Healthy Marinara Sauce Recipe(Low-Sodium)

It only takes a few minutes to whip up this healthy marinara sauce recipe that's super easy to make and way better than buying it from the store. With just a few simple ingredients, this sauce tastes great and gives you full control over the flavor and quality.

Once you make up a batch of this super flavorful pasta sauce it will become a kitchen staple.

When tomatoes are in season, I like to use fresh New Jersey tomatoes and herbs from my garden to make homemade tomato sauce and homemade blush sauce.

Why This Recipe Works

• It's simple! You only need a few ingredients to make this deicious pasta sauce.
• Making your own marinara sauce is healthier, made with natural ingredients and the best part is you can control what goes into this sauce.
• It's lower in sodium than store bought marinara sauce.

Here is What You Will Need To Make Homemade Marinara Sauce

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This is an overview of the ingredients and steps to make this recipe, scroll down for a printable recipe card with exact measurements and instructions.

Ingredients List

• Olive oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Red wine
• Basil
• Oregano
• Strained, no salt added tomatoes (passata)
• Fresh chopped tomatoes or canned diced (low sodium)

Equipment

• Large saucepan or dutch oven
• Vegetable or kitchen knife
• Cutting board
• Wooden spoon
• Mini Food Processor (optional to mince the garlic & onions)

Here's How To Make Homemade Sauce

Prepare the ingredients: Mince the cloves of garlic and onion, chop the fresh herbs, measure the wine and tomatoes. Heat a little olive oil over high heat.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Tomatoes. I like to use a combination of tomatoes to make this sauce. Passata (strained tomatoes) are smooth and have no additives. Then to add a bit of texture, I like to mix in diced tomatoes.

When fresh tomatoes are available, I dice them up and use them in the sauce, otherwise, I use low sodium canned tomatoes.

If you prefer a smooth sauce, you can use all passata or crushed tomatoes. Be sure to choose no-salt-added tomatoes if you want to make a low sodium marinara sauce.

Herbs. Fresh herbs are best in this sauce whenever they are available, and they can be substituted with dried herbs when fresh ones aren't available.

If you use dried herbs, you will need 1 tablespoon of dried basil and 2 teaspoons of dried oregano.

Garlic. Fresh garlic is the best option in this recipe, but it can be substituted with a teaspoon of garlic powder if fresh garlic cloves aren't available.

Red Wine adds so much flavor to this sauce. I like to use a medium-bodied wine such as cabernet sauvignon or zinfandel. For an alcohol-free sauce, replace the wine with a tablespoon or two to taste of balsamic vinegar or ½ cup tomato juice or vegetable broth.

Have you tried this homemade bolognese sauce?

How to Store Leftover Marinara Sauce

Refrigerate leftover marinara sauce in an airtight container for three to five days.

Freeze. This is a great recipe to make a big batch of and freeze, and it tastes even better after the flavors have had time to blend! Freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.

Thaw the sauce in the refrigerator overnight.

Reheat the sauce on top of the stove over low heat or in the microwave.

Top Tips 

• There is no added sugar in this recipe, if you prefer your marinara sauce sweeter, add a small grated carrot to the pan with the onions and garlic or a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to the sauce with the tomatoes.
• Add a dash or two of salt to taste with the tomatoes for a little extra flavor if needed.

Serving Suggestions

This easy homemade marinara sauce is suited for so many Italian dishes, serve it over meatballs like these vegetarian eggplant meatballs, zucchini noodles, homemade manicotti, eggplant parmesan casserole, chicken parmesan or enjoy it as a spaghetti sauce over your favorite pasta dishes.

This simple marinara sauce also tastes great as pizza sauce or a dipping sauce for garlic bread or mozzarella sticks.

Healthy Marinara Sauce Variations

Spicy Marinara Sauce. Add one to teaspoons (or more) of red pepper flakes to taste for a spicy sauce.

Mushroom Marinara. Add sliced mushrooms at the end of cooking.

Vegetable Marinara Sauce. Add any combination of chopped carrots, zucchini, or bell pepper to the sauce with the onions and garlic.

Meat Sauce. Add ½ pound of cooked ground beef, chicken or turkey.

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Can I make this Homemade Sauce in a Crock Pot?

Yes! This is an easy recipe to make in a Crockpot or slow cooker. All that you need to do is saute the onions and garlic in a skillet on your stove top. Add the wine and let it cook down, then add the garlic and onions to the slow cooker.

Add the tomatoes and herbs, cover and cook on low for at least three hours.

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