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๐Ÿ Home ยป Recipes ยป Italian Recipes

Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce

Published: Jan 18, 2024 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan ยท 6 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

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 productsโ€”paste, crushed, and diced
Seasoningโ€”oregano, basil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (optional)

italian Sausage Marinara on pasta.
Jump To (scroll for more)
  • Ingredients
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to make Italian Sausage Marinara Sauceโ€”Step-by-Step
  • Options and variationsโ€”make it your way
  • ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡นEasy Italian recipes you will love
  • โ†•๏ธHow to make this a "for two" or "family size " recipe
  • How to use Italian sausage marinara sauce
  • Storage of leftovers
  • โœ”๏ธFAQ
  • ๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card
Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

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.

๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐ŸณHow to make Italian Sausage Marinara Sauceโ€”Step-by-Step

browning sausage in a skillet.

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.

chopped onion with knife.

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.

adding crushed tomatoes to cooked sausage.

3. Add 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, ยฝ teaspoon pepper, ยฝ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste, and 6 oz water, and 14 ยฝ oz diced tomatoes.

simmering sauce in the pan.

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 variationsโ€”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 mattersโ€”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.

Spicinessโ€”This is relatively mild with a heat level of 2-3 if you use ยฝ 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.

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡นEasy Italian recipes you will love

Fire up the slow cooker for some Crock Pot Pasta Bake or Crock Pot Chicken Pasta Bake. Or stay on the stove with Easy Chicken Spaghetti, Baked Italian Meatballs, or Baked Chicken Spaghetti, And get fancy with Chicken Parmesan Soup or Healthy Chicken Parmesan.

โ†•๏ธ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

  1. Use the recipe card and adjust the number of servings.
  2. Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructionsโ€”those do not adjust.
  3. Use diced tomatoes for the crushed if needed.
  4. 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 Baked Pasta and Sausage.

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.

โœ”๏ธFAQ

Do I need to cook the sausage before simmering it?

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 165ยฐ in the sauce.

If in meatball shape, browning will add some taste but is not otherwise required.

Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

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

30-Minute Dinner Recipes, Italian Recipes, Pork Recipes

Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.

๐Ÿ“–The Recipe Card

italian Sausage Marinara on pasta on a white plate

Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce

4.10 from 31 votes
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.
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings #/Adjust if desired 8

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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
  • ยฝ teaspoon pepper
  • ยฝ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 6 oz water
  • 15 oz diced tomatoes

Instructions
 

  • 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 in pan
    Add 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, ยฝ teaspoon pepper, ยฝ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional), 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste, and 6 oz water, and 14 ยฝ 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.

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 ยฝ 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.

Your Own Private Notes

Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect.

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

Calories : 247 kcal (12%)Carbohydrates : 19 g (6%)Protein : 14 g (28%)Fat : 12 g (18%)Saturated Fat : 4 g (20%)Polyunsaturated Fat : 0.04 gMonounsaturated Fat : 0.01 gCholesterol : 33 mg (11%)Sodium : 1283 mg (53%)Potassium : 397 mg (11%)Fiber : 4 g (16%)Sugar : 9 g (10%)Vitamin A : 600 IU (12%)Vitamin C : 19.8 mg (24%)Calcium : 70 mg (7%)Iron : 2.5 mg (14%)
Serving size is my estimate of a normal size. 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.

ยฉ 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors.

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. Leslie says

    August 17, 2023 at 10:43 am

    5 stars
    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

    Reply
  2. Robert Heng says

    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
  3. Tony says

    June 11, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    Olive oil??

    Reply
    • DrDan says

      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

  4. Dr Dan says

    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
  5. Chris says

    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

DrDan imageHi, I'm DrDan.
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