Instant Creamy Marinara Sauce (Printable)

A smooth tomato sauce crafted quickly with simple ingredients, perfect for enhancing meals.

# What You Need:

→ Sauce Base

01 - 2 cups tomato sauce, plain, 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 ground black pepper

→ Optional Additions

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

# How To Make It:

01 - Place tomato sauce, butter, and garlic powder into a medium saucepan over medium heat.
02 - Stir continuously until butter melts and sauce begins to simmer, about 5 minutes.
03 - Incorporate salt and black pepper, stirring thoroughly to blend flavors.
04 - Add heavy cream and dried Italian herbs if desired, stirring to combine.
05 - Allow sauce to simmer for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Serve hot over pasta, use as a dipping sauce, or as a pizza base.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like you fussed for hours when you actually spent ten minutes and didn't break a sweat.
  • Your pantry staples become restaurant-quality sauce without any special ingredients or techniques.
  • It works as a pasta sauce, pizza base, dipping sauce, or the foundation for something even fancier—total kitchen MVP.
02 -
  • The butter has to fully melt and integrate into the sauce, not just float on top—that's what creates the creaminess, so don't skip the stirring.
  • Your tomato sauce quality matters more than anything else; a good sauce shines here because there's nowhere to hide, so taste it before you start cooking if you've never used that brand before.
03 -
  • Add a tiny pinch of sugar if your tomato sauce tastes too acidic—just a quarter teaspoon can balance it without making it taste sweet.
  • If you accidentally let it simmer too long and it thickens more than you wanted, stir in a splash of pasta water or cream to loosen it back up.
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