Making a classic marinara sauce is very easy and simple using pantry staple items. No need for oil either – this tomato based sauce is still going to be full flavored and make your taste buds dance! It goes together quickly and needs just a small amount of simmer time. Enjoy it over your favorite pasta shape or zucchini noodles also known as “zoodles.”
Shown here is a double batch of Classic Marinara. It freezes well so why not make a double batch and have some made ahead for easy food prep. You know how I love to batch prep food!
Six ingredients is all you need to make a fabulous marinara sauce. This recipe does call for some Date Paste and we have a recipe and video on how to make it.
I have had this 5.5 QT Dutch oven for years and I love it!
This is a short video explaining how to make this simple but delicious Marinara Sauce.
This is the prefect marinara for this amazing Mushroom Spinach Lasagna.
These are my favorite organic no salt added crushed tomatoes. I find them at Whole Foods. You can use any brand that you have available in your area. Keep canned crushed tomatoes in your pantry all the time so you can whip this recipe up whenever you need a quick and easy meal. If you can’t find crushed tomatoes you can use canned whole tomatoes and break the tomatoes up with your hand as you put them in the pot. You can always use a hand blender to make them more smooth if desired.
A good tasting nutritional yeast!
This is what Date Paste looks like and here is a Date Paste recipe and video for you to watch. If you are unable to get dates you could sub 1 tablespoon maple syrup for the date paste.
So simple to make but the flavor tastes like it was simmering for hours.
A spiralizer makes easy work of making zucchini noodles. We also it for raw beets to make fun little spirals for our salads.
This gadget makes spiralizing so easy!
I microwave my zoodles for 2 minutes just enough to heat them up but not make them all watery. Then top with the hot Marinara Sauce and some Faux Parmesan Sprinkle. This Marinara Sauce is perfect for using in my Mushroom Spinach Lasagna – recipe and video coming soon! If you like Italian food be sure to check out my very silky smooth Vegan Alfredo Sauce.
This microwave lid limits splatters!
Pasta plates can also be used for nourish bowls and burrito bowls.
Classic Marinara Sauce – No Oil
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic minced or to taste
- 2 – 28 ounce cans *Crushed Tomatoes, no salt added
- 2 Tablespoons date paste
- 3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 Teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 Tablespoon dried basil
- 1 Pinch red pepper flakes – optional
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat pour in a couple tablespoons of water and the minced garlic, saute just a minute or two , add more water to prevent sticking if needed – we don’t want to burn the garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring it to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring a couple times during the simmer.
Notes
We invite you to explore our online courses designed to support your journey toward a healthy, whole-food, plant-based lifestyle.
Use code nutmeg30 to save 30% on any of our courses or Cooking For Company ebook.
Batch Cooking with Tami: Discover the essential What, When, Where, Why, and How of batch cooking. This course includes instructional videos, and over 50 delicious recipes that you can prepare in advance, making it easier to maintain your healthy eating habits. Learn how to work smarter not harder in the kitchen.
The Beautiful Chopped Salad Course: Tami teaches you how to batch prep salads for the entire week. This video course covers various chopping techniques, provides recipes for mouthwatering oil-free dressings, crunchy toppings, salsas, and all the details you need to create satisfying, filling salads you’ll eagerly anticipate. The downloadable PDF is full of recipes to help you create amazing salads.
Cooking for Company: Enjoy 10 carefully curated, plant-based menus that are tried and tested in Tami’s kitchen. These are the menus she uses when cooking for family and friends. With over 50 recipes, full-color photos, and detailed instructions, this eBook will make plant-based entertaining a breeze.
We are proud to be Holland Bowl Mill Affiliates. The 15 inch Holland Bowl Mill Cherry fruit bowl has a permanent place in our kitchen – it’s both beautiful and useful. The heart shaped bowl, in particular makes me happy – I love everything heart shaped! We use our 15 inch Beechwood & cherry bowl (one for each of us) to chop our salads every day. incorporating a salad for one meal every day since 2013, has helped me lose weight, maintain my healthy weight and improve my overall health. I continue to eat a salad for one meal a day but now it’s a Big Beautiful Chopped salad and it helps me stay slim and trim! For tips on adding chopped salads to your daily menu check out the Chopped Salad Blog Post plus find out how you can get a free mezzaluna knife with your Holland Bowl salad bowl order when you use our Holland Bowl affiliate link as well as free engraving and free shipping.
I can’t wait to try this. I have been wanting a good marinara sauce but the ones I find have oil. I did find one without but I am sure it was just tomatoes that were overcooked. It tasted like it had no spices. Ugh!
Tami – I made the marinara sauce today and it is delicious! I did add extra garlic. I haven’t found a jarred marinara without added things we don’t want. So this recipe is a game-changer for me, I’ll be making my own from now on. Thank you!
Hi Beth,
I am so glad you like it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It’s nice to get feedback!
Happy Cooking,
Tami
Tami: I would like to freeze some containers of the marinara sauce. Do you sterilize the glass containers and how do you proceed to do it? I am new to home canning of any kind and a little terrorized by the perspective of canning improperly. This Classic Marinara Sauce looks delicious to me. Thank you for all your help! 😉
Excellent sause! Great taste AND simple. Thank you Tami
You are so welcome Deborah!
Love this recipe! I did one regular can of crushed tomatoes and one diced fire roasted! I also substituted the date paste for date syrup and it came out delish!! Thanks Tami!!
I am so glad you like the recipe!
This looks sooooo delish and I really want to make a double batch and freeze. What containers do you use to freeze in?
I used a ball jar for something a couple of years ago and it cracked in the freezer….need a bit of container advice please.
Hi Holly,
You can use ziplock freezer bags or any plastic containers that say they are safe for the freezer. It freezes very well.
Happy Batch Cooking,
Tami
Hi Holly,
You can use any kind of freezer safe containers. Zip lock freezer bags, plastic containers for freezing. We like to use Souper Cubes. You can read all about them here:
http://nutmegnotebook.com/posts/souper-cubes-review-how-to-use/
Happy Cooking,
Tami
Tami, i’m new to this and i just have-a question.. Im confused on what do you eat for breakfast.. I also love your batch prepping
Hi Terr,
Welcome to the wonderful world of plants! I don’t usually eat breakfast – my first meal of the day is usually lunch and that is when I eat a big chopped salad. If i am having to take some medication and need to eat something in the morning with it then I might have a Quinoa Banana Oat Muffin. When I was in the weight loss mode I would eat a pound of raw or cooked vegetables in the morning. My husband eats oats every morning. We have a YouTube video on what we eat in a day. You can watch that here https://youtu.be/masn98p2RPg
I am glad you like batch prepping. It is a huge time saver and ensures we will always eat healthy.
Happy Cooking,
Tami
Hi Tami !
Merry Christmas to you and Tom and your family
I’m one of your subscribers and enjoy your blog when I can find the time.
I will be making your delicious lasagne for Christmas and my questionto you is about the marinara sauce. Can I use date syrup in place of the date paste for a sweetener. I have on hand the Date Lady brand . How many tablespoons of this could I use?
Also, for the tofu ricotta I want to use the freeze dried basil from the Lighthouse brand. Do you think those are good choices?
Can’t wait to make this lasagne !
Thanks a million for all your great recipes and ideas .
To your good health, happiness and prosperity,
Stephanie A.
Carmichael, CA
Hi Stephanie,
Yes you can use date syrup – use the same amount as date paste or to taste. The freeze dried basil should work just fine. I do enjoy fresh basil on top when serving – it’s a nice flavor boost and so pretty but it’s still good with out. Thank you so much for your kind comments! Wishing you a very Healthy Happy Holiday Season!
Marinara was delicious. Excellent recipe. Thank you! I used maple syrup instead of dates and it worked great! So simple too!
I am so delighted that you tried the recipe and liked it. It is very simple but yet big on flavor!
I have tried a few oil free marinara recipes, and have been disappointed. This one is a winner. It made enough for two meals, so even better. My whole family loved it, and I loved using the date paste in it! So happy I found your website.
I am so delighted that you and your family enjoyed this recipe! That makes me so happy and I am grateful that you took the time to leave such a nice comment.
Happy Cooking!