This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce. This quick and easy recipe uses minimal ingredients that you most likely have in your pantry! Simmer slowly to make a thick, flavorful sauce that is perfect for smothering noodles, or using on a pizza.
This sauce is thick and hearty, loaded up with chunks of tomato and herbs. Made with canned San Marzano tomatoes, this easy to make sauce is perfect for your next dish of spaghetti and meatballs, or using on your own pizza (try this skillet pizza or this grilled pizza recipe!)
Homemade Tomato Sauce
There is nothing better than sitting down to a huge plate of pasta! Especially when that pasta is smothered in a homemade tomato sauce. This sauce is quick and easy to make thanks to using canned whole tomatoes that have already been peeled. Of course you can substitute fresh tomatoes in this recipe if desired. Thanks to slow simmering the sauce, the tomatoes break down over time creating a wonderful thick sauce full of texture with bits of tomato. Season the sauce with dried or fresh herbs if you have some on hand. This sauce is so easy to customize to create it perfect for you and your family.
How to Make Tomato Sauce:
- Dice and saute the onion. After the onion is softened, add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds just until it’s fragrant.
- Add in the tomatoes, salt and dried herbs. Stir and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover and let sauce cook for 2-3 hours. This will allow the tomatoes to break down creating a nice thick sauce.
- If needed or desired you can create a smoother sauce by using an immersion blender or blending the sauce in a food processor. Always be careful when transferring hot liquids for blending.
Tips for Making this the BEST Tomato Sauce:
- Acidity: Cut the acidity of the tomatoes by adding a small amount of light brown sugar. Can also use honey if preferred. To keep it sugar free add a finely diced carrot to the sauce, simply cook it with the onion.
- Texture: Slowly simmer the sauce for hours to allow the whole tomatoes to break down naturally, this creates a rich thickness to the sauce, while still leaving texture to the sauce. IF short on time, blending the tomatoes with an immersion blender or food processor can give a similar effect. Be careful not to blend too much, this will create a sauce that might be smoother than you would prefer.
- Seasoning: add more or less herbs, garlic, and onion as desired to please you and your family. Feel free to substitute fresh herbs for the dried if you have some on hand.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can this sauce be frozen? Yes! Store the sauce in freezer safe containers up to 3 months.
- Can this sauce be canned? Yes! You can hot water can this sauce by pouring the hot sauce into sterilized canning jars, sealing and boiling for 30 minutes. You may want to add a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to the sauce to increase the acidity for canning.
- What is the best way to store Homemade Tomato Sauce? Store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Classic Meatballs
- Easy Lasagna Skillet
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken
- Tomato Italian Parmesan Chicken
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Homemade Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 (28 ounce cans) San Marzano Whole Tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼-½ tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook an addtional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the whole tomatoes and all juice from the cans. Add in all seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Bring sauce to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer over low for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- During cooking the tomatoes will break down creating a thick sauce. If desired you can use an immersion blender or food processor to blend the tomatoes to create a smoother sauce.
- Serve immediately over noodles, or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was wondering if this could be made with store bought tomatoes or from home garden tomatoes?
To me it’s not homemade if it comes from a can 😉
This recipe looks delicious though 😋Thanks
Of course! I love using anything from my garden whenever I can!