can use either canned pureed tomatoes, canned whole tomatoes or fresh tomatoes. For more information on selecting the right tomatoes, see the “Choosing the Best Tomatoes” section of this post.
Tomato Paste
Adding a couple tablespoons of tomato paste strengthen’s the flavour of the sauce and is my secret tip to achieving the best, bold-flavoured marinara.
HERBS AND SEASONINGS
Dried Oregano
It is customary to add dried oregano to a marinara sauce when cooking.
Dried Mixed Herbs
I like to put a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs into my marinara for another touch of flavour. I buy my dried mixed herb seasoning at the supermarket, but if you can’t find any or don’t have it on hand you can omit this ingredient.
Salt and Pepper
Whenever preparing pasta, salting the water that your pasta is cooking in is absolutely crucial to prevent your pasta from tasting bland. I also add salt and pepper to the marinara sauce.
OPTIONAL
Crushed Chilli Flakes
To give some heat to your marinara sauce, you can easily add some crushed chilli flakes when sautéing your garlic.
Sugar
You may like to add just a little white or brown sugar to your marinara sauce if you feel it is needed to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
GARNISHES
Basil
A traditional marinara is always garnished with fresh basil leaves.
Parmigiano Reggiano
Grated or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano is the perfect finishing touch to this spaghetti marinara. It’s the classic choice and a personal favourite of mine for this dish, however you can choose to use whichever cheese you like best.
COOKING TIP: A good way to strengthen the sauce’s flavour even more is to add some tomato paste - something I always do when making my marinara!
NO SUGAR?
A marinara is all about the fresh, bold flavour of the tomato, accentuated by the herbs and other subtle additions to the sauce. Many people choose to add some white or brown sugar to their marinara sauce for added sweetness and/or to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. However, I find cooking tomatoes really brings out their natural sweetness and I don’t feel the need for added sugar in this recipe. I also believe that if you are using high-quality tomatoes, the sauce should not be so acidic that it requires sugar to balance out the flavours. But what I recommend doing is giving your sauce a try and if you feel it could use a little sweetness, add some sugar to your tastes.
CHOOSING THE BEST TOMATOES
The most integral component of this recipe is the tomatoes. They really are the star of this dish when it comes to flavour, so whether you’re opting to use canned or fresh, you’ll want to make sure that they’re high quality. For this reason, I always opt to use fresh. locally grown and organic tomatoes. If your preference is to use canned, then remember that the best canned tomatoes should be just that - canned tomatoes. Some may also have citric acid or salt, but check the label before you buy and steer clear of the added sugars, colours and other strange ingredients found in some varieties. It’s also a good idea to doucle-check that the cans are BPA free :)
COOKING TIP: Make sure to ALWAYS salt your pasta water. This seasons the pasta as it cooks and prevents it from tasting bland.
WHY SPAGHETTI?
There are so many different varieties of pasta out there. Penne, fusilli, tagliatelle, spaghetti, orecchiette and the list goes on…and on…and on. Whether they look like bowties, little seashells or corkscrews, the options seem endless! So how do you know which pasta is best to use with the sauce that you’re making?
And does it even make a difference if you were to use say farfalle or orecchiette instead of spaghetti for your marinara?
Well yes actually, it does. That’s because the different pasta types were made for good reason and serve a subtle but crucial role in making the hero of your dish (the sauce!) shine.
For this recipe, the marinara sauce is more smooth than textured and mostly comprised of tomato rather than varied meat or vegetable chunks, so the lighter, delicate sauce best suits a thin, long noodle like spaghetti.
HOW TO PROPERLY SAUCE YOUR PASTA:
I know most people would simply pop their pasta on the plate and scoop the sauce on top, however the traditional Italian way of saucing pasta is a little different and involves entirely coating every strand of pasta in the sauce.
This involves a little time coordination as you need to make sure that your sauce is ready to go at the same time as your pasta. When your pasta is just on the cusp of being cooked, you’ll need to take it out of the water and place it into the pan with your marinara sauce, tossing in the sauce to finish. It’s perfectly fine if a bit of the water the pasta was cooking in ends up in the sauce as you make the transfer as this will actually help thicken up the marinara a little and is oftentimes added deliberately to pasta sauces for this purpose. Once you have successfully combined the two, you simply add to the plate, garnish and serve. That way, the pasta is entirely coated in the sauce and you’re sure to get some in every bite :)
If you end up having your sauce ready before your pasta is done, you can simply turn the heat to low, to keep the sauce warm while you wait. Or if the opposite occurs and you have your pasta ready first, just drain it while you wait (making sure to reserve some pasta water just in case you end up needing it for the sauce). This will help to ensure the pasta doesn’t overcook while you take the time to finish your sauce. If it goes cold, not to worry! It’ll heat up again once added to the warm sauce.
SERVING TIP: If you want pasta to retain its heat, serve it in a bowl - not a plate. It’ll cool down faster in a plate.
MEAL PREP AND STORAGE
This recipe is great for dinner and if you have any leftovers - a next day lunch too.
Just store in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat the following day by warming in a saucepan over low to medium heat.
VIDEO
RECIPE
Spaghetti Marinara
Serves: 4
Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy / Beginner
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INGREDIENTS
FOR PASTA
1 tbsp salt
400g spaghetti
4 litres of water
FOR MARINARA SAUCE
3 tbsps olive oil
1 brown onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can (28oz / 800g) pureed or whole tomatoes OR 12 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp mixed herbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
OPTIONAL
1/4 tsp chilli flakes, or to taste
1-2 tsp(s) brown or white sugar, or to taste
GARNISHES
Fresh basil leaves
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated or shaved
METHOD
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over low heat, then add onion and turn heat to medium, sautéing for around 3 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
Add garlic (and chilli flakes, if using) and sauté for 30 seconds. Turn heat to medium high, then add the tomato paste and sauté for a further 30 seconds, stirring frequently, to ensure the tomato paste doesn’t burn. You can add a dash of water if need be to loosen the tomato paste from the pan.
Add tomatoes and their juices to the saucepan and bring to a high simmer, uncovered, then reduce to a simmer and add oregano, mixed herbs, salt and pepper; and stir to incorporate. If desired, also add some sugar and stir to incorporate. Continue to simmer the sauce, stirring often, until it has thickened and reduced, (around 8 - 12 minutes). If you are using fresh, chopped tomatoes or whole canned tomatoes, rather than pureed, the tomatoes should break down as they cook, but if you like, you can gently crush them down with your cooking spoon until they reach the desired consistency.
While the sauce is cooking, season a large pot of boiling water with salt, bring to a boil and add spaghetti, cooking according to packet directions.
Once the spaghetti is just cooked and the marinara sauce is ready, transfer the pasta from the pot to the saucepan using tongs or a pasta fork, turn the heat down to low and toss the spaghetti in the sauce until entirely coated.
Serve in bowls garnished with fresh basil leaves and grated or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
STORAGE: Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated the following day in a saucepan over low to medium heat.
If you tried this recipe…
I’d love to know!
Please leave a comment below letting me know your thoughts on this spaghetti marinara recipe :)
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