There is no denying that I am a big fan of all things tomato, so it should come as no surprise that I love homemade tomato sauces like marinara. While I have been making my own marinara for years, a recent trip to Costco gave me the chance to see just how cost effective my homemade marinara can be. In fact, one great find at the warehouse store has made it possible for me to make a gallon of marinara at home for right around $4.00!
The base of marinara is crushed tomatoes, and I came across a 105 ounce can of a popular name brand for just $2.99 while on my last shopping trip. Below you can see the ingredients I use for my basic marinara. With just these ingredients, a little olive oil to soften the onion and garlic, and an hour to simmer on the stove or in a slow cooker, you can have a gallon of the best marinara in town for less than the price of a quart of the so-called “gourmet” stuff at the store.
- #10 can of Crushed Tomatoes (105 ounces)
- 2 large yellow onions, minced
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 Tablespoon coarse black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
- In a large stock pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and translucent.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir well while bringing to the boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour or until the flavors come together and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Taste the sauce at this point and adjust the seasonings to your individual taste.
Remember that this is the most basic recipe imaginable. From this base though, you can truly make it your own by adding anything you like from sweet or hot peppers to celery, even make it a chunky-style sauce by adding diced tomatoes and onions.
