Marinara sauce is always cooked. It starts by sautéing garlic and onions in olive oil, then adding tomatoes and herbs. The sauce simmers for 20 to 30 minutes (or longer) until it reaches the desired flavor and consistency.

Texture: Marinara sauce is typically chunkier and thinner than pizza sauce. The tomatoes may not be fully pureed, giving it a more rustic feel, and the longer cooking process results in a sauce that is somewhat looser.

Flavor: Marinara sauce has a deeper, more developed flavor due to the cooking process. The herbs and aromatics have more time to infuse into the sauce, and the tomatoes take on a slightly sweeter, caramelized flavor from cooking. It’s a more complex sauce than pizza sauce.

Usage:

• Pasta: Marinara sauce is most commonly used in pasta dishes like spaghetti, penne, or ravioli. It can also serve as a base for more complex sauces like Bolognese.
• Dipping Sauce: Marinara makes an excellent dipping sauce for breadsticks, mozzarella sticks, or calzones.
• Chicken Parmesan and Eggplant Parmesan: The sauce is often used as a topping for these dishes, where it bakes along with the other ingredients.
• Seafood Dishes: In some regions, marinara is used to accompany seafood, such as in Spaghetti alla Marinara.