Instant Creamy Marinara Sauce (Printable view)

Velvety tomato sauce with butter and herbs, ready quickly for pasta or pizza dishes.

# What You Need:

→ Sauce Base

01 - 2 cups tomato sauce, plain and unsalted if possible

→ Dairy

02 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Seasoning

03 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - ½ teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
05 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Optional Additions

06 - 1 tablespoon heavy cream for extra creaminess
07 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano)

# How To Make:

01 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine tomato sauce, butter, and garlic powder.
02 - Stir until the butter melts completely and sauce begins to simmer, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Add salt and black pepper, stirring thoroughly to incorporate.
04 - If desired, stir in heavy cream and dried Italian herbs for added flavor and creaminess.
05 - Simmer for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve hot over pasta, as dipping sauce, or on pizza.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually tastes like you spent an hour simmering, even though it's ready faster than you can boil water.
  • The butter transforms plain tomato sauce into something creamy and luxurious without any cream at all (unless you want it).
  • Lives in your pantry year-round, so you're never more than ten minutes away from a proper dinner.
02 -
  • The moment you add salt, wait a full minute before tasting again because it needs time to distribute through the whole sauce.
  • Don't let it boil hard and splatter all over your stovetop; medium heat means you stay in control and nothing breaks.
03 -
  • Room-temperature butter melts faster and more evenly than cold butter straight from the fridge.
  • San Marzano tomato sauce tastes noticeably sweeter and silkier than standard tomato sauce, and it's worth seeking out if you make this often.
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