There’s something deeply satisfying about a bowl of pasta smothered in a rich, flavorful marinara. It’s quick to make, budget-friendly, and universally appealing. This Instant Pot veggie marinara recipe yields a large batch—about the equivalent of three jars of store-bought sauce—so it’s perfect for freezing and using whenever you need a no-fuss spaghetti dinner or a versatile tomato base.
This version builds extra flavor and nutrition by blending carrots and celery with the classic onion, garlic, and tomatoes, plus a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Use the finished sauce on pasta, grilled chicken, zucchini noodles, as a dip for breadsticks, or in baked pasta dishes.
Extra Veggie Marinara Sauce
To create the sauce base, pulse onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in a food processor with olive oil until they form a smooth puree. If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender: add the vegetables and about 1 1/2 cups of water, blend until very finely chopped, then strain through a fine sieve and mix the drained vegetables with the olive oil.
Extra Veggie Marinara Sauce
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté on the medium (Normal) setting and cook the vegetable–olive oil mixture for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This step is optional but helps develop deeper flavor from the vegetables before you add the tomatoes.
Extra Veggie Marinara Sauce
Once the vegetables have softened and their flavors have mellowed, add the crushed tomatoes along with dried basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, a touch of sugar or agave (to balance acidity), and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Extra Veggie Marinara Sauce
Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally—about 20 minutes—before opening the lid. After cooking, you’ll have a large, savory batch of marinara ready to use in multiple meals. Freeze any unused sauce; it will keep well for 6–12 months.
Extra Veggie Marinara Sauce
Veggie Marinara Sauce (Instant Pot Recipe)
Marsha Maxwell
Pin Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 carrots — peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces (or about 15 baby carrots)
- 3 stalks celery — trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 large (or 2 small) onions — peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic — peeled
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sugar or agave syrup (optional)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Process the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and olive oil in a food processor until pureed.
- If using a blender, combine the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery with 1 1/2 cups water and blend until very finely chopped. Strain through a fine strainer, then mix the drained vegetables with the olive oil.
- Using the Instant Pot Sauté feature on medium/normal, cook the vegetable–olive oil mixture for 15 minutes, stirring often. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper while cooking.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar or agave (if using), Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes, and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir to combine.
- Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally, then remove the lid and stir. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 83 kcal
Carbohydrates: 12 g | Protein: 2 g | Fat: 4 g
Sodium: 448 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 7 g
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Photos by Marsha Maxwell, Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.com, Valeria Asakova/Shutterstock.com.