This hearty marinara sauce recipe is slow-simmered with sweet, low-acid San Marzano tomatoes — the same ones Italian chefs swear by — for rich, comforting flavor. It’s 100% vegan and easy enough for weeknights, yet tastes like it came from a trattoria kitchen.
Try my vegan pink pasta sauce, vegan tofu bolognese sauce, easy vegan lasagna soup, or Impossible Italian-style meatballs, if you love vegan Italian-inspired recipes!
🔍 A Quick Look: Hearty Marinara Sauce
- 📝 Recipe Name: Hearty Marinara Sauce With San Marzano Tomatoes (Vegan)
- 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6 (makes 6 cups)
- 🎯 Key Ingredients: San Marzano tomatoes, soffritto (onion/celery/carrot), garlic, double-concentrated tomato paste, olive oil
- 🌱 Dietary Info: Vegan, dairy-free, oil-free optional
- ✨ Best For: Pasta, pizza, baked ziti, lasagna, gnocchi, meal prep
- 💕 Why You’ll Love It: Restaurant-depth, balanced acidity, hearty texture
Jump to:
- 🔍 A Quick Look: Hearty Marinara Sauce
- Why This Hearty Vegan Marinara Sauce Works
- Why San Marzano Tomatoes?
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Best Pot for Marinara Sauce
- Choosing the Best Olive Oil for Marinara Sauce
- Tested Tips
- How to Make Hearty Marinara Sauce
- Troubleshooting
- Hearty Marinara vs. Classic Marinara
- Can You Use Marinara As Pizza Sauce?
- Serving Ideas
- Make It Your Way
- Storage & Meal Prep
- Hearty Marinara Sauce FAQs
- More Vegan Dinner Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Growing up, "marinara" meant jarred Ragu over noodles. But once I started learning my way around the kitchen, I set out to create my own homemade marinara sauce, one that was rich, slow-simmered, and full of depth.
Over the years, I’ve learned the secret to a great marinara sauce isn’t complicated. It’s quality ingredients, a little patience, and that perfect balance of olive oil, salt, and acidity.
This hearty marinara sauce has become a Sunday ritual in my kitchen — rich, deeply flavorful, and rooted in classic Italian tradition.
Why This Hearty Vegan Marinara Sauce Works
- San Marzano sweetness: Slow-simmering sweet San Marzano tomatoes with a classic Italian soffritto develops layers of umami while staying naturally vegan and balanced.
- The soffritto builds authentic Italian flavor. A slow sauté of onion, carrot, and celery adds natural sweetness and body — turning a simple tomato sauce into a hearty, balanced marinara.
- Caramelized tomato paste adds umami. Cook the tomato paste over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens to a deep, rich rust-red color and develops a sweet, rich smell. This quick step transforms sharp tomato acidity into deep, savory flavor.
- A gentle simmer (not a boil) develops complexity. Slow heat allows flavors to marry and thicken while preserving that bright San Marzano character.
- Balanced for every preference. Olive oil enriches the sauce, while an optional oil-free version keeps this vegan marinara sauce whole-food-plant-based.
Why San Marzano Tomatoes?
San Marzano tomatoes have a sweetness and depth you can actually taste. They’re grown in Italy and prized for their thicker texture and low acidity, which means your sauce turns out smooth, balanced, and never harsh — even without sugar.
If you can’t find true San Marzano (look for Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese Nocerino D.O.P. on the label), Cento or DeLallo Italian whole tomatoes are great stand-ins. The key is choosing tomatoes that taste naturally sweet and not overly tangy — that’s what gives your marinara its rich, full flavor.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what you'll need to make this hearty vegan marinara sauce:
- San Marzano tomatoes —naturally sweet, low-acid, and the heart of this sauce. Look for cans labeled Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese Nocerino D.O.P. for authentic ones, or use high-quality Italian tomatoes like Cento, La Fede, or DeLallo.
- Extra-virgin olive oil — Use 2 tablespoon if you prefer a lighter sauce, or go oil-free with veggie broth and finish with tahini.
- Soffritto (onion, celery, carrot) — Store-bought mirepoix works fine, too.
- Garlic — go generous here; it mellows and sweetens as it cooks.
- Tomato paste (tube)—not shown in photo. I use Amore. Canned paste also works; you can freeze the leftovers.
See recipe card for full list + exact amounts.
Best Pot for Marinara Sauce
Use non-reactive cookware. Tomatoes are acidic, so opt for a stainless steel or enameled Dutch oven to keep flavors bright. Avoid raw aluminum or uncoated cast iron— they react with acid and create a metallic taste.
Choosing the Best Olive Oil for Marinara Sauce
Choose fresh, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil. Look for a dark glass bottle, clear harvest date, and a smell that’s clean and grassy, not bitter. The oil’s fruity depth rounds out acidity and gives the sauce that authentic Italian richness.
Tested Tips
- Use San Marzano tomatoes: Crush most by hand for a rustic texture and leave one or two whole (or lightly puréed) to stir in at the end for a glossy, balanced finish.
- If you’re not using San Marzanos and your sauce tastes too acidic, add a tiny pinch (⅛ tsp) of baking soda at the end — it neutralizes acid without dulling flavor.
- Build your base: Dice the onion, celery, and carrot small and uniform so they cook evenly and disappear into the sauce. I like to grate the carrot instead of chopping — it melts into the soffritto and adds gentle sweetness without leaving chunky bits.
- Salt in layers: Add small pinches as you cook to build flavor naturally from your premeasured bowl.
- Prefer a smoother sauce? Blend with an immersion blender at the end.
- If serving marinara with pasta, save a cup of pasta water to add to your sauce. The starchy water helps the sauce cling to your pasta perfectly.
If you love pasta and chickpeas, don’t miss my marry me chickpea pasta—it’s creamy, rich, and ready in under 30 minutes!
How to Make Hearty Marinara Sauce
Find the full recipe with measurements and detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Sauté onion, celery, and carrot in olive oil with a pinch of salt until golden.
- Step 2: Stir in garlic, then tomato paste. Cook until the paste darkens to a deep rust red and smells slightly sweet.
- Step 3: Pour in red wine (or veggie stock) to lift the caramelized bits from the pan. Add tomatoes, herbs, and bay leaf.
- Step 4: Let it bubble gently, partially covered, for about an hour. Off the heat, stir in maple syrup, fresh basil, and any optional finishers.
Troubleshooting
- Garlic scorching: Make sure not to burn garlic; it will turn bitter if overcooked. 30 seconds to one minute is typically enough.
- Sauce tastes acidic: Stir in ⅛ teaspoon baking soda or up to an additional ½ teaspoon maple syrup at the end.
- Oil separation: Keep the simmer gentle and stir occasionally; rapid boiling breaks the emulsion.
- Metallic taste: Switch to stainless or enameled cookware next time.
- Too thin: Simmer uncovered the last 10 minutes or puree a scoop of sauce to thicken naturally.
Hearty Marinara vs. Classic Marinara
Classic marinara is light, bright, and streamlined—typically tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and herbs simmered briefly to preserve freshness.
Hearty marinara, in contrast, leans into texture and depth, often with a soffritto (onion, celery, carrot), simmers longer, and is chunkier or more rustic in body. The result is a sauce that feels more substantial (though still vegan-friendly).
Can You Use Marinara As Pizza Sauce?
Yes! This hearty San Marzano tomato sauce is a pizza-ready sauce with a naturally thick, rich texture — perfect for spreading over pizza dough. No extra cooking or thickening needed.
Serving Ideas
This hearty vegan marinara sauce is endlessly versatile — perfect anywhere you’d use Italian red sauce.
- Toss With Pasta: Pair this robust marinara sauce with your favorite noodles like spaghetti, rigatoni, or penne for a classic, comforting meal.
- Pizza Ready: Spoon over homemade or store-bought dough for a quick, flavorful vegan pizza sauce. Or use on these vegan English muffin pizzas.
- Layer Into Lasagna or Baked Pasta: Use in place of jarred sauce for a richer, homemade flavor that holds up beautifully when baked. Serve with my cucumber tomato salad and vegan tomato bruschetta.
- Serve with warm, crusty bread or garlic bread and use as a marinara dipping sauce.
- Meal Prep: Make a double batch and freeze. Perfect for easy pasta nights. If you’re new to batch cooking, check out my vegan meal prep guide.
- Toss with vegan sausage crumbles or top with homemade almond parmesan for a rich, savory finish.
Make It Your Way
- Spicy: Extra flakes or a spoon of Calabrian chili.
- Porcini Marinara Variation: Soak ½ oz dried porcini in 1 cup warm water. Chop, then sauté with garlic and tomato paste. Add a splash of the soaking liquid when deglazing for rich, umami depth — like an Italian porcini marinara sauce in minutes.
- Oil-Free: Sauté in broth; finish off with heat with 1 tablespoon tahini for body.
- Mushroom Marinara: Finely mince cremini mushrooms into the soffritto — they’ll disappear into the sauce while adding natural thickness.
- Extras: A few diced bell peppers or a teaspoon of fennel seed add sweet, aromatic layers.
Storage & Meal Prep
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Portion into freezer bags or airtight containers. Freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
- Vegan Meal Prep: I like to make a double batch for meal prep on Wednesday, so weekend dinner is already done. It’s simple, nourishing, and in line with Blue Zones style of eating.
Hearty Marinara Sauce FAQs
Hearty marinara sauce is a thicker, more robust version of classic Italian marinara. It's made with slow-simmered San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and herbs for a rich, full-bodied flavor - perfect for pasta, pizza, or dipping.
This homemade, hearty marinara sauce is inspired by traditional Italian recipes, not chain pizza sauce. It uses authentic San Marzano tomatoes, slow-simmers for an hour to develop deep flavor, and contains no preservatives. The result is richer, more complex, and fully customizable to your taste.
The secret is slow simmering and building layers of flavor. Sauté aromatics in olive oil, brown tomato paste until deep red for umami, use San Marzano tomatoes for sweetness, and finish with fresh basil to brighten the sauce.
Yes! This hearty vegan marinara sauce meal preps beautifully. It keeps up to 4 days in the fridge and freezes well for months. Make a double batch for easy pasta dinners, stuffed shells, or a quick simmer sauce for Impossible meatballs.
Absolutely. San Marzano tomatoes are the gold standard for authentic marinara sauce. Their sweet, low-acid flavor and meaty texture make them perfect for a rich, hearty tomato sauce that tastes like it came from an Italian kitchen.
More Vegan Dinner Recipes
Looking for more vegan dinner recipes? Try these!
Did you try this recipe? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest! 💛
📖 Recipe
Hearty Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots, grated
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste, tube preferred, or see Notes for canned
- 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, pre-measured into a bowl to add in pinches as you cook
- ¼ cup dry red wine, OR vegetable broth
- (2) 28-ounce cans San Marzano whole tomatoes, with juice, hand-crushed, see Notes if not using San Marzano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½-1 tablespoon maple syrup, to taste
- ¾ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 teaspoon white or mellow miso paste, optional, for umami depth
- ½-1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, optional, for brightness
- Vegan almond parmesan, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Sauté the base: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low. Add onion and a pinch of salt; cook until soft and translucent (5-7 minutes).
- Build flavor: Add carrot and celery with another pinch of salt. Cook 3-4 minutes until sweet and fragrant. Add garlic and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
- Toast the tomato paste: Stir in tomato paste and cook 2-3 minutes until darkened and caramelized.
- Deglaze: Add wine or broth, scraping the pan. Cook for another minute, until wine/broth is reduced.
- Add tomatoes and seasonings: Stir in hand-crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.
- Simmer slowly: Once the sauce begins to bubble, lower the heat so it settles into a gentle simmer. Keep it at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) for 50-60 minutes, partially covered and stirred occasionally.
- Finish and balance: Remove from heat. For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender to blend half now. Stir in torn basil, a drizzle of olive oil (optional), maple syrup, and, if using, miso and balsamic. Adjust to taste with maple syrup and salt. See Notes if marinara is too acidic.
- Serve: Use over pasta (see Notes), lasagna, pizza, or roasted vegetables. Top with vegan almond Parmesan and more basil if desired.
Video
Notes
- Use San Marzano tomatoes for naturally sweet, low-acid flavor. Crush most by hand for a rustic texture, and leave one or two whole (or lightly puréed) to stir in at the end for a glossy finish.
- Other tomatoes? If using other tomatoes, choose ones labeled “whole peeled”—they tend to be sweeter and less watery.
- Tomato paste: I use Amore double-concentrated (tube), which is thicker and richer than canned. If using regular canned tomato paste, double the amount to 3–4 tablespoons.
- Less oil version: I recommend using the full 3 tablespoons of olive oil for a richer, classic Italian sauce. Cut it to 2 tablespoons for a lighter version.
- Marinara tastes acidic: If your marinara tastes too acidic, stir in ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda at the end to mellow acidity without dulling flavor.
- Make it WFPB: Sauté veggies in broth or water instead of olive oil.
- With pasta: Save a cup of pasta water — the starch helps the sauce cling perfectly to noodles..
Nutrition
Post updated on 10/12/2025 with new photos, writing, and updated recipe.
Julie Gaeta is a plant-based recipe creator, certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and mom of nine who's been plant-based for over 20 years. She's cooked approximately 4,382 pots of beans and can't vacation without her juicer and pasta pot. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Yahoo, YourTango, and other major outlets. She helps others simplify wellness and feel good again through her blog, coaching, and weekly newsletter.
Julie Gaeta says
This marinara is simple but so good. I’ve made it more times than I can count! It’s perfect on pasta, but I also use it for lasagna, pizza, gnocchi, ziti—you name it. It’s a favorite for sure!