It’s World Pasta Day! Since 1998, foodies around the world have celebrated the day with a warm, hearty pasta dish. But this classical Italian meal would not be as adored without the perfect pasta sauce.

While many at-home cooks opt for a store-bought jar, a popular social media chef claims that her homemade five-ingredient pasta sauce recipe is better than anything you can buy at the supermarket – and it only takes two minutes to cook.

Melissa, a chef from Simply Whisked with over 23,000 followers on Instagram, shared: “If I had to claim one meal as my go-to dinner recipe, this two-minute marinara sauce would be it.

“Whenever I’ve failed to prep a recipe for dinner, or forgotten to take something out of the freezer for the night, I almost always make this. It’s been a life saver and a belly filler for many years.”

But what is marinara sauce? Marinara sauce is a delicious tomato-based sauce seasoned with herbs such as basil, garlic and parsley that complements a wide range of dishes.

This budget-friendly sauce is simple to make, Melissa added: “I’ve nailed down an actual recipe for making this simple marinara sauce, and it turns out perfect every single time – as opposed to the overly garlicky accidents I used to make.

“It goes like this: one can of tomatoes + two garlic cloves + two teaspoons dried basil + one teaspoon dried parsley = miracle marinara sauce. A pinch of salt is optional, but since we’ve been dairy free, we usually opt for the extra salt because without the added cheese we like a little extra flavor-enhancer.

“I’ve even started using pre-minced garlic, and you should do the same. It will save you about five minutes, which could be the difference between you actually making the recipe instead of choosing to order takeout.”

Ingredients:

• One tablespoon of olive oil

• One teaspoon of minced garlic (Two cloves)

• One 28- ounce cans of crushed tomatoes (Or 10 -12 plum tomatoes)

• Two teaspoons dried basil

• One teaspoon dried parsley

Method

According to Simply Whisk, to make this pasta sauce in two minutes, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the garlic is fragrant, allow it to cook for about 30 seconds. Then add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

Cook the sauce until the tomatoes are heated through, then let it simmer until ready to use or remove from heat.

If you are not planning to use the sauce right away, transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the fridge once it is cool.