Copycat Olive Garden Marinara Sauce Recipe - Tammilee Tips (2024)

Published: · Updated: by Tammilee · This post may contain affiliate links

Copycat Olive Garden Marinara Sauce Recipe is the perfect pasta sauce for your favorite spaghetti dish.

Copycat Olive Garden Marinara Sauce Recipe - Tammilee Tips (1)Copycat Olive Garden Marinara Sauce

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One of my favorite places to go for date nights is Olive Garden. Bring on the soup, salad and breadsticks please! Oh and the gorgeous pasta! HELLO YUM!

Today we are sharing a copycat Olive Garden Marinara Sauce Recipe. Some days you want the flavors of your favorite restaurant without having to get dressed and do your hair.

There is just something so nice about sitting in your yoga/pj pants and enjoying your favorite meal at home. Plus this way you can catch up on the Bachelorette or whichever tv show is your favorite.

I may or may not be a closet Bachelorette watcher and enjoy curling up on the couch watching it each week when we are home. There is just something about those rose ceremonies and the drama that draws me in. I know I can't be the only one...

You can pair this gorgeous Copy Cat Olive Garden Marinara Sauce Recipe with our Copy Cat Olive Garden Breadsticks, Copy Cat Olive Garden Pasta E fa*gioli Soup Recipe and to finish it off you can't go wrong with this Copy Cat Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake! YES PLEASE!

Note this recipe makes about 3-4 jars of sauce and it freezes great so whip up a batch and save some it for a night you have no time to cook.

Ingredients

  • Crushed Tomatoes (either regular or with basil, oregano and garlic) OR fresh tomatoes
  • Cloves of garlic
  • Dried basil
  • Black pepper
  • Sugar (optional) – this takes out the bitterness from the acidity of the tomatoes and makes it a little sweet
  • Extra Virgin Olive oil
  • Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
  • Minced Green Peppers (optional)

Optional additions - Italian Seasoning Blend, Red Pepper, salt and pepper, fresh herbs

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a 5+ qt. pot over medium heat, and add the chopped or pressed garlic.
  2. Heat for one to two minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic, then add all the tomatoes, black pepper, basil and sugar. Stirring often, bring to a low boil.
  3. Reduce heat to low and simmer
  4. For the first half of the simmer time, do so with the pot uncovered, then cover.
  5. Add the cheese, stir in and simmer

Recipe Tips

  • Nutrition information, including calories, protein, calcium, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamin c, potassium, cholesterol, sodium, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and more, will vary depending on the products used.

Great Copycat Recipes

Don't miss all of our Olive Garden recipes

Texas Roadhouse Sweet Potato

Texas Roadhouse Butter

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

Chick fil A Sauce

Red Robin Campfire Sauce

Do you love recipes? Check out ourcopy cat recipes,dessert recipes, and ourCrock Pot Recipes.

Copycat Olive Garden Marinara Sauce Recipe - Tammilee Tips (2)

Copycat Olive Garden Marinara Sauce Recipe

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Print Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Author: Tammilee Tips

Ingredients

  • 84 oz Crushed Tomatoes either regular or with basil, oregano and garlic 28 oz. sized cans OR 12-15 fresh tomatoes (peeled, chopped and blended in a food processor)
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 4 Tablespoons Dried Basil
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 -2 Tablespoon White Sugar optional – this takes out the bitterness and makes it a little sweet
  • 2 TSBP Olive Oil
  • cup Parmesan Cheese or Romano Cheese
  • Minced Green Peppers optional

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a 5+ qt. pot over medium heat, and add the chopped or pressed garlic.

  • Heat for one to two minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic, then add all the tomatoes, black pepper, basil and sugar. Stirring often, bring to a low boil.

  • Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours stirring often.

  • For the first half of the simmer time, do so with the pot uncovered, then cover.

  • Add the cheese, stir in and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or so.

Love this recipe?Follow @TammileeTIps on Pinterest

Tried this recipe?Mention @TammileeTipsLife when you share a photo!

More Sauces and Dressings

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  • Bacon Gravy Recipe

About Tammilee

Lifestyle blogger who travels the world and drinks too much Chai tea. Travel blogger, award winning photographer, sunset hunter, Birkenstock girl, bird nerd
You can find Tammilee on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MaryAnn

    Made it last night, and pronounce it excellent! Lots of basil..good canned tomatoes, and the cheese puts it over the top. I know Italian cooks save the crust of their Parm/Reg cheese to throw in, but never tried it. Now, it's mine forever.
    Doesn't hurt to add an inch of anchovies paste..from the tube, of course. And capers, I just learned how to FRY them before adding! Who knew?
    Thanks for this, so much!

    Reply

    • Tammilee

      MaryAnn, I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe! I love your suggestions for add ins to boost the flavor even more! Thank you so much for sharing with me your joy over the recipe. That means a lot!

      Reply

  2. valmg

    I don't think I've actually had their Marinara yet but I do like marinara. This would be great for dipping the bread sticks in!

    Reply

  3. Jen

    I love good copycat recipes. Perfect for when you want a certain something but don't want to go out. This looks really good.

    Reply

  4. Kerri

    I bet this would be a tasty treat to have at home. I want to try it next time I make sauce!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Copycat Olive Garden Marinara Sauce Recipe - Tammilee Tips (2024)

FAQs

What is olive garden marinara sauce made of? ›

Marinara Sauce Ingredients:

Canned Tomatoes- you can use canned diced or crushed tomatoes and skip the blending. Onions- Olive Garden's marinara is loaded with onions. Fresh Garlic- is a must for Authentic Marinara sauce. Extra Virgin Olive Oil- or any kind of mild flavored oil will work to sauté the onions and garlic.

What makes marinara sauce better? ›

An especially effective option with a low risk is tomato paste. Brown a tablespoon or so in olive oil in your pot or skillet before adding the sauce to simmer or reheat. Anchovies, or anchovy paste, are another umami-rich ingredient, so try cooking a few minced fillets or a teaspoon or so of paste into the sauce.

What is the thickening agent in marinara sauce? ›

The key takeaway from How To Thicken Marinara Sauce For Spaghetti And Pasta (culinaryvtours.com) is that there are various methods to thicken marinara sauce for spaghetti and pasta, including using tomato paste, flour or cornstarch, simmering, and adding vegetables.

What is the difference between marinara sauce and spaghetti sauce? ›

They are similar, spaghetti sauce is essentially a version of a marinara sauce. Spaghetti sauce usually contains added ingredients such as ground beef to make a bolognese sauce.

Does Olive Garden sell their marinara sauce? ›

9.49. Enjoy a pint of our freshly prepared marinara sauce.

Does Olive Garden marinara sauce have garlic in it? ›

Entrées. All of our CYO Pastas do not contain garlic (however, all of our pasta sauces do contain garlic).

Why add sugar to marinara sauce? ›

The reason for sprinkling a pinch of sugar into a simmering saucepan of tomatoes is simple: sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and creates an overall more balanced sauce. The exact acid levels in tomatoes can vary quite a bit depending on whether they're fresh or canned, the tomato variety, and the time of year.

What does adding milk to marinara sauce do? ›

When you make home-made tomato sauce with fresh or tinned tomatoes, it can sometimes turn out to be too acidic. Add a little milk to tomato sauce for a sweeter taste to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. This is a well-kept secret amongst Italian grandmothers.

What is the one ingredient that makes spaghetti sauce so much better? ›

Nutmeg. Nutmeg is the key to boosting earthiness and adding a touch of nuttiness to your spaghetti sauce. Nutmeg also has a slightly sweet flavor, which we know goes great with acidic canned tomatoes. Overall, it accentuates the other ingredients in the sauce and adds complexity.

Why add baking soda to marinara sauce? ›

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

Why is my homemade marinara sauce runny? ›

But sometimes it's just too watery. In most cases, the reason is that it hasn't been simmered long enough. You see, fresh tomatoes contain a lot of liquids, which are released during cooking. And if you don't give them time to evaporate, your sauce will be diluted.

How to make marinara sauce taste more like spaghetti sauce? ›

How do I make tomato sauce into spaghetti sauce? Add herbs (such as basil, parsley, oregano) and sauteed garlic. Some like caramelized onions, diced tomatoes, a bit of chili powder and sausage too. Tweak it to your taste, adding salt, perhaps a bit of sugar and a tablespoon or two of wine or vinegar if you like.

What do Italians call marinara sauce? ›

Widely used in Italian-American cuisine, it is known as alla marinara in Italy, where it is typically made with tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic and oregano, but also sometimes olives, capers, and salted anchovies.

What pasta goes best with marinara sauce? ›

We recommend long, thin pasta, such as Capellini and Thin Spaghetti. Recommended Pasta Shapes: Capellini, Cut Ziti, Penne Ziti, Spaghetti, Spaghettini. Unlike light tomato sauces with a more delicate, fresh flavor, rich tomato sauces are simmered and so more concentrated for a bold and robust presence.

Is Prego spaghetti sauce the same as marinara sauce? ›

Spaghetti sauce is a version of marinara, but it usually contains additional ingredients, like meat or vegetables.

Does Olive Garden marinara sauce have meat? ›

Is Olive Garden marinara vegan? Absolutely! There's no dairy, eggs, or meat to be found in this Olive Garden sauce.

Does Olive Garden marinara sauce have pork in it? ›

Following encouragement from and talks with PETA, Olive Garden made its marinara sauce for both breadsticks and pastas vegan. Previously, you had to ask for the kids' tomato sauce, which is still vegan. Current subscribers: You will continue to receive e-mail unless you explicitly opt out by clicking here.

Does Olive Garden make its own sauce? ›

The pasta remains stored until it's needed for a customer, at which point the cooks boil it and pair it with one of the chain's beloved homemade sauces, such as marinara, meat sauce, alfredo, or five cheese marinara.

Does Olive Garden make their sauce from scratch daily? ›

Our soup and sauce masters create dishes by hand and from scratch, every day. With fresh, whole ingredients like kale, peppers and squash. Because they know cooking that way – the Italian way- everything tastes better. to everything they make.

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