Gluten-free Marinara Sauce

Reasons you’ll love this recipe.

• It uses pantry ingredients. All you need are canned crushed tomatoes, olive oil, Italian seasoning, onions, garlic, and red wine. The wine is optional, but I’ll talk more about that in a minute.
• Delicious flavor in less than 45 minutes. This sauce doesn’t need to simmer all day to get that deep rich flavor. 
• You can use it in various Italian recipes. This sauce will work perfectly in any recipe that calls for jarred marinara or spaghetti sauce.
• Naturally gluten-free and vegan. No sneaky ingredients when you make homemade marinara sauce.
• Make-ahead. This recipe comes together fast, but it also can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for the week or frozen to use in future recipes. 

Ingredients

Canned crushed tomatoes. My favorite way to make homemade marinara is with all crushed tomatoes, it’s the perfect texture and flavor. However, you can use a mix of crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato puree, and tomato sauce. I typically save the tomato sauce and puree for Sunday Sauce. But, use what you have on hand.

Regardless, I highly recommend using San Marzano tomatoes for the best flavor. San Marzano tomatoes are plum tomatoes grown in the Valle de Sarno region of Italy. They are rich in flavor, have a tender texture, and are not as acidic as other tomatoes. But, don’t worry, any high-quality canned tomato products will work.

White onion, fresh garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. This is the foundation of any marinara sauce recipe.

Dry red wine. I’ve made marinara sauce many times without red wine, but I prefer using it to give the sauce a rich flavor. However, leave the red wine out if you prefer no alcohol. I use the Josh Cellars brand, which is gluten-free.

Italian dry herbs. I love using dried Italian seasoning, but a mix of Italian spices will work; I like dried basil and oregano.

Red pepper flakes give the marinara sauce a spicy kick.

Supplies

• 3 quart sauce pan
• Large spoon

How to Make Gluten-free Marinara Sauce

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it’s fragrant and translucent.
• Stir in the garlic with the onions and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic. If you notice that the garlic is starting to brown, lower the heat and move on to the next step.
• Pour in the wine and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the liquid reduces by half.
• Carefully stir in the tomatoes and seasonings and bring the sauce to a boil. Be careful because the sauce might splatter as it boils.
• Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 30 – 45 minutes or until the sauce turns a rich dark red. Stir the sauce occasionally to keep from burning.
• Remove from the heat. If you’re using, stir in the fresh basil.

You can use this easy marinara sauce in various Italian recipes.

• Keep it simple and use it on your favorite gluten-free pasta with some Parmesan Cheese.
• Pour some in a ramekin and use as a dipping sauce for gluten-free garlic bread or gluten-free mozzarella sticks.
• Use in place of spaghetti sauce in all your favorite Italian recipes.
• Simmer with gluten-free meatballs.
• We love this gluten-free pizza sauce recipe, but if you’re out, then this homemade gluten-free marinara sauce is a delicious swap to use on your favorite crust.

How Long Does Homemade Marinara Sauce Last in the Refrigerator?

To prepare this gluten-free marinara sauce for the week, let it cool to room temperature. Then put it into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat it up on the stove or in the microwave.

Can Homemade Marinara Sauce be Frozen?

There are a couple of ways to freeze the sauce. First, you need to let it cool to room temperature. Then either –

1. Pour the sauce into airtight containers and freeze. If you use this method, make sure to leave about 1-inch from the top to allow for expansion.
2. Freeze into blocks using silicone trays like Souper Cubes. After the sauce is frozen, remove the blocks from the tray, put them into a freezer bag, and freeze.
3. Portion out the sauce into small or large freezer bags. Roll the bags out flat and flash freeze on a baking sheet or lay flat in the freezer. After the sauce is frozen, place the bags wherever they fit in the freezer.

Cooking Tips

• Dice the onion to your liking. I like small onion pieces in my sauce, so I finely dice the onion. But if you want a chunkier sauce, roughly chop the onion into larger pieces. 
• Measure the onion before adding it to the recipe. One of the things I did when first making the homemade marinara sauce was I used any size onion. If it were a large onion, there would be more onion in the sauce and vice versa. Onions release a sweetness into the sauce, so the more onion you use, the sweeter the sauce will be. I wouldn’t say I like a very sweet sauce, so I find that ¼ cup or less of finely minced white onion gives a well-balanced flavor without adding an extra sweet taste. However, use the amount of onion to suit your taste.
• You can use onion powder if you don’t like raw onions. Yes, I know onions are a staple in marinara sauce, but not everyone wants onions. If you’re one of those people, then you can swap 1-2 tablespoons of onion powder for raw onion. Stir this in after pouring the tomatoes into the pan.
• Don’t use cooking wine. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t use it in the sauce. The best-tasting sauce uses high-quality red wine, and my favorite wine to use is Cabernet, Merlot, or Pinot Noir.
• San Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor. I highly recommend splurging on canned San Marzanos. You can locate them with the other canned tomatoes; I’ve mostly seen crushed or diced. As I said, San Marzano is a type of plum tomato that is less acidic and has a rich, delicious tomato flavor. They can elevate any Italian sauce recipe. 
• Stir in fresh basil. I don’t use fresh basil every time I make this sauce, but if it’s summertime or I find some on sale, I’ll stir in a small amount to add fresh flavor. You can also use your fresh parsley to add brightness to the sauce.
• Bulk up the veggies with diced carrots and celery. Carrots will add extra sweetness to the marinara sauce, so adjust the other ingredients if you need to. 
• If you prefer a smooth sauce, use an immersion blender to get a smooth consistency.

Other Gluten-free Italian Sauces

• Gluten-free Alfredo Sauce
• Sunday Sauce

See all of my other gluten-free sauces.