How to make Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe
Learn How to Make Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe that is so good you will want to put it on everything. It’s very delicious and made with onions, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, bay leaves, and seasonings.
I originally shared this Basic Tomato Sauce recipe back in 2014, and it has since become one of the most popular recipes on the blog. In fact, this was one of the first recipes I posted, so I decided to update it by adding more information to the recipe, including new photos too.
This is a very easy and tasty homemade tomato sauce recipe that you can keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s always great to have a homemade tomato sauce on hand since it is the foundation for so many wonderful dishes. Also, you can easily add ground meat, if you want, to make a meat sauce instead.
What kind of tomatoes should I use to make this homemade tomato sauce even better?
You can use whole canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes to make this recipe. However, in my opinion, the best tomatoes to make homemade tomato sauce are the San Marzano tomatoes, which grow in the rich volcanic soil of the Sarno River valley in Italy. Well, it’s not only me who thinks San Marzano tomatoes are the best to make tomato sauce. I always hear top chefs talking about these tomatoes as the high standard for taste.
I’ve made this recipe many and many times using all different types of tomatoes and the best results came from San Marzano tomatoes. But what’s so great about these tomatoes? Well, they have a sweet flavor with low acidity and are meatier than other tomatoes. Also, it’s easier to remove the skin, and they have a low seed count, which are all good qualities for making a good and juicy sauce.
It’s good that you can find these tomatoes everywhere from local grocery stores to Amazon. I actually like to buy from Amazon because you can find a variety of San Marzano tomato cans from different brands and prices. My favourite is this one from La San Marzano. The tomatoes are peeled already and come with a basil leaf. But there are lots of other brands to choose from.
What are the ingredients to make this basic tomato sauce?
- Onions
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Tomatoes
- Bay leaves
- Seasonings
These are all ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, right? You will be very pleased with how this sauce will end up. Let the sauce simmer for about 20-30 minutes. But if you have more time to prepare your dish, let the sauce simmer for over an hour because the more you cook it the more flavourful it will become. However, it will be great cooking only for 20 minutes as well. Of course, I don’t think I even need to mention the juicier the tomatoes the better the sauce will be.
How to use this Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe:
You will want to put this basic tomato sauce on almost everything. But my favourite ways to use it are with an Eggplant Lasagna, Zucchini Lasagna, Vegetable Lasagna Roll-ups, Lasagna Rolls, Slow Cooker Zucchini Lasagna, Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna Skillet, Spaghetti, Meatballs, Zucchini Noodles, Cauliflower Pizza, Pizza, and the list goes on and on.
Recipes to make with tomato sauce:
- Italian Sausage Tomato Sauce: It is loaded with tomatoes, spices, and fresh sausages. It’s great over zucchini noodles, pasta, mashed cauliflower, lasagna, and even on its own.
- 4-ingredient Chicken Zucchini Rolls: It is amazing because it’s healthy, gluten-free, and low-carb. And last but not least, it’s so D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.
- Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna: This lasagna is vegetarian, low-carb, and gluten-free. It is made with tomato sauce, skinny ricotta, mozzarella, and zucchini noodles.
See below for how to make Basic Tomato Sauce Recipe Video:
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How to make Basic Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- half medium onion - finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves - crushed
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with the juice or 1¾ pound of fresh tomatoes - peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or natural sweetener)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 dried bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions and cook 4-5 minutes until they are soft and golden.
- Add garlic and sauté, being careful not to burn.
- Add tomato paste, and stir well. Add crushed tomatoes, including the juice in case you are using canned tomatoes.
- Add brown sugar, dried oregano, dried bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and bring to a low simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Finally, remove from the heat, add fresh basil, and stir well. Remove the bay leaves.
- Adjust the seasoning if you think it is necessary. You can use this delicious sauce in your favorite recipes, or you can pour the sauce into a mason jar and keep it in the fridge for about 3 or 4 days, or you can freeze for months.
Video
Notes
If you make this recipe, follow @primaverakitchen on Instagram, snap a photo and hashtag it #primaverakitchen. I'd love to see what you're making!
If you like this basic Tomato Sauce recipe, please share it with your friends and family. Do you want to taste more? Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow Primavera Kitchen on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all delicious recipe updates. As always, I really appreciate you stopping by.
As a memory, I kept the original photo from 2014!
I’ve always wanted to try making homemade tomato sauce. You make it look so easy in this great tutorial. Can’t wait to try this with my garden tomatoes this summer! Gorgeous photos! 🙂
Thank you, Sarah. You are so sweet. This recipe is definitely easy to make and tasty too. I am sure you will enjoy it 😉
Sounds lovely Olivia, quick question, how much tomato paste is needed…
Thanks for your question, Deb. You will need 2 tbsp tomato paste. Hope you give this recipe a try 😉
How much sauce does this recipe make?
It is about 700ml, Ashley.
I’m excited about canning sauce from the ridiculous number of tomato plants that I am trying to grow this year! I’ll have to try this recipe out. Looks delicious!
I am sure you will love it. Thanks for stopping by 😉
Just want to point out that recipe calls for 1/2 C. fresh parsley that is not included in instructions. Instructions say to add fresh basil – wondering if this is an omission or typo. Might confuse some non-cooks!
It was a typo, Kelley. Thanks for pointing that out. You should add 1tbsp fresh basil when you remove the sauce from the heat, not 1/2c parsley. Any other question, please let me know. Thanks for stopping by!
I see mention of basil. How much should I use? Thanks!
Hi, Kendra. Thanks for your question. You should use 1tbsp fresh basil. I hope you enjoy this recipe 🙂
Hi there- excited to try this recipe. If I have an abundance of tomatoes and wanted to make this in bulk but don’t want to use within the week, is it ok to freeze? Or how do you suggest storing? Thanks heaps xx
Hi, Lyndal. Thanks for your question. Yes, you can freeze it. The sauce you can just thaw in the in the fridge for a day. If you need it right away place the jar in a bowl of warm water and let it thaw. As the sauce thaws pour it into a pan. When you can get it all out reheat the sauce as normal. I have frozen my tomato sauce in glass jars with no problem. Just don’t overfill because the stock expands and pushes the lid out. I also use zip lock. Hope you like this recipe. Thanks!
This is just the kind of recipe I was looking for a few days ago! I am avoiding processed foods and wasn’t sure what spices to use. Thanks for this! BTW, I noticed the recipe called for whole canned tomatoes, but the instructions mentioned crushed tomatoes…Did you mean to crush the whole tomatoes, or to use crushed canned tomatoes?
Hi, Trish. You can use both. I use whole canned tomatoes and I crushed them before adding to the pan. Or you can use crushed canned tomatoes as well. To avoid any confusions I will change it at the instructions. Thanks for your question. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
If you can it correctly-it keeps for three years…
You need to add 1 tbs. sugar to this recipe.
Yes, normally people add 1 tbs sugar to the tomato sauce recipe, but I preferred to avoid sugar so I didn’t. Feel free to add it if you prefer. Thanks for your comment!
This is the best! I just made it and added chopped mushrooms and just a little brown sugar. Definitely will make this again. Thank you!!!
Becky, thanks a lot for your sweet comment. You made me smile 😉
Forgot to rate it….more like a 10 star recipe
Wow thanks Becky! So so happy you enjoyed this recipe 😉
Do you know how many fresh tomato’s would that be, I don’t have a scale. 🙁
It’s about 4 medium tomatoes1
Can you can this and store in pantry? If so, any additional instructions?
Lindsay, I always freeze my tomato sauce, but I’ve never store it in pantry. But I was reading this tutorial “Tomato Sauce for Canning” and it looks very good. I think it will help you. Thanks for stopping by 😉 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tomato-sauce-for-canning-recipe.html
This is an absolutely onderful recipe!!! I added a little bit of liquid stevia, and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe; it tastes so much better than the store-bought brands!
That’s excellent! Happy you liked this recipe and thanks for letting me know that if you add liquid stevia it will taste good too 😉
I have a question. When would you add the ground beef and should you cook and drain it
Hi, Debbe. Sorry this recipe doesn’t call for ground beef. But I have this Italian Sausage with Tomato Sauce that you may like it http://www.primaverakitchen.com/italian-sausage-tomato-sauce/
I made your tomato sauce recipe last night! We loved it! Thank you so much. This is a real keeper and it didn’t cost me $10.00 for this favorite store bought jar, I favor. “Bon App It”, as my family says! Cheers!
Everything tastes better when it’s homemade.
I love this recipe. It is soooo flavorful and easy to make.
Awesome!
i made your recipe last night…my momma?she love it..thank you for this recipe
That’s excellent! Happy to hear that 😉
SUCH a delicious sauce! So easy and so flavorful. Thanks for sharing!!
That’s awesome! Glad you liked it 😉
I absolutely loved this sauce. Made it as the recipe directed and it is delicious. Thanks for sharing it with us! I was impressed how easy it was to make!!
Do you have to use the tomato paste? We have a pretty sad looking cabinet right now and don’t want to run to the grocery store… we do have a bounty of large garden tomatoes though!
Second time of making..it is gorgeous..
This is very similar to the recipe I make all the time, except I double it and use my crock pot. So easy!
Great 😉
This is so easy to make and it tastes great!
Thank you 😉
I raise my own tomatoes every summer (who doesn’t?) and found an easy way to get the surplus stored and ready to use in recipes like this.
Just pick the tomatoes, (any and all varieties mixed together is fine. The little cherry tomatoes add some sweetness. The bigger ones add volume. Anyway, wash them good and proper, cut the stems out, and then pop them in the blender. Puree them and pour the puree into a stew pot. (cast iron 6 quart or liter size is handiest for about 4 pounds or 2 kilos of tomatoes. Bring the puree to boil, then lower the temperature to the point that the mixture is just barely boiling. At this point adding some red wine is good to tone down the tomato edge. Stir the mixture as the water is boiled off. When the mix is to the desired thickness, move off the heat and allow to cool. This mixture can be frozen or canned. I get about a cup of tomato sauce per pound of raw tomato. No scaulding or peeling the tomatoes. The blender just chews them up and adds them as fiber.
Love these tips!Thanks a lot for stopping by 😉
I’m wondering if the sauce absolutely has to have sweetener of any kind? I’m extremely allergic to sugar in any form, and detest the taste of other sweeteners such as stevia, and won’t even consider such atrocities as aspartame or other artificial junk. I’d just as soon have the sauce be savory than to have sweetness to it, so will likely make it without sugar. Just wanted to ask, though. It does appear to be a very good and basic recipe.
No you can skip the sugar or use a natural sweetener called Xylitol.
a little late for this comment but I have read where some people add carrots for sweetness, the colour would change slightly.
Love this recipe, I left the skin & seeds from tomatoes & it was delicious. After I cooked it I put it in the blender. Also I canned mine. Be sure to sterilize in canner for 40 minutes.
Awesome!
This is my new favorite tomato sauce!
That’s awesome. Thank you 😉
Can you use crushed canned tomatoes instead?I have crushed tomatoes but i could get whole tomatoes if necessary.
Also any tips? I’m a first time sauce maker … very scared i’ll mess up lol
Yes it totally use crushed canned tomatoes. I’m sure your sauce will be delicious 😉
Excellent recipe! I used fresh tomatoes from my daughter’s garden and garlic from my garden and doubled the receipe.
Ahh Amazing! It must be so good!
hello Olivia
please can you tell me the size of the “small mason jars”
thank you
I storage this tomato sauce in 4 mason jars size 250 ml.
Do you think this sauce would be good to use for homemade pizzas? Or do you recommend sticking with pasta?
yes I think it would be good!
So many ads I can’t read the recipe!
My Ad Network just reduced the add by half. I just know you will be able to read the recipe better. Thanks a lot.
This is my go-to spaghetti/pizza sauce. It is absolutely delicious. Always a hit for gatherings.
Happy to hear that!
Made this for the eggplant lasagna & it was all delicious! Thank you!
That’s amazing. Happy to hear that!
I make this all the time! I use it for so much. It’s versatile, easy, and quick. Sometimes I add various veggies then purée it, today I added more herbs and spinach along with one can of diced tomatoes for my 13 month old daughter’s meal plan this week. We love it!! THANK YOU!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoy this recipe. Thanks a lot for stopping by. You’re comment made my day!
Have been using this recipe for quite a while. My go to sauce for spaghetti and meatballs. I have always followed the recipe using crushed tomatoes . Today I increased the oregano to 1 teaspoon and added a teaspoon of red wine vinegar at the end of cooking. Just a subtle difference in taste. 😋
Mm.. sounds delicious!