Marinara vs. Tomato Sauce: What Are the Differences?

Marinara sauce, also known as a red sauce, is a thin, tomato-based sauce. The ingredients that any given marinara recipe calls for can vary between home cooks. In addition to sweet tomatoes—whether canned or fresh—marinara typically calls for oregano, garlic cloves, fresh basil leaves, olive oil, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste.

Diners typically enjoy marinara sauce as a pasta sauce, pizza sauce, or dipping sauce for stromboli, calamari, or breadsticks. Some home cooks add ground beef or meatballs to the sauce to make spaghetti sauce.

Tomato sauce, sometimes called “sauce tomat” in French, is a thick, creamy tomato-based sauce with a rich flavor. Cooks make the sauce by cooking fresh tomatoes in a base of pork or animal fat, aromatics, seasonings, and stock until it reduces. A traditional tomato sauce recipe may call for the addition of a roux to thicken the sauce further, but modern adaptations often skip this step. Meat ragù, a popular variation on the classic sauce, features Italian sausage, ground beef, or pork.

Tomato sauce can also refer to the canned tomato-based sauce, tomato purée, or crushed tomatoes sold at the grocery store.

In most scenarios, you can use marinara sauce and tomato sauce interchangeably. However, tomato sauce will be somewhat lighter and thinner than thicker and more complex marinara sauce. Tomato sauce may be too thick for a pizza, while marinara may be too thin for dishes like eggplant Parmesan and chicken Parmesan.

Though marinara sauce and tomato sauce are interchangeable in some Italian dishes, the two have some subtle differences, including:

• Culinary uses: The complex flavors and thickness of tomato sauce make it similar to gravy, which makes it perfect to ladle over biscuits or heavier meat-based dishes. On the other hand, marinara is much lighter: Its simple flavor and runny consistency make it a great addition to pizzas and pasta dishes because it won’t overwhelm the other ingredients.
• Ingredients: A marinara sauce recipe typically calls for a simple ingredient list, including herbs, extra-virgin olive oil, and black pepper. Tomato sauce uses many of the same foundational ingredients with the addition of heartier ingredients like pork or anchovies and veggies like zucchini. Keep in mind that the type of tomato you use—such as plum tomatoes versus Italian tomatoes like San Marzano tomatoes—can alter the sauce’s flavor profile.
• Texture: Marinara sauce is thin and spreadable and usually only cooks for thirty minutes or less on the stovetop, depending on the recipe. This quick sauce is much looser than tomato sauce, which is thick and almost creamy. Chefs cook tomato sauce, which often features a base of aromatics and a roux, for much longer to reduce it and develop its flavor.

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