Fresh Is Best – Stop Ruining Your Marinara Sauce With These 2 Dried Spices

Making marinara sauce at home can revolutionize your favorite Italian dishes, as even the very best store-bought marinara sauce can't compete with a great homemade version. However, making marinara sauce as good as it can be takes patience and fresh ingredients. The next time you find yourself wanting to make a homemade sauce, remember to use fresh garlic and basil rather than powdered garlic and dried basil if you want to walk away with the best marinara you've ever created.

We spoke to all-around pizza expert Nathan Gerard, manager at Pellet Head (whose wood pellet fired pizza ovens are top of class), about the importance of using fresh ingredients for marinara sauce. For starters, Gerard noted that while dried basil can work in a pinch, it simply can't compete with its fresh counterparts. "Fresh basil has a sweet, aromatic kick that really stands out, especially if you add it right at the end," Gerard told The Takeout "Dried basil is more muted and earthy. I'd go fresh whenever possible." Similarly, garlic powder doesn't quite match up to the intricate flavor of freshly minced garlic. "Fresh garlic has more bite and complexity," he said. "Garlic powder is mellow and convenient but lacks that punch."

Using fresh garlic and basil (the best of which can be found in Italy) will improve your marinara sauce greatly, but not every ingredient in the mix must be fresh for you to succeed. In fact, in some cases, it's arguably preferable not to spend your time and energy finding fresh versions of ingredients that warrant similar results to pre-packaged ones. "Dried oregano and chili flakes are fine," Gerard reassured. "They're potent and hold up well in sauces."

As for other ingredients to add to marinara sauce, both onions and olive oil are two core ingredients for most recipes of the sauce (including our two go-to marinara sauce recipes). Beyond these, Gerard recommends using fresh parsley rather than dried to get the most flavor. Similar to basil, fresh parsley should be added near the end, if not immediately after your sauce is finished cooking. This ensures the strong and aromatic flavor of these fresh herbs won't evaporate as a result of the heat.