This easy Marinara Sauce with Rosemary has a deep, rich tomato flavour with unmistakable aromatic undertones of rosemary. With only six store-cupboard ingredients (plus oil & seasoning) it can be thrown together quickly and easily. It can even be cooked in a slow cooker!
I love to cook with fresh, unprocessed ingredients but there are times when I need to rely on store-cupboard ingredients. This Easy Marinara Sauce With Rosemary is my ‘save the day’ recipe for times like that. It takes no effort at all to make and is really flexible with regards to timings. It is best if cooked slowly as the sauce has time to reduce and the flavours have time to deepen, but it can also be ready in as little as thirty minutes if you are pushed for time. It works really well in a slow cooker too. Literally just throw all the ingredients in, leave to cook on low for four to six hours and when you come back to check on it you will find a beautiful, rich tomato sauce waiting for you. So incredibly easy!
All the ingredients in this Easy Marinara Sauce With Rosemary are items that you probably already have at home. It is perfect for those days at the end of the week when your fresh supplies are dwindling or you are trying to stretch your budget by using up store-cupboard ingredients rather than go grocery shopping. I often double this recipe and freeze half for another time. That way I can have an effortless, almost no cook evening once in a while. It also keeps well in the fridge for five days or so.
This Easy Marinara Sauce With Rosemary has simple ingredients but is big on flavour. It is a recipe that your whole family will love and is extremely versatile. It can be served simply with pasta for a quick and easy meal, used to top a pizza (try it on my Roasted Garlic & Portobello Mushroom Pizza), added to lasagne, used as a base for other recipes such as soups, stews, or risottos and it’s even good eaten cold as a dip for chips. You can also decant into mason jars like in my photos and gift to friends and family.
If you make this recipe I would love it if you could let me know what you think in the comments below. I’ve been really enjoying seeing your pictures on Twitter and Instagram too, so please carry on sharing them with me. I’m @avirtualvegan on both Twitter and Instagram. Add the hashtag #avirtualvegan on Instagram so I don’t miss your pictures.
If you like this recipe then you might also enjoy my Roasted Pepper Pasta Sauce.
Easy Marinara Sauce with Rosemary
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion , chopped finely
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 720mls | 3 cups canned crushed tomatoes (if you don't have crushed tomatoes then blitz chopped or whole tin tomatoes in a blender or with a stick blender)
- 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary (you may sub for fresh if you have some)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
In a slow cooker
- Add all ingredients (except oil) to slow cooker. If your slow cooker runs quite hot and tends to dry things out a bit add half a cup of water to the ingredients.
- Cook on low for 5 - 6 hours.
- Just before serving blitz with a stick blender or in a blender until smooth.
In a pan
- Heat the oil over a medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté until the onion is just starting to colour.
- Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for another minute or two.
- Add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar and seasoning.
- Cook on medium until just starting to bubble, then turn down to low.
- Simmer gently for anything from 20 minutes to an hour depending on how much time you have.
- Just before serving blitz with a stick blender or blender until smooth.
Estimated nutrition per serving:
This recipe has been entered into the Meat Free Monday link party over at tinnedtomatoes.com , the Monday Funday Linky Party at Merry About Town and Try A Bite Tuesday over at Caleigh’s Kitchen.
Long time vegan, creator of A Virtual Vegan & author of the book 
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says
I love making my own pasta sauce- it tastes about a million times better than store-bought. I’ll have to try this one! The rosemary in my herb garden is smelling delicious so this would be perfect. (Love the photo by the way!)
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Sarah. You really can’t beat homemade. Fresh rosemary is just so delicious. I have a little plant growing but I keep chopping too much off it so it’s not doing too good!
Amber | Caleigh's Kitchen says
Such beautiful presentation! Got to love an easy marinara! No need to buy canned! Thanks so much for sharing on #TryABiteTuesday last week! Hope to see you link up again this week, it’s live now!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Amber! I will stop by soon.
Take Two Tapas says
I am so glad that you added the rosemary. I am sensitive to basil, like cilantro, and the rosemary is a nice touch. Also, a crock pot sauce is better than having to stand in front of the stove and stir!
A Virtual Vegan says
I am glad you like it and yes using the crock pot makes it so easy!
cass0327 says
What a great looking marinara! Pinning and making this for sure!! The rosemary is my favourite part!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! The Rosemary gives it such great flavour. I hope you enjoy it ?
saygrace2015 says
Thanks for sharing! Always looking for a good marinara recipe! Yum!
A Virtual Vegan says
I hope you enjoy it!?
Sina @ Vegan Heaven says
Yummy! This sauce looks so delicious! I love that you added rosemary! :-)
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Sina!
Dini @ The Flavor Bender says
I absolutely loved pinning your recipes last week and cannot wait to check out more recipes like this! :D I love making marinara sauce, and LOVE that you added rosemary to this too! Definitely need to try this for my next batch!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Dini! ? The Rosemary is so lovely in the marinara sauce. You will love it!
Noel says
I love the slow cooker tips … slow cooked Italian sauces always make me think of grandmothers in aprons and pots simmering all day. I’ll try your recipe the apron free way!
A Virtual Vegan says
Ha ha! You make me sound so glamorous! ?Enjoy and let me know what you think!