Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce
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 its that easy!
Roasted Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce
In the summer, tomatoes are at their sweetest and are perfect to use in this Roasted Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce. Oven roasting the tomatoes, along with onion and garlic, intensifies the flavors and the addition of fresh basil, is all you need for an everyday sauce to serve over gnocchi or any of your favorite pastas.
For this recipe I am going to show you how to oven roast tomatoes for the most delicious sauce that could not be easier.
If you have a bounty of home-grown tomatoes, this is your recipe. Even if your tomatoes are not so ripe, the roasting will concentrate them and soften them to bring out their flavor.
This sauce is great to keep in the freeze and it is best to store in tiptop bags. This serves 2 purposes, 1 they can store flat so you can stack them and they dont take up a lot of room and 2, if they are portioned, you can just pull the bag out of the freezer when you need it. Microwave, or drop the bag into boiling water to defrost and dinner can be on the table in minutes.
Making this sauce reminds me of my 30 Minute Tomato Basil Soup that also uses fresh tomatoes. They are not roasted for the soup, but they could be and would be so good.
Do you remove the skin from roasted tomatoes?
Yes. After they roast and are cool enough to handle, the skin comes off very easily. This gives the sauce a smoother texture and even though the sauce is blended, there are always a few bits of skin that dont get blended.
Our Favorite Ways To Serve It Up
From spreading this sauce on cast iron skillet pizza, baked pasta with roasted vegetables, to serving it with tasty vegetarian Italian dishes like our baked eggplant rollatini. There are so many ways to serve this amazingly fresh sauce!
If you tried this The Best Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe or any other recipe, dont forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on , , and for more crave-worthy content.
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Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato Sauce
This is the dish to make this summer if you love tomato and basil. This quick tomato pasta sauce is simple to make yet so complex in flavor. I could literally eat it every night and not be sick of it. Its perfect to make in the height of summer when you are drowning in fresh tomatoes and need to use them up ASAP.
And if you really do have a ton of tomatoes to use up. Check out this How To Make Fresh Tomato Sauce With Summer Tomatoes. This fresh tomato sauce recipe differs from this Fresh Tomato Pasta recipe in that it makes a large batch of marinara sauce.
The Question Of Aromatics
One other major concern for the bulk sauce is whether to add aromatics like onion and garlic, and, if so, how to do it. Some recipes call for cooking the aromatics first until they’re soft and sweet , while others have you dump the aromatics in raw and simmer them in the sauce as it cooks.
I tried it three ways: with raw aromatics, with sautéed aromatics, and with none at all.*** In my tests, I used just onion and garlic, which are the most common, though you can opt to include others, like carrot and celeryeach will alter the flavor of the sauce somewhat, and whether or not you include them is a matter of personal preference.
*** Actually, four ways: I also did a batch with crushed red pepper, and loved the subtle warm heat it added to the sauce.
Sautéing the aromatics first produced a sauce that was sweeter and richer, with the aromatics melting more fully into the sauce.
Raw onion and garlic produced a cleaner-tasting sauce, with fresh-vegetable notes, but the overall flavor and texture were less integrated. To avoid the texture issue, you can use Marcella Hazan’s method of submerging raw onion halves in the simmering sauce and then fishing them out whole.
When blind-tasting these two sauces on spaghetti, more of my colleagues preferred the sautéed aromatics to the raw ones, but opinion wasn’t unanimous.
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Should You Remove The Seeds Or Skin Of Tomatoes For Making Spaghetti Sauce
I didnt remove the skin or seeds of the tomatoes, as the seeds and skin of the tomatoes are very healthy.
So this is a homemade tomato sauce recipe which includes the skin and seeds of whole fresh tomatoes.
However, you can tweak the recipe and remove the seeds and skin of the tomatoes if you wish.
Whatever is the texture you like, the basic thing is that we prepare this homemade pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes and our favorite spices and this homemade pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes is really easy to make and it is so yummy to pour over any kind of pasta or your favorite spaghetti.
This homemade pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes is perfect for spaghetti recipes so this is also the most easy homemade spaghetti sauce recipe using fresh tomatoes from scratch.
If you have fresh tomatoes and spices at your home, you dont have to worry if your pasta sauce is over.
You can use this homemade pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes in places of spaghetti sauce with tomatoes, marinara sauce for pasta or any recipe that calls for adding fresh tomato sauce for dressing or flavoring.
I used turmeric powder and red chili powder in this homemade spaghetti sauce recipe, as spices are healthy and add exotic flavors to the dish.
Turmeric powder is totally optional so you may skip it if you do not want to add it.
How To Store Fresh Homemade Tomato Sauce
You can keep fresh tomato sauce in glass containers , placed in the refrigerator for 2/3 days, in the freezer for up to a month.
Tomato sauce can be safely frozen. To freeze it you can use glass jars or the special food containers. When you want to defrost it, take it out of the refrigerator and put it in the fridge for a few hours, so that the thermal shock does not break the glass . Then defrost it completely at room temperature or in the microwave.
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Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipe Ingredients
Lets talk tomatoes! To make this homemade tomato sauce recipe, youll need 3 pounds of medium tomatoes on-the-vine. Because we use so many fresh tomatoes in this recipe, I recommend making it in summer or early fall, when tomatoes are in season.
If you want to make homemade tomato sauce at another time of year, check out this marinara sauce recipe. It calls for canned crushed tomatoes instead of fresh ones.
Got your tomatoes? Heres what else youll need to make this recipe:
- Extra-virgin olive oil It adds richness and depth of flavor.
- Shallot and garlic They create the sauces savory base.
- Tomato paste It helps thicken the sauce and gives it an umami kick.
- Balsamic vinegar It adds a nice acidity.
- Cane sugar It offsets the acid of the tomatoes and vinegar, creating a delicious, well-balanced sauce.
- Dried oregano and fresh basil For fresh, aromatic flavor.
- Red pepper flakes They add a little heat.
- And salt and pepper To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Healthy Spaghetti With Fresh Tomato Sauce
This healthy Spaghetti recipe with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Basil comes together in under 20 minutes and highlights fresh summer tomatoes. Vegan and GF adaptable. With a video!
Im a little embarrassed to tell you how much Ive been making this Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce lately. Like every single night this past week! Summer tomatoes are so juicy and flavorful right now, so tomato-ey, and I cant get enough of them! This recipe really highlights them in a simple, flavorful way. Its a meal that can be whipped up very quickly like in 20 minutes flat, yet feels like a feast, somewhere on a Tuscan hillside. Great for busy weeknights, its a snap to make, kids love it and it is deeply nourishing.
Keep it light and vegan, embellishing with capers, chili flakes or kalamata olives, or add a little fresh grated Romano or salty cheese to add richness. And of course you can always use gluten-free pasta! Either way, I know youll love this.
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Type Of Tomatoes Used Matter
For the best tasting fresh tomato pasta sauce use juicy ripe tomatoes.
Grape or cherry tomatoes
I highly recommend using grape or cherry tomatoes as they have a sweet spurt and dont require hours of cooking.
They have very small seeds as well. This means you do not have to strain the sauce.
Roma Tomatoes
My second choice would be ripe Roma tomatoes.
If you plan to use these then I suggest you look at my Express Pasta Sauce recipe.
Tomatoes on vine
You may use ripe and juicy tomatoes on the vine. The only problem is it has big seeds. So just scoop it out before cooking.
Onion
I prefer using white onions as they take less amount of time to cook and sweeten.
Garlic
Lots of minced garlic imparts a rustic flavor to the sauce
Tomato paste
This is totally optional but I love it for two reasons-
The first one is that it pulls the sauce together and the final sauce tastes like it is simmering for hours.
Secondly, it adds a more robust tomato flavor to the recipe.
Herbs
A combination of dried and fresh herbs are welcome in the recipe. I love using Italian seasoning which is a blend of many herbs like dried basil, rosemary, parsley.
Using a tablespoon of a freshly chopped herb like basil or parsley is a game-changer.
Oil used
Cooking olive oil or your choice of neutral-tasting oil works here.
Lemon zest
Combine All The Ingredients And Cook
The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Add the tomatoes and all of the remaining ingredients to your onion-garlic mixture, and bring the pot to a boil. Then, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered until the sauce reaches your desired thickness. Stir frequently to keep the sauce from burning. This will take at least 2 to 3 hours but could take longer if there’s a lot of water in your tomatoes .
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Recipe Ingredients I Used
This is such a simple recipe with simple ingredients but gives you delicious results. I used only fresh ripe tomatoes, fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and olive oil.
I bought everything from Aldi as you can see below. However if I had even better extra virgin olive oil I would have used that. And when we get fresh garden tomatoes I will use those.
Also Ive made these with Roma tomatoes and it was just as delicious. So you can use whatever variety you want.
Just know that you are keeping the skins on so grape or cherry tomatoes would give you more skins so they might not be a good idea.
How I Make Roasted Tomato Sauce From Fresh Tomatoes
You need a few ripe tomatoes. This is great when you are bombarded with fresh tomatoes from the garden but you can also use ones from the store like I did today. Preparing this recipe takes only minutes.
Step 1: Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Then cut the tomatoes into quarters and add to a baking sheet.
Step 2: Add a few cloves of garlic and drizzle the olive oil overtop. Season with salt and pepper and the Italian seasonings. Mix them well to make sure the oil and spices covers everything.
Step 3: Roast them in a 375° oven for about an hour and they should look like this. Cooking times may vary so keep an eye on them to make sure they dont burn.
Step 4: Next mash them a bit with a potato masher or hand immersion blender and voila! You have roasted tomato sauce. The texture of the finished sauce should be a little chunky. Note you can use a food processor or blender for a smooth sauce but it tends to add air and give it a funny pink color to me.
Step 5: Store in an airtight container or mason jar and use within a few days. This recipe made roughly 1 1/2 cups of sauce. You can add a little heat with hot pepper flakes or use fresh herbs if you wish too. Please scroll down to view and print the recipe card.
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Extra Tips To Remember
- Chunky or smooth I really love tomatoes so I prefer a thicker/chunkier sauce. If you like a smoother sauce use a hand-immersion blender or food processor and pulse until desired consistency.
- The more cook time the richer the sauce. I set the cook time to 2+ hours, but you can simmer it for up to 5 hours for an even richer flavor.
- Always add herbs at the end this is super important when it comes to the taste. Adding herbs while the sauce cooks can result in a bitter flavor so I always recommend stirring fresh herbs in at the very end for the freshest tasting results.
- Is the sauce too acid? Add more tomato paste 1 Tablespoon at a time. Paste is sweet and concentrated, it thickens and adds sweetness that helps with unwanted acidity.
Tips And Tricks For Making Homemade Fresh Tomato Sauce
- To get the most flavorful sauce use really ripe tomatoes that dont have green spots.
- Use a variety of plum tomatoes for a rich and balanced flavor.
- Some recipes tell you to remove the seeds of the tomatoes because they might make the sauce a little bit bitter but according to Cooks Illustrated, it doesnt make a difference. I dont remove the seeds because the gel around the seeds holds so much flavor and its a lot less messy to not remove the seeds.
- Adding a ladle of the salty, starchy water from the pasta helps the sauce to stick to the pasta and makes it thicker and more flavorful.
- This recipe makes a chunky but smooth tomato sauce. If you like your pasta sauce not-so-chunky use an immersion blender to puree it or blend it in a blender a few seconds until it reaches the desired consistency.
- I like to combine the pasta and sauce in a pot before I divide it between plates .
- This FRESH tomato sauce tastes best FRESH in my opinion but you can store leftovers in an airtight jar in the fridge for 2-3 days.
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What Makes This Recipe So Good:
Fresh Summer Tomatoes! The success of this recipe lies in the quality of the tomatoes. Fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes taste so good, they need little else to boost their inherent flavor. And guess what? It just happens to be tomato season here in the Northwest. Juicy, ripe and full of flavor, they are at their peak. Knowing they wont be here too much longer, makes me want to eat them at every meal.
How Long Does Pasta Sauce With Tomatoes Last
When you are using store bought pasta sauce with tomatoes, it is easy to follow the directions in the label as they will have it mentioned in their bottle how long the pasta sauce will last, including the expiry date of the sauce.
After opening the pasta sauce bottle, usually you need to store the pasta sauce in the refrigerator and you need to use them up in few days.
Usually they last for at least 5 to 7 days time, which is a weeks time in refrigerator when properly stored.
With this homemade pasta sauce too, you need to use the pasta sauce the same day of preparation or you will need to store in the refrigerator for few more days use.
If you store properly in air tight glass containers, you can store this in refrigerator for about a weeks time.
This is a small batch pasta sauce and currently, I do not have much experience with canning so I am not sure if this sauca can be canned for longer storage or how to can it.
So it is best recommended to use the same day of preparation or you can transfer to clean, dry air tight glass jars and store in the refrigerator for about a week.
Below you can get the detailed recipe for homemade pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes and spices.
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How To Make Tomato Sauce From Fresh Tomatoes
To make sauce from fresh tomatoes start by cutting an x across the bottom of all tomatoes, then put them in boiling water for a minute. This will make it easier to remove the skin. Depending on the size of your tomatoes this might take a few minutes. Then roughly chop the tomatoes and remove the stems.
Saute your aromatics in some olive then add the tomatoes. Increase the heat to caramelize the tomatoes for a minute then add a little bit of sugar and season the sauce. Cook it until it is reduced and the sauce is thick and chunky. Add a ladle of pasta water to the sauce, this adds flavor and the starchy water will help thicken the sauce so it coats the pasta better. Serve with your favorite pasta and top with fresh basil for a pop of color and some freshly grated parmesan cheese.
