Quick and easy Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce has a wonderful taste. Use it on spaghetti, pasta casseroles, spaghetti squash, or a sub sandwich.
Make this easy, delicious sauce in about an hour with these simple step-by-step photo instructions.
Ingredients
Italian Sausage
Onion and garlic
Tomato products—paste, crushed, and diced
Seasoning—oregano, basil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (optional)
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A good marinara sauce escapes most people, and the long-simmering needed to get to a great taste scares many people away. Usually, they end up with disgusting jar sauce.
While you can make this sauce in an hour, like all sauces, the longer the simmer, the better. Please enjoy this easy and delicious recipe we have used for years.
👨🍳How to make Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce—Step-by-Step
1. If you have Italian sausage links, you can cut them into 1-inch pieces, remove the casings, and use them as small meatballs. You can break the links into ground sausage and use it that way. Or use Italian ground sausage.
2. Chop a medium onion and add until the meat is browned and the onion slightly clearing. It is ok for the meat not to be totally cooked at this point. Add 4 to 5 crushed garlic cloves and let "bloom" for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
3. Add 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste, and 6 oz water, and 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes.
4. Place back on medium heat until a light boil, cover, and turn down to a light simmer for 1-3 hours.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
Options and variations—make it your way
The Italian sausage needs to be one you enjoy. I suggest a sweet Italian sausage, not a hot one. You want to be able to control the heat level.
If you have sausage links, you can remove the casing, cut it into pieces, and cook them almost like a meatball. Or mash them up and cook them like bulk sausage.
With tomato products, quality matters—if you buy cheap generic products, you will get cheap generic results. You can switch between the same volume of crushed or diced tomatoes.
The tomato paste adds a huge burst of tomato taste and some very nice sweetness.
Spiciness—This is relatively mild with a heat level of 2-3 if you use ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Without that, there is almost no heat. The heat can get out of hand quickly if you use hot Italian sausage. So be careful.
🇮🇹Easy Italian recipes you will love
Fire up the slow cooker for some Crock Pot Pasta Bakei or Crock Pot Chicken Pasta Bake. Or stay on the stove with Easy Chicken Spaghetti or Baked Chicken Spaghetti, And get fancy with Chicken Parmesan Soup or Healthy Chicken Parmesan.
↕️How to make this a "for two" or "family size " recipe
This is a very easy recipe to cut in half or double to fit your needs
- Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- Use diced tomatoes for the crushed if needed.
- Cooking time will be the same.
How to use Italian sausage marinara sauce
The most common use is Italian sausage spaghetti. Serve with a fresh salad and nice bread like Julia Child's French Bread or Stand Mixer Peasant Bread.
Use in other pasta dishes like lasagna or an Italian sausage pasta bake.
If made as meatballs, it makes excellent sub sandwiches.
Storage of leftovers
Leftover sauce should be sealed in an airtight container. Then refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 4 months.
✔️FAQ
You must brown the sausage to prevent clumping in the bulk sausage and drain excess fat. Since we are simmering the sauce, it will finish cooking to a safe 165° in the sauce.
If in meatball shape, browning will add some taste but is not otherwise required.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
📖 Recipe
Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 pound Sweet Italian Sausage
- 1 onion - medium
- 4 cloves garlic - crushed
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 6 oz water
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
Instructions
- If you have Italian sausage links, you can cut them into 1-inch pieces, remove the casings, and use them as small meatballs. You can break the links into ground sausage and use it that way. Or use Italian ground sausage.
- Chop a medium onion and add until the meat is browned and the onion slightly clearing. It is ok for the meat not to be totally cooked at this point. Add 4 to 5 cloves of crushed garlic and let "bloom" for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Add 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste, and 6 oz water, and 14 ½ oz diced tomatoes.
- Place back on medium heat until light boil.
- Cover and turn down to a light simmer for 1-3 hours.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- You can use bulk or linked Italian sausage. If links, you can cook it in some chunks like a small meatball after removing the casing or break them up and cook it like bulk sausage.
- Use only the sausage and tomato products you like. Generic ingredients will get generic results.
- You can use diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes.
- The heat level for ½ teaspoon of crushed pepper is about 3. A full teaspoon will be about 6-7.
- I suggest not using hot Italian sausage, or the heat can get out of hand as the spices come out into the sauce.
- As little as 30 minutes will give fairly good results. The longer you simmer, the better.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally published April 13, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Leslie says
Hi Dr Dan,
I have been using your recipes for years, thanks to your site my grandkids think grandmas a gourmet cook! I have a two questions - Can I make your sausage marinara sauce 2 days ahead before serving & can I make your crockpot French Dip sandwiches 1 day ahead before serving? Thank you Leslie
Robert Heng says
Another way to use your great marinara sauce. SPAGHETTI MEATBALL BAKE. Had some leftover meatballs. Broken anglehair (uncooked) in bottom of casserole dish, lay meatballs on top, poured marinara sauce over. Covered with foil, baked in 350 (conventional) for 30 minutes. Uncovered and stirred to bring spaghetti up. Added small amount of water, recovered and returned to oven for approximately 30 minutes. Uncovered and added mozzarella cheese on top, back in oven until cheese melted and slightly brown. ENJOY
Tony says
Olive oil??
DrDan says
Generally not needed if using non-stick pan. The fat in the sausage is enough. If not using a non-stick pan and a lean sausage, then a tablespoon of oil at the start is fine.
Dan
Dr Dan says
They'll outgrow that. Mine did. When they were little we had to buy the most awful BBQ sauce for them. I think it was Kraft Honey something. Yuck. We are all on the same page now.
Chris says
Ah yes, I remember that one at Rex's. I still haven't tried it because it seemed close to ours. I need to give it a shot because I like spicy (although the kids will probably not like it....punks, I don't think they're mine.)