This recipe for Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce shows how to make spaghetti sauce from scratch right in your own kitchen.
Serve with pasta and a side of warm Homemade Garlic Bread for an easy weeknight dinner everyone will enjoy!
This easy homemade pasta sauce is super simple to make and tastes so much better than store-bought ever could!
Simply saute onions, garlic carrots, and celery in a pan, adding tomatoes, seasoning, and fresh herbs – it’s that easy!
Why This Recipe Works
- Using carrots in the sauce adds sweetness and lowers acidity.
- Using fresh herbs and aromatics adds a flavor that can’t be found in store-bought sauces.
- Slowly simmering the sauce brings out all the deep, rich flavors without lots of added ingredients.
What Tomatoes For Tomato Sauce
When buying canned tomatoes, it’s always a good idea to go for whole plum or Roma tomatoes. Manufacturers save the best quality tomatoes for canning whole because they need to look pristine. They are picked and canned at the peak of ripeness.
San Marzano tomatoes are high-quality tomatoes with a sweet flavor and little acidity. Legally, and to be called a San Marzano, this tomato has to be grown in the Sarno Valley in Italy and there will be a DOP symbol on the can.
This recipe calls for crushed tomatoes, but I use whole canned tomatoes that I crush myself. Whole tomatoes can be put through a food mill, crushed or pureed in a food processor before using them for the sauce.
Using Fresh Tomatoes
To use fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones in tomato sauce, remove the ends and cut them into quarters. Then coat with olive oil and salt and pepper and roast them at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes (keep an eye on them if you don’t want them browned) then I puree the mixture until smooth. This is a great way to keep them from becoming too watery (although tomato paste may need to be added to thicken the sauce). Then use as you would canned tomatoes.
Use 1 lb of fresh tomatoes for every 14oz can (this recipe would need 4 lbs). See the recipe notes for more detailed instructions.
How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce:
- Soften the chopped onion and vegetables then add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the tomatoes, seasoning, and herbs bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until thickened.
Step By Step Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and saute the onion, celery, and carrots until they are soft and no liquid is being released from them.
The key to keeping this Easy Homemade Tomato Pasta Sauce recipe really simple is a food processor. It’s not only a speedy way to chop the vegetables but by chopping them quite fine, they cook even faster. The smaller they’re chopped, the quicker the sauce will cook.
In the middle of the softened vegetables, form a well, and add the remaining olive oil, followed by the garlic. Allow the garlic to brown slightly (being careful not to let it burn). This allows the garlic to release the most flavor.
Mix in the tomatoes and herbs.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
This tomato sauce will thicken as it cooks. If it becomes too thick, you can add a little water to loosen it up.
Serve this Spaghetti Sauce on pasta or add it to pizza – the choices are endless!
Tips For Best Results
- If you like a thinner sauce, you can add it to the food processor and puree it into your desired consistency or if you like a thicker sauce, just skip this step.
- This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated for two days.
- If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, they can be substituted for dried ones. Dried parsley has next to no flavor so I suggest using oregano in its place.
- Baking soda neutralizes acidity. To save bitter tomato sauce, add a pinch of baking soda at a time (tasting in between) until the acidity disappears.
FAQs
Yes, it can easily be made in large batches and frozen by separating it into airtight, freezer-safe containers and freezing for up to four months.
Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
Alternatively, see this article on The Spruce Eats for canning tomato sauce.
The best way to thicken tomato sauce is to reduce it by simmering uncovered until it thickens on its own.
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Let’s Make Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion peeled and quartered
- 2 stalks of celery cleaned and cut into chunks
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 56 oz crushed tomatoes (four 14oz/400g cans or two 28oz cans)
- 1 good handful fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 good handful fresh basil chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery and to a food processor and chop them into small pieces.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and saute the onion, celery, and carrots until they are soft and no liquid is being released from them.
- In the middle of the softened vegetables, form a well, and add the remaining olive oil, followed by the garlic. Allow the garlic to brown slightly (being careful not to let it burn).
- Mix in the tomatoes and herbs.
- Add seasoning, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- If you like a thinner sauce you can add it to the food processor and puree into your desired consistency or if you like a thicker sauce, skip this step.
Tips + Notes
- Baking soda neutralizes acidity. To save bitter sauce, add an eighth of a teaspoon of baking soda at a time tasting in between until the acidity dissipates. Alternatively, try adding sugar 1/2 tablespoon at a time (tasting in between) will cut the acid.
- This tomato sauce will thicken as it cooks. If it becomes too thick, you can add a little water to loosen it up.
- If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, they can be substituted for dried ones. Dried parsley has next to no flavor so I suggest using oregano in its place.
Using Fresh Tomatoes
To use fresh tomatoes you will need 4 lbs of tomatoes, cut into quarters, coat with olive oil and salt and pepper, and roast at 400°F for 30-35 minutes (keep an eye on them if you don’t want them browned) then I puree the mixture until smooth. This is a great way to keep them from becoming too watery (although tomato paste may need to be added to thicken the sauce). Then use as you would canned tomatoes.Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published on: Sep 25, 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, cooking tips and video in Feb 2019.
Traffic Lawyer Lunenburg VA says
Wow, looking so delicious, want to try this at home and really want to taste it. I gave the recipe a 5/5 star rating.
Erren Hart says
Thank you for your positive rating and interest in trying the recipe. I hope you enjoy making and tasting the sauce as much as I do. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need guidance while making it. Happy cooking!
Melody says
Wow, this homemade tomato sauce recipe is amazing! I love the addition of carrots and celery – it adds a delicious depth of flavor that is just so satisfying. Plus, it’s great to sneak in some extra veggies into a meal. I’ll definitely be making this again and again. Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Erren Hart says
Thank you for the glowing review of my homemade tomato sauce recipe! I’m happy to hear that you loved the addition of carrots and celery and that it will be a repeat recipe for you. Happy cooking!
DUI Lawyer Chesterfield VA says
Beautiful Explanation how to made it easy at home. You explain the recipe very well. Keep sharing.
Erren Hart says
Thank you for the kind words! I’m glad you found the explanation helpful and easy to follow. I’ll definitely keep sharing more recipes in the future.
Nina says
This recipe was fantastic. I’ve never made tomato sauce with carrots and celery before, but Im so glad I did! This is my new go-to recipe! Thanks, Erren!
Erren Hart says
Thank you for trying out the recipe and leaving such a positive review! We’re delighted to hear that you found the recipe so fantastic and enjoyed the addition of carrots and celery to the sauce.
We love to hear how our readers enjoy our recipes, and it’s great to know that this recipe has become your new go-to sauce. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and we hope you’ll come back to try more of our recipes.
Amber White says
This was my first time trying a homemade tomato sauce recipe. I combined this with another recipe online and the sauce turned out delicious. I used fresh tomatoes and roasted them with fresh garlic, onions, chilli flakes, honey and olive oil. Then blended the tomatoes and mixed with the vegetables and fresh herbs. So fresh, I’m thinking about making a second batch this week!
Erren Hart says
Great feedback, Amber! I’m glad you could make the recipe your own and that you enjoyed it so much!
Mike Tinker says
Good recipe, easy to follow and it printed up good. Then we added some extra stuff for our taste, butter, thyme, molasses. yum
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m glad you liked the recipe, sounds like you made it your own 🙂
Helene says
This makes a great rich sauce, was a bit scared about the celery, but it turned out amazing. Great way to put the extra homegrown tomatoes to use. =)
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Helene, I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Dezzie Moskovitz says
Good Base…The sauce improves with a long low slow cook. I made meatballs browned them and placed them into red sauce / “gravy” which adds another layer of flavor. rinsed our tomato product cans with some wine and water. Also I added some mushrooms and various sweet peppers to the sauteed veggies.
Erren's Kitchen says
That sounds delicious Dezzie, I’m glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Albert says
I made this tonight for dinner with a couple of modifications, best tomato sauce I ever tasted, thank you for sharing something special.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, I’m glad you liked it 🙂
Lucy says
This was VERY good. My husband just loved it . I served it simply with gnocci. Perfect!
Erren Hart says
That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe so much! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Helen says
Love this recipe and thank you for sharing!
Erren Hart says
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe so much!