It’s 2026 now, and I decided it was high time I updated this post for Cook’s Illustrated Quick Marinara – I first posted it in 2012. And I’m still making this recipe! If you haven’t tried it, maybe the time is now!

Cook’s Illustrated Quick Marinara

It’s stood the test of time, and it’s quick for a marinara, and much better than anything store-bought. Try it once, and you’ll never want a jarred sauce again!

About Cook’s Illustrated Quick Marinara:

The recipe does have a few quirks, but it has flavor for days, and just the right amount of garlicky, herby zestiness. There’s lots of flavor from caramelized tomatoes, and a touch of wine that gives it a deep backbone.

Then the quirkiness: just before it’s done, a few reserved tomatoes are added. The sauce tastes so fresh, you’d never guess it was built on canned tomatoes. After it’s cooked, it’s run through a blender or food processor, leaving this sauce the perfect combination of saucy and chunky. (Make it as smooth or chunky as you want.)

Serving:

You’re not limited to serving Marinara over pasta. It’s a classic sauce and can be used anywhere you’d use jarred sauce. A jar is about 24 ounces, three cups. This recipe makes about 4 cups.

You might want to double the recipe and freeze half: it takes longer to reduce and thicken, and will need to be blended in batches.

Here are 50 ways to use a Pasta Sauce, from the Food Network, if you’re lacking inspiration.

Cook’s Illustrated Quick Marinara

Making Cook’s Illustrated Quick Marinara:

If I’m on game, I can knock it off in about 40 minutes. That might not work on a weeknight for everyone, but if you make it ahead, it’s even better the next day.

For timing:

• Dump olive oil in a pan, toss in the onion, and while that’s cooking, drain and prepare the tomatoes, gather the rest of the ingredients, and pull out your food processor or blender.
• Once the onion is browned and ready, everything else follows, lickety-split. Put the pasta water on to boil after the tomatoes are added to brown.
• About the time the tomato juice is added, the water should be simmering. Wait for a boil and add the pasta. Everything should be done about the same time.

If You Like This Recipe, You Might Also Like:

Check out my menu for Pasta and Noodle Recipes and Meatless Meals. Here’s a couple to get you started:

• Classic Ratatouille – a classic Provençal dish; if you’re unfamiliar, it’s so much better than you might expect. 

Ratatouille

• Fresh Tomato Pasta – this recipe gets dinner on the table in about the time it takes to cook the pasta and uses fresh tomatoes.

Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

Saving Money on Groceries:

What you pay for groceries depends not only on WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.

• The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Use these sales not just for your holiday, but to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
• Take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality; be selective.

The best way to save money on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.

Canned Whole Tomatoes: 

I find the best value for canned tomatoes to be whole in the larger 29-ounce cans. My pantry is stocked with them. Unless the outcome of a recipe is specifically dependent on another tomato product, I substitute canned whole tomatoes.

• About once a quarter, there will be a stellar sale at the grocery. Stock up then. Aldi and Lidl both have great pricing. Buyers clubs offer “fancier” options at a decent price.
• Extremely versatile, the whole tomatoes can be used as is, crushed by hand for recipes like this, pulsed in the blender for “crushed” tomatoes, and whirred up to use as a tomato sauce. The quality is usually better than crushed, diced, or sauce you might buy.
• If the larger cans are too much for a recipe, toss the remainder in a Ziploc, label with the amount, and freeze. Try to put items away in the same place in your freezer every time, and they’re easier to find and use later.

Wine:

• Sign up for emails, watch flyers, and shop the sales, including the bargain bins. There are two major sales in the industry, fall and spring. Stock up. Additional discounts usually apply when buying in bulk; if not offered, ask.
• Talk to the wine person, consultant, guide, or sommelier. A good one will ask your price range, what you’re making, and direct you to options you may not have thought of or known about.
• Cooking is an ideal way to use a partial bottle; store in a small, airtight jar until needed.

Cook’s Illustrated Quick Marinara

Cook’s Illustrated Quick Marinara

Print Recipe

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This recipe does take time, but is much quicker than the standard methods.

• Author: very slightly adapted from Cook's Illustrated
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: about 4 cups 1x
• Category: Main Dish Pasta
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/3 cup dry red wine, such as Chianti or Merlot
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves or one tablespoon dried
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar, if desired
• a few fresh herbs for garnish, basil, parsley and/or oregano, optional
• Pasta for serving
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

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Instructions

Heat olive oil in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and golden around edges, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook, 30 seconds or until fragrant.  If using dried basil, add it now.

As the onions cook, pour tomatoes and juice into strainer set over large bowl. Open tomatoes with hands and working over a strainer, remove, any seeds and hard areas from the stem. Place each tomato as it is finished in a bowl, and when all are done, empty out the seeds and waste from the strainer and add the tomatoes from the bowl, along with any juices, back to the strainer. Let tomatoes drain excess liquid, about 5 minutes, pushing the tomatoes around a time or two to facilitate draining. Remove 3/4 cup tomatoes from strainer and set aside. Reserve 2 1/2 cups tomato juice after stirring.

When onions are finished and the garlic and oregano and basil, if dried, are added and have cooked for about 30 seconds, add tomatoes from strainer and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring every minute until liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to bottom of pan, 10-12 minutes. Add wine and cook until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Add 2 1/2 cups reserved tomato juice and bring to simmer; reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is thick, 8-10 minutes.

Transfer sauce to food processor and add reserved tomatoes, process until slightly chunky. Return sauce to pan and add fresh basil if using, and extra-virgin olive oil. salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

Serve over pasta or toss freshly cooked pasta with the marinara, garnish with fresh herbs if desired and serve, passing Parmesan cheese.

Notes:

• A pinch of red pepper flakes is a good addition to the recipe.
• This makes 4 cups, a standard jar of pasta sauce is 20 ounces, about 2 1/2 cups