Easy Pasta Sauce. It’s so easy to make homemade tomato sauce, you’ll (probably) never buy the stuff in the jar again. Great with pasta, grilled sausages, polenta, and more.
I’m Italian-American. So I don’t even have to tell you that I grew up in a house where tomato sauce was regularly made from scratch. But I’ll tell you anyway: At home, I never ate store-bought sauce during my childhood. Ever.
During those Ragu commercials, where they declared “It’s in there!”, my mom would scoff as if she’d been personally offended by the commercial.
Her sauce was amazing. It cooked for hours and, let me tell you, was the best sauce most folks had ever tried. (Unless they too were Italian-American, then their mother’s or grandmother’s or father’s sauce was the best sauce they’d ever tried.)
The recipe I’m sharing today is not my mother’s sauce.
This tomato sauce cooks in less than an hour but, let me tell you, it’s good.
How good is it?
Glad you asked! It’s so good that my mom likes it.
If you’re in the habit of buying expensive sauce from a jar, this recipe might just help you break that spendy habit.
All you need is a few ingredients and a bit of time.
Crushed Tomatoes
This recipe uses crushed tomatoes. This is key for this sauce. Diced tomatoes work but the consistency of the sauce won’t be the same. Crushed tomatoes tend to vary in thickness from brand to brand and sometimes from season to season. Start the sauce by adding 1/4 cup of water. If your sauce seems thick, add a little more water.
Cook’s Tip: The sauce thickens as it cooks. When you start the sauce, you want it thinner than you want the finished sauce.
Onions and Garlic
Onions and garlic bring a lot of flavor to the sauce. Use one medium onion and three to five cloves of garlic. Yes. You read that right. Three to five cloves. Why the range? If the cloves are small, use more.
This makes a somewhat chunky pasta sauce. The consistency comes mainly from the diced onions. I roughly chop them. If you want a silky smooth sauce, you’ve got three options:
- Dice the onions very finely.
- Dice the onions in a food processor until they’re almost a paste.
- Puree the sauce after it’s finished cooking.
Butter
I don’t know when I started adding a pat of butter to my sauce but I did and, woah, it makes a difference. A mere pat of butter adds a roundness to the sauce that you’ll love.
Dried Basil
I know. I know. All the cool culinary snobs say that dried herbs don’t add any flavor. Do you know what I say? ‘Eff em. Seriously. Buy a good dried basil and you’ll be fine. Is dried the same as fresh? Nope! But it will add flavor.
An easy way to know if the dried basil you’re using is good is to smell it. Even without rubbing it between your fingers, you should be able to detect a summery-basil smell. If you can’t smell anything, it’s probably time to buy a new jar.
Cook Time
This sauce only requires 10 minutes of simmering. Seriously. For a deeper flavor, cook it longer, up to one hour. The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker it gets. Be sure to stir it occasionally and add additional water as needed.
Salt, Pepper, and Other Good Flavors
Think of these ingredients as a starting point. Sometimes you might want to add a pinch more salt or a sprinkle of additional red pepper flakes. Other times, you might want to stir in some additional herbs, like oregano, or add freshly grated parmesan at the end of cooking. You can do that with this sauce. It’s yours. Have fun with it!
Can I use this sauce for pizza?
Sure! I prefer a thick sauce for pizza; so I’d suggest you cook it until thick before using it on pizza.
How do I freeze tomato sauce?
Allow the sauce to cool completely. Place into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Heat thoroughly before serving. Adjust consistency as needed.
Can I use fresh tomatoes?
I wouldn’t. Fresh tomatoes are amazing. But this recipe was developed for canned tomatoes.
Can I can this sauce?
Nope! It’s not an approved recipe for canning.
Can I omit the sugar?
Absolutely! The 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes and, believe it or not, does make a difference. If you want to leave it out, go ahead.
Easy Pasta Sauce
Easy Pasta Sauce. Cooks in 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 3-5 cloves garlic minced or put through a garlic press
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- pinch red pepper flakes about 1/4 teaspoon
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 pat butter, about 2 teaspoons
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
Heat the olive oil over high heat until it shimmers. Saute the onions, stirring frequently, until they soften and shine, about three minutes. The onions should sizzle and hiss as they cook. Add the garlic. Stir to combine. This prevents the garlic from burning. Cook an additional two minutes. Add the basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add the butter. Stir, cook for about a minute.
- Add 1/2 can of the crushed tomatoes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on bits. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining tomatoes. Stir in 1/4 cup water. If the sauce seems too thick, add additional water.
Allow sauce to simmer for 10 minutes to up to one hour. If simmering for a longer, stir the sauce occasionally and add additional water as needed to keep the sauce at the correct consistency.
Anita says
Delicious. This recipe is definitely going in the recipe box. I have been looking for a good, simple recipe for red sauce and this fir the bill. Thank you so much
IRENE DiGiorgio says
I will try this for sure. I have my Italian mother in law s recipe. It takes me two days to make. One day I make the meatballs from scratch. The next day I start crying everything, it takes hours. However I must say it is good. I will definitely try yours…..
David Wolfersberger says
I had some canned diced tomatoes (9 1/2 oz, to be exact) left from another recipe and decided to make pasta sauce. I found this recipe and followed it closely, with ingredients being scaled down, of course. It came out great – I had to add little more salt and sugar, and couldn’t resist adding a little oregano. Although the recipe says not to use diced tomatoes, a few pulses in a mini food processor got the right consistency. Easy and good.
Nomi says
I’m doing it for the second time with diced tomatoes without doing anything to them and I like it. Also added a little soft goat cheese at the end last time, which was yum.
Kim says
I made a double batch of this recipe today. I used fresh basil. I added 1 red bell pepper and some fresh Italian Oregano. It is easy to make & very good!! Thank you for posting your recipe online.
Gerald says
Delicious!! Made and my daughter that has allergies loves it. Just added a little Italian seasoning and no water and perfect…I blended all the ingredients in my ninja she doesn’t like texture that much overall great finding.
Elizabeth says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it. And blending it is a great idea!
Jackson says
I little confusing since I suck at cooking. But tasted amazing in the end and I would highly recommend it.
Elizabeth says
Jackson–
Glad you liked it. And if there’s anything I can clarify to clear up confusion, let me know.
Jake says
Is a nonstick fry pan ok to use with the recipe? Or should I use a sauce pan or pot?
Elizabeth says
Nonstick is totally fine!
PAMELA RICHARDS says
This recipe is similar to mines, I just guesstimate. I will use this recipe for measurement to help me pass it along. I also use brown sugar instead of granulate and 10 to 12 Roma tomatoes. If you have allergies and sensitive digestive system find homemade sauces are best.
Kat says
I browned country ribs and added. Cooked for several hours until pork fell off the bones. Sauce was amazing. We had company and they loved it. Will never use store bought again.
Kate says
Once you have made the sauce can you put it in a crockpot with meatballs on low? Would more water be required?
Elizabeth says
Ooooh. Good question. You might want to stir in a little extra water, maybe two tablespoons or so, before putting it into a slow cooker. This way it won’t get too thick.
Cindy says
I actually did use fresh tomatoes (had an abundance from my garden) and it turned out just fine! Just crushed them with a potato masher. My first time making pasta sauce. Usually just can tomatoes and make salsa, but I will do this again!
Ellen says
Can I easily add ground beef to this or no? What would you suggest ?
Elizabeth says
Funny you ask, I’ve been meaning to type up my quick ground beef pasta sauce. To add ground beef to this recipe, heat the oil and cook the ground beef, crumbling with a wooden spoon as it cooks, until no pink spots remain. If there seems to be excess oil, drain off all but two tablespoons. Then add the onions (yes, after you cook the ground beef.) and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Hope this helps!
Maria says
Delicious! A few years ago I made a red sauce from scratch for a lasagna similar to this. After that, I agree with you, I didn’t want to buy prepared sauces from the supermarket anymore. But, it lasted for a short time and became lazy and went back to buying from stores. So, I came across your recipe and after reading yours and made it , I am going back to making sauces from scratch!
However, I forgot to add the sugar and olive oil and just cooked everything at the same time and still came out great!,
eatfrysmith says
What is the purpose of dried basil?
Elizabeth says
It adds a flavor. For the best results, use a good dried basil, like Penzey’s. When you open the jar, you should be able to smell it. If you can’t, it’s probably too old. 🙂
Carol says
Very similar to mine, but I use low sodium chicken broth instead of water and add a bay leaf.. So easy and delicious. In fact I will be making a batch today.
rachyll faeth says
so easy and delicious… didn’t add sugar or butter or water and doubled the red pepper flakes… so yummy, i put it over spaghetti squash
Susie says
I’m Sicilian and this is one of the best sauces I’ve ever made. It’s quick and easy. The taste is amazing!!
Elizabeth says
High praise! Glad you enjoyed it!
Lisa says
Thank you for this recipe! I have never heard the term “pat butter,” so I Googled it; interesting history lesson. So in other words, all I’m adding is two teaspoons of butter? I want to make sure I get this right, because I can mess things up pretty quickly. 🙂
Elizabeth says
Yes! About two teaspoons. A “pat” of butter is like a smidgen or a pinch. It’s a fairly non-specific cooking term, which is why I included the measurement. Have fun making the sauce!
Rafia says
Deliciously flavoured. I used fresh tomatoes with the skin because I like chunky sauce, and blended it in a blender. I loved the taste so much that I’m thinking of thickening the consistency and using it as pizza sauce.
Elizabeth says
A few tablespoons of tomato sauce stirred into the sauce will thicken it nicely for pizza sauce!
Elizabeth Giles says
Can I add cream to make a creamy sauce and still freeze it? Will try and make it this week.
Elizabeth says
I’d add the cream after freezing, not before.
John says
High heat is not appropriate for cooking the onions and garlic. They quickly burned in my pan and I had to start again at a lower temp. Otherwise the sauce tuned out well, though I added some Italian seasoning for more flavor.
Elizabeth says
Hi John,
High heat is appropriate for cooking onions and garlic. That said, everyone’s stovetop is different. The oil, when starting, should be shimmering, not smoking. Stirring frequently also prevents burning. If you start out with oil that is not too hot, you should have time to adjust the heat of your burner before the onions and garlic burns. I hope that helps.
Helen Mitchell says
Amazing!
Michelle M Metzger says
This sauce is absolutely delicious and will pair perfectly with the homemade noodles I prepared. Ty
Nick says
This is perfect! For the real secret Italian trick though, use the salted water from cooking the pasta instead of tap. The starch and flavor really make it “autentico”!
Melissa says
what is the purpose of dried basil? Where can I buy it?
Elizabeth says
It adds flavor. It should be available wherever you buy spices.
Janet says
Such an easy sauce to make. For our family, I am going to half the red pepper flakes. Also, I added a can of tomato paste to thicken it up a bit. Will be using the leftovers for something tomorrow night.
Sunny Drohan says
Haven’t made this yet. Looks fantastic though.
One question, whenever I made my homemade sauce, I always used a can of tomato paste, then after cooking the paste for a short period of time, I would add the San Marzano tomatoes with a small can of tomato sauce.
So can I add tomato paste?
Much thanks.
Elizabeth says
Sure! The sauce will turn out a bit thicker. So keep an eye on it as it cooks. If it looks like it’s getting too thick for your liking, add a splash of water. Enjoy!
Daniel W Burden says
I made the sauce last night and just added a tad bit more salt after tasting it. The key in my opinion is letting it cook on low for over an hour. Thanks for the recipe, its amazing!
Alvin says
Simmer covered or uncovered???
Thanks
Elizabeth says
Simmer the sauce uncovered.
Owen says
You’re so yummy in my tummy heeya heeya heeya
Karli Glennan says
I never have liked pasta sauce, and I never thought that I would until I tried this recipe. It was so good! I loved it and so did my family. I am definitely make this again.
Jerzy Kaltenberg says
good recipe. fresh basil and 1 tsp of oregano helps.
Ali says
Just found this while looking for an easy sauce to make while in self-isolation. I must say the difference between the taste after 10min and leaving it for an hour… oh my! Great recipe thank you!!
Elizabeth says
It’s amazing, isn’t it?
Maureen says
For a little something extra and a good way to add fiber, vitamins and minerals, add a can of pumpkin. Yummy
Sandy says
What if I don’t have any fries basil?
Can I only use Italian seasoning and orégano?
Elizabeth says
Yes! That works!