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    🏠Home » Recipes » Italian Recipes

    Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce

    Apr 13, 2010 · Modified: Jan 25, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 5 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4 from 27 votes

    Quick and easy Italian sausage marinara sauce has a wonderful taste. Use it on spaghetti, pasta casseroles, spaghetti squash, or a sub sandwich. Just follow these simple step-by-step photo instructions for some great Italian.

    italian Sausage Marinara on pasta 1200
    Jump To:
    • 👨‍🍳How to make Italian sausage marinara sauce
    • 🐖Ingredients
    • ✔️FAQs
    • 🇮🇹Italian Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe
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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.

    But how about a delicious sauce in just about an hour? Plus, it is so easy to do.

    I based this recipe on several others I have used over the years.

    👨‍🍳How to make Italian sausage marinara sauce

    1. Chop an onion.
    2. Brown the bulk Italian sausage. If you have links, remove the casing and either break apart and cook it like the bulk sausage or cut it into one-inch meatballs and brown them.
    3. Add the chopped onion while browning.
    4. When the meat is mostly brown (it can have some pink), add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
    5. Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 1 to 3 hours.

    🐖Ingredients

    Italian Sausage

    The 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 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.

    You need to brown the sausage to prevent clumping in the bulk sausage. Since we are simmering the sauce, it will finish cooking then.

    Tomato Products

    Quality matters. If you buy cheap generic products, you will get cheap generic results.

    I like to use crushed tomatoes, but you can use an equal amount of 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, almost no heat.

    The heat can get out of hand quickly if you use hot Italian sausage. So be careful.

    If you use hot Italian sausage, do a taste test before adding any. It can wait to be added to near the end of simmering.

    ✔️FAQs

    Do I need to cook the sausage before simmering it?

    Loose ground meat must be browned some prevent clumping. If in meatball shape, browning will add some taste but is not otherwise required.

    How to use Italian sausage marinara sauce?

    Generally, on pasta like spaghetti or in pasta casseroles.

    🇮🇹Italian Recipes

    The Best Crock Pot Baked Ziti

    Crock Pot Chicken Baked Ziti

    Easy Chicken Spaghetti

    Baked Chicken Spaghetti

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Italian Recipes, Pork Recipes
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    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    Picture note: pictures may be from other cookings and are used to illustrate the step. Pans and cutting boards may vary.

    browning sausage in a skillet

    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.

    chopped onion on white board

    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.

    adding crushed tomatoes to cooked sausage

    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.

    simmering sauce in the pan

    Place back on medium heat until light boil.

    sausage marinara on pasta on a white plate

    Cover and turn down to a light simmer for 1-3 hours.

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    📝Recipe

    italian Sausage Marinara on pasta on a white plate

    Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Quick and easy Italian sausage marinara sauce has a wonderful taste. Use it on spaghetti, pasta casseroles, spaghetti squash, or a sub sandwich. Just follow these simple step-by-step photo instructions for some great Italian.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4 from 27 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 8

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 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
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    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.
      browning sausage in a skillet
    • 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.
      chopped onion on white board
    • 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.
      adding crushed tomatoes to cooked sausage in pan
    • Place back on medium heat until light boil.
      simmering sauce in the pan
    • Cover and turn down to a light simmer for 1-3 hours.
      sausage marinara on pasta on a white plate
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. 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.
    2. Use only the sausage and tomato products you like. Generic ingredients will get generic results.
    3. You can use diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes.
    4. The heat level for ½ teaspoon of crushed pepper is about 3. A full teaspoon will be about 6-7.
    5. I suggest not using hot Italian sausage, or the heat can get out of hand as the spices come out into the sauce.
    6. As little as 30 minutes will give fairly good results. The longer you simmer, the better.
    7. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 months.

    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

    Nutrition Facts
    Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 247 Calories from Fat 108
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12g18%
    Saturated Fat 4g20%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 0.04g
    Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g
    Cholesterol 33mg11%
    Sodium 1283mg53%
    Potassium 397mg11%
    Carbohydrates 19g6%
    Fiber 4g16%
    Sugar 9g10%
    Protein 14g28%
    Vitamin A 600IU12%
    Vitamin C 19.8mg24%
    Calcium 70mg7%
    Iron 2.5mg14%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : Italian

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally published April 13, 2010. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

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    1. Robert Heng

      March 18, 2022 at 9:07 pm

      5 stars
      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

      Reply
    2. Tony

      June 11, 2018 at 1:43 pm

      Olive oil??

      Reply
      • DrDan

        June 11, 2018 at 2:27 pm

        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

    3. Dr Dan

      April 18, 2010 at 8:47 pm

      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.

      Reply
    4. Chris

      April 18, 2010 at 7:59 pm

      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.)

      Reply

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