Sauce, pasta, spaghetti/marinara, ready-to-serve
Whole food · Soups, Sauces, and Gravies
Photo: Wikipedia
A vibrant, ready-to-use tomato-based sauce with a smooth, slightly chunky texture and a balanced sweet-savory flavor profile. It's a low-calorie, low-fat staple that delivers a solid dose of lycopene and fiber per serving, making it a nutritious base for countless meals.
💚 Why it's loved
People adore it for its incredible versatility and comforting, familiar taste that forms the backbone of Italian-American cuisine. It transforms simple pasta, proteins, or vegetables into a satisfying meal with minimal effort.
⚠️ Watch-outs & how to enjoy it better
Some commercial versions can be high in added sodium and sugar, which may be a concern for those monitoring blood pressure or blood sugar. To counteract this, look for low-sodium varieties, or dilute with a splash of pasta water and pair with a lean protein like chicken or beans to create a more balanced glycemic response.
Key benefits
- Low in calories and fat, ideal for calorie-conscious cooking.
- Good source of dietary fiber from tomatoes and vegetables.
- Contains lycopene, a powerful antioxidant from cooked tomatoes.
- Provides a quick, flavorful base for healthy weeknight meals.
- Naturally low in protein, allowing for flexible meal pairing.
🍽️ Popular dishes
🌍 Where it's eaten
💡 Did you know?
The classic 'marinara' sauce is named after the Italian word for 'sailor' (marinaio), as it was a simple, quick-cooking sauce prepared on Neapolitan fishing boats.
Full nutrition (scales with serving)
| Water | 87.9 g |
| Energy | 50.0 kcal |
| Energy | 208 kj |
| Protein | 1.4 g |
| Total lipid (fat) | 1.6 g |
| Ash | 1.7 g |
| Carbohydrate, by difference | 7.4 g |
| Fiber, total dietary | 1.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 4.9 g |
| Sucrose | 0.41 g |
| Glucose | 2.2 g |
| Fructose | 2.3 g |
| Lactose | 0.00 g |
| Maltose | 0.00 g |
| Galactose | 0.00 g |
| Starch | 0.00 g |
| Calcium, Ca | 26.0 mg |
| Iron, Fe | 0.73 mg |
| Magnesium, Mg | 18.0 mg |
| Phosphorus, P | 34.0 mg |
| Potassium, K | 320 mg |
| Sodium, Na | 437 mg |
| Zinc, Zn | 0.20 mg |
| Copper, Cu | 0.08 mg |
| Manganese, Mn | 0.13 mg |
| Selenium, Se | 1.4 ug |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid | 2.0 mg |
| Thiamin | 0.02 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.06 mg |
| Niacin | 3.9 mg |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.08 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.17 mg |
| Folate, total | 13.0 ug |
| Folic acid | 0.00 ug |
| Folate, food | 13.0 ug |
| Folate, DFE | 13.0 ug |
| Choline, total | 13.7 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, RAE | 31.0 ug |
| Retinol | 0.00 ug |
| Carotene, beta | 370 ug |
| Carotene, alpha | 0.00 ug |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin A, IU | 617 iu |
| Lycopene | 12717 ug |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 176 ug |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 2.4 mg |
| Vitamin E, added | 0.00 mg |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0.00 iu |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 0.00 ug |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) | 13.9 ug |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.22 g |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 15:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.14 g |
| SFA 17:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.05 g |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.00 g |
| SFA 24:0 | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.30 g |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 15:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 16:1 c | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 17:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.29 g |
| MUFA 18:1 c | 0.29 g |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.01 g |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 22:1 c | 0.00 g |
| MUFA 24:1 c | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 0.67 g |
| PUFA 18:2 | 0.59 g |
| PUFA 18:2 n-6 c,c | 0.58 g |
| PUFA 18:2 CLAs | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.08 g |
| PUFA 18:3 n-3 c,c,c (ALA) | 0.08 g |
| PUFA 18:3 n-6 c,c,c | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:2 n-6 c,c | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:3 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:3 n-3 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:3 n-6 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:4 | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0.00 g |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0.00 g |
| Fatty acids, total trans | 0.01 g |
| Fatty acids, total trans-monoenoic | 0.00 g |
| TFA 16:1 t | 0.00 g |
| TFA 18:1 t | 0.00 g |
| TFA 22:1 t | 0.00 g |
| TFA 18:2 t not further defined | 0.01 g |
| Fatty acids, total trans-polyenoic | 0.01 g |
| Cholesterol | 2.0 mg |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0.00 g |
| Caffeine | 0.00 mg |
| Theobromine | 0.00 mg |
FAQ
What's the difference between marinara and spaghetti sauce?
Marinara is typically a simpler, quicker-cooking sauce focused on tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. Spaghetti sauce (or 'pomodoro') is a broader term that can include more ingredients like onions, carrots, and sometimes meat, and is often simmered longer for deeper flavor.
Is this sauce gluten-free?
Most plain, ready-to-serve marinara sauces are naturally gluten-free. However, always check the label for any added thickeners or flavorings that might contain gluten, especially if you have celiac disease or a sensitivity.
How can I enhance a store-bought sauce?
Sauté fresh garlic and onions before adding the sauce, stir in a handful of fresh basil or oregano at the end, or finish with a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil for added richness and flavor.