Olive Garden Marinara Sauce Copycat Recipe
This Olive Garden marinara sauce recipe gives you that familiar, slightly sweet tomato sauce you get with the breadsticks, without leaving the house. It comes together in under 30 minutes with pantry staples, so it makes sense for a Tuesday night just as much as a weekend dinner party.
It’s a simple red sauce, but the balance is what makes it work: good canned tomatoes, a little onion, fresh garlic, and enough time on the stove to taste like it simmered all afternoon.
Why I Love This Recipe
The sauce is bright and a little sweet from the San Marzano tomatoes, with enough garlic to actually taste it. It coats pasta without being heavy.
What keeps me coming back to this version is that it doesn’t ask much of you. No blender, no straining, no fancy technique.
It also keeps well, so making a double batch is worth the extra few minutes.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed San Marzano tomatoes – San Marzano tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic than standard crushed; worth seeking out, but any good crushed tomatoes work
- 3 tbsp olive oil – use a decent one here since it’s a main flavor, not just a cooking fat
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced – yellow onion softens into the sauce; white onion works too
- 5 cloves garlic, minced – fresh only; jarred garlic goes bitter with longer cooking
- 1 tsp dried oregano – adds the herby backbone the restaurant version has
- 1/2 tsp dried basil – dried works fine here; stir in fresh at the end if you prefer
- 1/2 tsp sugar – rounds out the acidity; taste the sauce first and add more if needed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt – adjust to taste at the end
- 1/4 tsp black pepper – freshly ground if you have it
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes – optional, but a small amount adds background warmth without making it spicy
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, torn – for finishing; brings a fresh note the dried herbs can’t replicate
Variations / Substitutions
- Fresh tomatoes – Use 2 lbs of ripe Roma tomatoes, blanched and crushed by hand; the sauce will be lighter in color and slightly thinner.
- No sugar – A small pinch of grated carrot stirred in at the onion stage adds natural sweetness without refined sugar.
- Spicy version – Increase red pepper flakes to 1/2 tsp and add them with the garlic so they bloom in the oil.
- Dairy-free – This recipe is already dairy-free as written, so no changes needed.
- Extra herb – Swap the dried basil for 1/2 tsp dried thyme for a slightly earthier, less expected flavor.
- Bright finish – Squeeze 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice in at the end instead of or alongside the fresh basil; it lifts the whole sauce.
If you enjoy making sauces from scratch, Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce Copycat Recipe is worth adding to the rotation.
How To Make Marinara Sauce
Step 1: Soften the Onion and Garlic
Pour the 3 tbsp olive oil into a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the 5 cloves minced garlic and cook for another 60 seconds, stirring constantly.
The onion should look glossy and a little collapsed, not browned. If the garlic starts to color, pull the pan off the heat for a moment. Browned garlic turns bitter and you can’t fix it once it’s in the sauce.
Step 2: Bloom the Dried Herbs
Add the 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (if using) directly into the oil with the onion and garlic. Stir everything together and let it cook for 30 seconds over medium heat.
This short step in the hot oil wakes up the dried herbs and distributes their flavor through the fat before the tomatoes go in. You’ll smell the oregano sharpen up. It’s a small thing that makes a noticeable difference.
Step 3: Simmer the Tomatoes
Pour in the 28 oz crushed San Marzano tomatoes, then add the 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine, raise the heat to bring the sauce to a gentle bubble, then reduce to medium-low. Let it simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
The sauce will darken slightly and lose that raw, sharp tomato smell. By 15 minutes it should taste rounded and cohesive rather than bright and acidic. If it tastes flat, add a small pinch more salt. If it still tastes sharp, give it another 5 minutes.
Step 4: Finish and Serve
Taste the sauce and adjust the salt. Take the pan off the heat and tear the 2 tbsp fresh basil directly into the sauce, stirring it in gently. Ladle into a warm serving bowl or straight onto pasta, and scatter a few extra torn basil leaves on top.
Recipe Tips
- Use a wide, shallow pan if you have one. More surface area means faster evaporation and a thicker sauce in less time. A 10-inch straight-sided skillet works better than a tall narrow pot.
- Don’t rush the onion. Undercooked onion stays sharp and gritty in the finished sauce. Five minutes is the minimum; six is safer.
- Taste before you finish. Canned tomato brands vary a lot in salt and acidity. One brand’s crushed tomatoes can need twice the salt of another’s.
- Leftover sauce thickens in the fridge. Loosen it with a tablespoon or two of pasta cooking water when reheating, not plain water, for better flavor.
Cook times by batch size:
| Batch size | Simmer time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Half batch (14 oz tomatoes) | 10 to 12 mins | Sauce is thinner; watch it closely |
| Single batch (28 oz tomatoes) | 15 to 20 mins | Standard recipe as written |
| Double batch (56 oz tomatoes) | 25 to 30 mins | Use a wide pot to keep even heat |
How To Store
- Refrigerate – Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days. The flavor actually improves on day 2.
- Reheating – Warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water or pasta water if it has thickened too much.
- Freeze – Freeze flat in zip bags or in a lidded container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
What To Serve With Marinara Sauce
Serve this over spaghetti or rigatoni with a handful of Parmesan grated on top. The sauce is light enough that the pasta itself comes through, so a good-quality dried pasta makes a difference here. It also works as a dipping sauce alongside garlic bread or homemade breadsticks, where the slight sweetness of the tomato plays well against the salt and butter on the bread. For a fuller meal, spoon it over pan-seared chicken cutlets and finish them in the oven, so the sauce caramelizes a little around the edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use whole canned tomatoes instead of crushed?
Yes. Drain a 28 oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes and crush them by hand or with a wooden spoon as they go into the pan. The texture will be slightly chunkier, which some people prefer.
How do I make this sauce thicker without cooking it longer?
Stir in 1 tbsp of tomato paste along with the canned tomatoes. It adds body and a deeper tomato flavor without extra time on the stove.
Can I make this sauce ahead of time?
Yes, and it’s actually better the next day. Make it up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate it covered, and reheat gently before serving.
Is this sauce the same as Olive Garden’s pizza sauce?
No. The pizza sauce uses a thicker base with less olive oil and no fresh basil finish. This version is the dipping and pasta sauce served with the breadstick basket.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the 3 tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the 5 cloves minced garlic and stir for 60 seconds.
- Add the 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes to the pan. Stir and cook for 30 seconds in the hot oil.
- Pour in the 28 oz crushed San Marzano tomatoes. Add the 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle bubble, then reduce to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat. Taste and adjust salt. Stir in the 2 tbsp torn fresh basil, ladle into a serving bowl, and scatter a few extra basil leaves on top.
