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    Home / Recipes / Course / Dinner

    250 Mar 10, 2012 Dinner  |   Jump to Recipe

    Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe

    Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce

    This recipe for Homemade Tomato Sauce is a family classic that I’ve been preparing for over 20 years.  Growing up, I remember my mother cooking tomato sauce almost every Sunday afternoon.  The whole house would smell of sautéing onions and garlic.  

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Today, I make this sauce every few weeks.  I find the entire process very comforting.  The chopping, sautéing, stirring, simmering, tasting, etc.  I’ve made a few slight adjustments since my mom first taught me how to make the sauce, but nothing drastic.  Crushed tomatoes are slow-simmered with onions, garlic, oregano and basil.  Flat leaf Italian parsley is stirred in at the last moment before plating.  

    The finished sauce is hearty, bold and oh, so satisfying.  Continue reading for the recipe plus a video from my recently segment on San Diego Channel 6 – San Diego Living.

    Yesterday, I prepared this sauce on San Diego Living with Kristen Mosteller.  We then made some delicious Mini Cannelloni.  I will be posting the recipe for Mini Cannelloni within the week!  Enjoy:

    Homemade Tomato Sauce
    Homemade Tomato Sauce

    Homemade Tomato Sauce

    by Brandon Matzek
    4.72 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • Pinch of red pepper flake (or to taste)
    • 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomato (preferably organic or San Marzano)
    • 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste, preferably organic
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon dried basil
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • Kosher salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

    Cooked pasta, for serving

      Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

        Instructions
         

        • Warm olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once you see the oil shimmering, add the chopped onion and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and pinch of red pepper flake then continue to sauté until onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.
        • Add crushed tomato, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, a few pinches of kosher salt and several turns of freshly ground black pepper, stirring to combine. I also like to fill the empty can of tomato paste with water then add that to the sauce (6 oz.). Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to low then simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour (1.5 to 2 hours is best if you have the time).
        • To finish the sauce, stir in a handful of chopped parsley. Season to taste with additional kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
        • Serve this sauce with your favorite pasta. I like to add two or three sizable spoonfuls of sauce to freshly drained spaghetti, tossing to coat. This will ensure that the spaghetti absorbs the flavor of the sauce. Place a mound of spaghetti on a plate then top with extra sauce (I like it saucy :)), chopped parsley, grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
        Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!
        250
        Brandon and Federico
        Brandon

        I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

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        Categories: Dinner Tags: basil, black pepper, garlic, kosher salt, olive oil, onion, oregano, parmesan cheese, parsley, red pepper flake, sugar, tomato

        Reader Interactions

        Comments

        1. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

          March 10, 2012 at 8:18 am

          Ketchup, tomatoes, tomato sauce, never met a red sauce I didn’t like!

          This looks delicious!

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            March 13, 2012 at 6:38 am

            Thanks Averie! I’m a huge fan of tomatoes as well 🙂 Must be my Jersey Italian roots!

            Reply
          • Ryan turek says

            May 24, 2020 at 9:53 am

            I love to cook

            Reply
        2. Brandon from The Yummy Bits says

          March 12, 2012 at 11:36 am

          My family used to buy tomato sauce in a jar… until we learned how easy and delicious it is to make your own! Thanks for sharing.

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            March 13, 2012 at 6:40 am

            Yes! It’s very easy and freezes well. So you can make a big batch and enjoy for weeks (or months)! Thanks 🙂

            Reply
        3. Diane and Todd says

          March 12, 2012 at 11:57 am

          Brandon, the pot of sauce looks terrific. Ready to dive in- head first.

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            March 13, 2012 at 6:41 am

            Thanks Diane and Todd!

            Reply
        4. Tya @ Note Etc. says

          March 13, 2012 at 7:34 am

          5 stars
          ohh.. I bet that is delicious tomato sauce, i saw it lots of herbs and garlic which make it sounds perfect!

          cheers

          Reply
        5. Sherry says

          March 14, 2012 at 12:45 am

          This recipe sounds so good.

          Reply
        6. Baker Street says

          March 14, 2012 at 6:48 am

          5 stars
          Thick, creamy and luscious. Everything you want a good tomato sauce to be.

          Reply
        7. Leigh Herr says

          March 17, 2012 at 1:55 pm

          I’m making this for dinner tonight!

          Reply
        8. Norma says

          March 28, 2012 at 5:36 am

          I also think making your own is comforting. Congrats on the show appearance.

          Reply
        9. Erin says

          June 8, 2012 at 5:01 am

          4 stars
          I just discovered your site yesterday while looking for a tomato sauce. I made this recipe last night and, wow, it was delicious!

          I’m so happy to have found this site; I’ll be trying some of your cocktails this weekend!

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            June 8, 2012 at 4:41 pm

            Excellent!! Glad you enjoyed. Welcome to the Kitchen Konfidence family 🙂

            Reply
        10. Mary Cavello says

          November 7, 2012 at 5:42 pm

          I’m so disappointed you are using tomatoes from a can and canned tomato paste. When some one is searching for a home made tomato sauce, it should be made with real tomatoes and not junk in a can. Can you modify the recipe and give amounts for real tomatoes, which are healthy and tasty.

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            November 10, 2012 at 6:33 am

            Hi Mary, not all canned tomatoes are junk (or unhealthy). You simply need to find a high quality product. Also, depending on the time of year, canned tomatos can be better than fresh (when tomatoes are not in season).

            If you are looking to make this with fresh tomatoes, you’ll need to blanch and peel 4 pounds of ripe tomatoes (roma, plum, vine, beefsteak). Start by cutting a small, shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Working in batches, drop tomatoes in boiling water and cook for 30 seconds. Scoop out tomatoes and transfer to a large bowl filled with ice and water. Let the tomatoes cool for about 1 minute then transfer to a cutting board. Repeat with all tomatoes. This shocking process makes it easy to remove skins. Slip off all skins on the tomatoes and discard. Cut tomatoes in half (or quarters if they are large). Using your hands, remove seeds over a strainer set over a large bowl. You want to remove most seeds, but reserve the liquid that falls through the strainer. Once you are done removing seeds, add tomatoes to reserved liquids. Using your hands (or a masher), break tomatoes into smaller pieces. The tomatoes are now prepped for the sauce.

            As you can see, this process is very involved, so I choose to use a high quality canned product to save myself a lot of work.

            Enjoy! Either way, I hope you like the sauce 🙂

            Reply
            • Anna Doran says

              June 12, 2013 at 10:16 am

              Great recipe. However I would just be cautious with the use of canned tomatoes in that they have been found to have high levels of potentially toxic chemicals, especially BPA, because the acidity of the tomatoes causes the chemicals to leach from the cans into the tomatoes.

              Reply
              • Brandon Matzek says

                June 15, 2013 at 3:24 pm

                Great point! Yes, be sure to get the tomatos that are BPA free.

                Reply
          • TONY says

            January 18, 2015 at 8:48 am

            Tomatoes in a can are real tomatoes

            Reply
          • TheRealist says

            November 11, 2015 at 4:55 am

            Boy if you don’t get the fu ck. The VAST majority of canned tomatos sh it on fresh tomatos.

            They’re canned at the PEAK of their prime. Really, the only way to get good fresh tomatos is to grow your own or go to a specialized farmers market.

            Having compared fresh tomatos to canned, fresh tomatos are horrible.

            The man knows what he’s doing.

            Reply
        11. karuna dhabale says

          December 8, 2012 at 6:05 pm

          good

          Reply
        12. Jene Knobloch says

          March 9, 2013 at 8:44 am

          I made this a few weeks ago and it was delicious! Now today I am making a huge batch and freezing it… so easy and so much better than the stuff from a jar!!

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            March 9, 2013 at 8:56 am

            Excellent!! Glad you like the sauce. I’m going to tell my Mom :). It’ll make her day!

            Reply
        13. Lindsay says

          June 19, 2013 at 2:40 pm

          Does the tomato paste make a difference flavor wise? Some people say tomato paste is overpowering in marinara sauce. I’m scared to use it.

          Reply
        14. Brandon Matzek says

          July 23, 2013 at 9:25 am

          Hi Lindsay, tomato paste adds a richness and depth of tomato flavor. I would definitely give it a try. Or do a taste test! Split this recipe into two pots and make one with tomato paste and one without, then see which one you like best. Enjoy!

          Reply
        15. Kate says

          September 1, 2013 at 5:58 pm

          I am so excited to try this! I have never made tomato sauce homemade and I have been searching for one to try. I will be making it with fresh tomatoes because my garden is full of tomatoes, but when they are gone I will definitely be using canned. Thank you so much for sharing!

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            September 5, 2013 at 9:36 am

            This is a good one. I hope it works out for you!

            Reply
        16. Amanda Z says

          August 13, 2014 at 8:45 am

          5 stars
          Are we related? Also an Italian-Eastern European from Jersey. My family makes sauce the exact same way, just minus the onions. This looks absolutely delicious. Next time I’m trying it with onions!

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            August 27, 2014 at 12:08 pm

            Haha nice!! Let me know if you like the onions. Thanks Amanda!

            Reply
        17. Lynn @ Oh-So Yummy says

          September 23, 2014 at 12:43 am

          i’ve always wondered what i should use for homemade sauce. your recipes are pretty good so this one is worth a shot!

          Reply
        18. Laura Young says

          October 9, 2014 at 2:10 pm

          5 stars
          I made this sauce and my family loved it! My 11-year-old couldn’t get enough of it and she normally prefers her pasta without a tomato based sauce, and just butter and parmesan cheese. This is a definite winner in my house and I will be making it often. Thank you so much for the recipe!

          Reply
        19. Steve says

          January 14, 2015 at 9:04 am

          This is exactly how I make my homemade sauce, using 2 cans San Marzano (sp?) crushed tomatoes, and 1 can tomato paste, except I have only been using basil. I am going to add oregano to my next batch. I like the texture of this sauce, it is not watery and sits on the pasta very well, it is also very good over steamed zucchini cut into small long strips, as an alternative to pasta. This confirms I will continue to make my sauce this way. I could eat this several times per week. Love this tomato sauce. Thanks!

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            January 14, 2015 at 10:15 am

            Thanks for sharing Steve! I’m glad you always enjoy tomato sauce as much as I do. In the summer, I like to mix pappardelle with zucchini ribbons, then top with this sauce and plenty of Parm. So tasty!

            Reply
        20. plasterer bristol says

          July 12, 2016 at 1:46 am

          mm my favorite sauce to go with pasta this. Great recipe. Thanks simon.

          Reply
        21. Marj Sanderson says

          August 16, 2016 at 7:15 am

          5 stars
          I was attracted to one of your recipes due to the zoodles which I have recently gotten into making. Love them. But I signed up for your blog because your recipe for Sunday Gravy (Spaghetti sauce) is almost identical to mine which was handed down to me by my uncle Dom Simone. Love that sauce.

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            August 16, 2016 at 9:03 am

            Hi Marj, thanks for sharing and I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes so far! Yes, this is still my favorite gravy 😉

            Reply
        22. Dame Good says

          March 29, 2017 at 5:51 pm

          5 stars
          Googled homemade tomato sauce recipe and came across yours! It’s DELICIOUS! I used diced tomatoes rather than crushed as it’s all I had in the cupboard, but wow. I just followed you on Instagram and bookmarked your blog. Love everything about what I’ve seen since taking a look around. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂

          Reply
        23. Pam Avoledo says

          April 20, 2020 at 5:47 pm

          Nothing beats homemade tomato sauce! Some people turn it into all-day process. However, I didn’t realize there was two hour version, either.

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            April 21, 2020 at 9:19 am

            Agreed! It really only takes 30 minutes of simmering to marry flavors. After that, you’re just concentrating the flavors to taste. My mom always cooked her sauce for 1 to 1.5 hours, so that’s how I like it! I would cook the sauce longer if I put a tough cut of meat in it, and I would need to simmer until the meat is tender. Let me know how you like this version 🙂

            Reply
        24. sharon says

          January 20, 2021 at 11:18 am

          can i make this in a slow cooker? Thks.

          Reply
          • Brandon Matzek says

            January 21, 2021 at 7:12 am

            Hi Sharon! I have never made this recipe in a slow cooker, but I’m sure you could give it a try. You would still need to start it on the stovetop through step 2, then you could transfer to a slow cooker and simmer on low for 6 to 8 hours.

            Reply

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        Brandon and Federico

        I'm Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, cocktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Read More…


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