• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
A Grateful Meal
  • About
    • Press
    • Contact Me
  • Nutrition Coaching
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Easter
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Shop
  • Contact Me
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Easter
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Shop
    • Contact Me
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Marinara Sauce

    Published: Dec 15, 2020 by Melissa · This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    a pot of instant pot marinara sauce with fresh basil and red pepper flake on the side on a white background and the text overlay "instant pot marinara sauce"

    This Instant Pot Marinara Sauce cooks in about 30 minutes but has the flavor of a sauce that has been simmered for hours.

    Marinara sauce tastes best when it’s been simmered for hours thanks to the maillard reaction, which is a chemical reaction that your food undergoes when it’s browned – it gives food a much more complex flavor.

    By putting this marinara sauce in the instant pot, we speed up this process and get a much more flavorful sauce. To deepen the sauce, I also added shredded carrots for a pop of sweetness and nutrition as well as red wine, which also makes the flavor more complex.  

    bowl of instant pot marinara sauce with fresh basil and red pepper flake on the side on a white background.

    Ingredients for Instant Pot Marinara Sauce

    Olive oil: We need just a bit of oil to saute the veggies in the sauce. I have also used butter, which tastes great too.

    Onion: If you plan on keeping your sauce chunky, I would chop the onion fairly finely. If you like a smooth, pureed sauce as I do, you can keep the chunks fairly big and rough since it’ll all get blended up in the end.

    Carrots: You can shred your own if you want, but I prefer just to buy pre-shredded carrots. Plus, I always have some on hand to throw in stir-fries and salads.

    Garlic: I’m crazy about some garlic, so I like at least four cloves of garlic but feel free to adjust it as needed.

    Herbs: I used dried oregano and red pepper flake but used fresh basil because I love the fresh basil’s flavor so much more than the dried. You can sub in some dried basil if that’s what you have – I think 2 tsp. would be enough.

    Red wine: I used a merlot that I got from Winc, and it was perfect. You can also check out my guide to Wine Pairings with Italian Food.

    Crushed tomatoes: There are lots of crushed canned tomatoes out there, but I recommend San Marzano canned tomatoes – they have the best flavor.

    a bowl of pasta and bread with a ladle of instant pot marinara sauce going on top.

    How to Make Marinara Sauce in the Instant Pot

    To make this marinara sauce, you’ll need first to saute the onion and shredded carrots with olive oil in the Instant Pot using the sauté function. You’ll then add the garlic, herbs, red pepper flake (if using), and basil, followed by the red wine.

    Let the red wine reduce for a few minutes to let some of the alcohol burn off.

    After, you’ll add the crushed tomatoes and season generously with salt and pepper. Put the lid on and make sure that the steam valve is in the closed position.

    You can then switch the function from saute to manual high pressure and set the timer for 25 minutes. You can use a manual steam release. If you want a smooth sauce, puree the sauce with a blender. Otherwise, you can leave it chunky.

    How Long Does Marinara Sauce Last? Can Marinara Sauce Be Frozen?

    You can keep the marinara sauce in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

    a pot of instant pot marinara sauce with fresh basil and red pepper flake on the side on a white background.

    Instant Pot Marinara Sauce

    Melissa
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Italian, pasta
    Servings 6 -8 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tbsp. olive oil
    • 1 medium onion chopped roughly
    • 1 cup of shredded carrots
    • 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
    • 1 tsp. dried oregano
    • ⅛ tsp. of red pepper flake optional
    • 3-4 large fresh basil leaves plus extra for garnish
    • ½ cup of red wine
    • 28 oz. of crushed canned San Marzano tomatoes
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Put Instant Pot on the saute feature and add olive oil to the pot. Add onion and shredded carrots and saute for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flake (if using), and fresh basil leaves and saute for about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant.
    • Add red wine and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and stir to incorporate ingredients fully.
    • Put on the Instant Pot lid and make sure that the steam valve is in the closed position. Switch the function to manual high pressure and cook for 25 minutes. Manually release steam. If you prefer a smooth sauce, blend using a blender or you can leave it chunky.

    Notes

    You can keep the marinara sauce in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.  
    CLICK TO DISPLAY NUTRITION INFO

    Nutrition

    Calories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 386mgPotassium: 502mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3906IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword instant pot marinara sauce, Italian, pasta sauce
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Instant Pot

    • Top view of a bowl of chicken and pancake dumplings with a wooden bowl of carrots, wood cutting board, and a blue and white napkin in the background.
      Instant Pot Chicken and Pancake Mix Dumplings with Winter Greens
    • Overview of instant pot shredded chicken in the instant pot bowl.
      Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
    • image collage of multiple bowls of ground turkey slow cooker recipes
      Ground Turkey Slow Cooker Recipes [Crockpot or Instant Pot]
    • Overview from above of a jar of instant pot apple butter with whole apples and toast on the side on a white-gray background.
      Instant Pot Apple Butter

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Photo of Melissa sitting on porch with coffee cup leaning forward with pumpkins and plants on the porch.

    Hi, and welcome! 👋🏻 I’m Melissa, a RD with a Food Science degree living in Charleston, SC. I love sharing all my favorite food and cocktail recipes right here.

    More about me →

    Easter Recipes

    • Caramelized air fryer carrots laid out on aplate topped with dill and parmesan
      Air Fryer Carrots with Parmesan and Dill
    • Spritz in a wine glass with a bottle of Cointreau, orange half, and green plant in the background.
      Citrusy Cointreau Spritz Cocktail
    • Lemon Mascarpone Doughnuts with Berries
      Lemon Mascarpone Doughnuts
    • Lemonade mocktail in a goblet with flowers spread out next to it.
      Passion Fruit Mint Lemonade Mocktail (Non-Alcoholic Mojito)
    • The White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake on a cooling rack sliced with a small bowl of raspberries on the side.
      White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake
    • Pink spritz in a coupe glass with fluffy cotton candy on the rim.
      Shimmering Cotton Candy Spritz Cocktail with Prosecco

    Popular Recipes

    • Close up of hibachi shrimp rice bowl and other bowls in the background.
      Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls
    • Coupe glass with a dried citrus wheel as garnish.
      French 95 (French 75 with Bourbon)
    • Cherry whiskey sour on a wood board with cherries as a garnish.
      Cherry Whiskey Sour (with Bourbon and Amaretto)
    • overview of two buffalo chicken rice bowl with an avocado, cilantro, forks, and a napkin on the side on a white background.
      Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About + Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Content and Recipe Sharing Policy

    About + Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Disclaimer: Information on this website is meant for general use only and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease or condition. Readers should consult their healthcare providers prior to making any changes to their lifestyle. The information contained in this site is intended to serve as general information and should be used in conjunction with advice from your healthcare team. It is not a substitute for medical treatment or therapy of any kind. All information contained in this site is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without permission from the site owner.

    Copyright © 2023 Grateful Meal Nutrition

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    • 8