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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Pasta

    Quick Pasta Sauce

    Published by Melissa on June 1, 2021 | Updated June 10, 2022 | 1 Comment

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    This is the best quick pasta sauce recipe to make a flavorful all-purpose marinara sauce for your favorite pasta dishes with crushed tomatoes, garlic and a bit of spice. 

    red pot with quick marinara sauce and fresh basil on top

    ❤️ Why You’ll Love this Recipe: This is an easy and simple marinara sauce recipe that uses pantry staple ingredients. You can whip this sauce together in minutes for a fast pasta dinner any night of the week. 

    I make this quick pasta sauce recipe all the time at home. I first developed this recipe to serve with baked spaghetti squash for a low-carb weeknight dinner. But these days, I use it whenever I need a savory and flavorful tomato sauce. 

    pinterest button for homemade tomato sauce

    How to Make Quick Pasta Sauce

    If you have a can of crushed tomatoes in your pantry, you’re just a few minutes from a fresh pot of piping hot homemade tomato sauce. 

    Using crushed tomatoes in your sauce means it only has to simmer for about 5 minutes. However, if you like a smoother pasta sauce, you can easily puree the sauce after cooking. Do so with an immersion blender or in a standing blender. 

    Note: let the sauce cool a bit before you blend the sauce in a standing blender to prevent explosions. 

    ingredients to make quick pasta sauce with canned crushed tomatoes in a pot on the stove

    Can I Use Whole Tomatoes?

    It’s important to use crushed tomatoes in this recipe. That’s because they already have a saucy consistency and don’t need to be simmered long to create an easy and flavorful sauce. 

    We like S&W brand crushed tomatoes in a rich puree. If your crushed tomatoes are not saucy enough, you can also blend them with an immersion blender. 

    red pot of quick pasta sauce with fresh basil on top

    Can I Use Garlic Powder?

    You can make this pasta sauce recipe with fresh garlic or garlic powder. 

    If you’re using fresh garlic, quickly saute the garlic in olive oil as a first step to building your sauce. Stir it frequently while cooking so it doesn’t burn and make sure to use low heat. 

    Once you can smell the cooked garlic and red pepper flakes, you’ll want to immediately add the crushed tomatoes. So be sure to have the can opened and ready to use before you start cooking.

    On the other hand, if you’re in a hurry and want to use garlic powder, that works well. Simply add the garlic powder with the dried basil and salt.

    pasta with quick tomato sauce on top

    Recipes to Use Quick Marinara Sauce

    Go ahead and make a big batch of this easy pasta sauce, you can use it in dozens of dishes! Here are some I love:

    • As a sauce for All-American Pizza, topped with gooey cheese and pepperoni. 
    • With light chicken parmesan, which features crisp breaded chicken and delicious toamto sauce. 
    • Instant Pot Bowtie Pasta, which is a kid-approved weeknight dinner that just needs a simple tomato sauce to send it over the top. 
    red pot with quick marinara sauce and fresh basil on top
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    3 from 3 votes

    Quick Pasta Sauce

    This Quick Pasta sauce starts with a can of crushed tomatoes and takes less than 10 minutes to make a savory and versatile sauce. 
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time15 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizers and Snacks
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: quick pasta sauce
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 97kcal
    Author: Barbara Bakes LLC
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    Equipment

    • [Upgraded Version] Maxracy 2 Set Silicone Garlic Peeler Easy Roller Peeling Tube Odor Free Useful Kitchen Tool—Color: Red, Blue
    • OXO Good Grips Soft-Handled Garlic Press, Black, One Size

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon garlic finely minced*
    • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon dried basil
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • In a saucepan, heat oil over low heat for 1 minute. Add garlic and red pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes stirring frequently.
    • Stir in crushed tomatoes, basil and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Notes

    *You can substitute 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder but add it with the basil and salt.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 502mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g
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    About Melissa & Barbara

    As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Laurette

      May 30, 2023 at 6:08 am

      1 star
      This is for your “pasta sauce”. First of all you are using the wrong tomatoes……San Marzano D.O.P. are the only acceptable ones for an Italian sauce. You need at least a tbsp of paste for body. Never bring a sauce to a “boil”. in regards to pictures of pasta with sauce that you posted…naked anemic looking pasta with just a blob of sauce in the middle is ridiculous. Properly served would be tossing the pasta in the sauce. Instead the cheap pre-grated “Parmesan” on top. …it should be freshly grated Locatelli, Grana Padana. or real Parmesan. This is a sad imitation of Italian food. Unless skilled in the preparation of Italian cuisine…it should be avoided.

      Reply

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