marinara

This term refers specifically to a simple, garlic-forward tomato sauce. In culinary contexts, it is distinguished from more complex sauces, such as Bolognese, by its lack of meat or cream, and from Pomodoro by its heavier emphasis on garlic and oregano.

As a mass noun referring to a substance, it is typically used in the singular. While one might order "a marinara" in a casual restaurant setting, this is a shorthand for "a serving of marinara sauce."