"Smoky Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce Recipe – Rich, Bold, and Easy to Make!
This Smoky Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce is something special. The roasted garlic gives it a deep, rich flavor, and the smoked paprika adds a little something extra. It’s great on pasta, but my favorite way to use it is for dipping—pizza, fries, breadsticks, you name it. And I’ve got another way I love to use it, but you’ll have to keep reading to find out. Trust me, it’s a good one!
A Quick & Flavorful Marinara
This is going to be a short and sweet blog post because making this marinara is just that—simple and quick. The only real time involved is roasting the garlic, and even that’s a breeze. But don’t let the simplicity fool you—this is no boring marinara. This Smoky Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce will take even the plainest food and make it sing. And I mean that literally—I’ve been humming happy tunes all day. LOL!
Perfect for Any Occasion
It’s great for a night with friends, family pizza night, or just when you want a little something extra with your appetizer. While it’s mostly made with dried spices and herbs, the real star of the show is garlic—lots of fresh, roasted garlic. That’s where all the deep, rich flavor comes from!
Roasting the Garlic for Maximum Flavor
Before we just toss garlic into the sauce, we’re going to roast it first. This step takes the flavor to a whole new level. Start by cutting the top off an entire bulb of garlic and drizzling it with a little oil. I like to use olive oil because it adds a bit of flavor. Now, whether you cover it with foil or not is up to you. If you wrap it in foil, the garlic will steam and turn into a smooth paste easily. I left mine uncovered to get a little more caramelization, which deepens the flavor, but it does make it trickier to mash. The outer layers dry out more, so you’ll need to remove them after roasting. I just pressed the garlic out of the cloves with a spoon and left a few bits of the roasted skin in for extra flavor. After this, the hardest part is just stirring everything together in the pot!
The Secret to That Smoky Flavor
Garlic brings a lot of flavor to the pot, but the real key to that smoky depth is the fire-roasted tomatoes. Depending on where you live, you might not be able to find crushed or saucy fire-roasted tomatoes. No worries—I just toss mine in a chopper or blender to get the texture I want. Now, I’m a chunky girl (literally, LOL!), so I like my sauce on the rustic side with some texture. But if you prefer a smoother sauce, just blend it down more. And if you can’t find fire-roasted tomatoes at all, don’t stress—we’ve got another way to bring in that smoky flavor!
Bringing the Smoky Flavor (Without Overdoing It!)
There are two ways to add that smoky depth to this marinara—smoked paprika and fire-roasted tomatoes. But let me tell you, not all smoked paprika is created equal. I have a go-to brand that I love, but I decided to try a different one, and I was highly disappointed. The smoke flavor tasted way too artificial. If you run into that issue, try cutting back on the smoked paprika so it doesn’t overpower the sauce. We’re not going for a full-on barbecue pit flavor here—just a subtle hint of smokiness to add complexity.
And if you’re not a fan of smoky flavors at all? No problem! Skip the smoked paprika, and the roasted garlic alone will still take your marinara to the next level.
A Quick and Easy Marinara That Gets Better With Time
This is one of those sauces that comes together fast but tastes like it took all day. It’s perfect when you need a good marinara in a short time, and the best part? It keeps well and actually gets better as the flavors meld. Plus, it’s super versatile—you can use it as a dip, a pasta sauce, a pizza base, or even as a topper for a juicy burger.
And if you love a good smoky flavor, you’ve got to try my s’mores bars with a fluffy marshmallow meringue, toasted to smoky perfection! Check it out [here] and get ready for your next favorite dessert. 🔥🍫
