Homemade Tomato Sauce
Once you know how to make this easy homemade tomato sauce, you’ll want to use it in everything! Roasted garlic and fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes are a match made in heaven.
After experiencing tomato sauce in Italy for the first time, I was blown away by the flavour difference between the Italian version and what I was used to eating at home. I knew then that I would have to start making it from scratch.
Friends, this homemade tomato sauce recipe will change the way you make your pasta, pizza, even your tomato soup. You will want to spoon it from the pot right into your mouth, it’s just that good.
I make no claims that this is “authentic” in any way, but I do promise that it is insanely delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipe
- Layers of flavour. Tomato sauce is simple on its face, but a GOOD tomato sauce has layers of complexity and this recipe delivers. From the caramelized garlic to the bright red wine vinegar and ample amount of basil, this sauce has a depth of flavour that is unparalleled.
- Versatile. You’ll love how versatile this homemade tomato sauce is. Add it to your pasta for an easy weeknight dinner, spread it on pizza dough, or even use it as a base for soups and stews. The possibilities are endless!
- Great for meal prep. This recipe makes a big batch of sauce, so you can have it on hand for future meals. It also freezes well, so make a double batch and save some for later.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Garlic – You’ll need a whole head of garlic, but don’t panic! Roasting mellows the garlic flavour a great deal, so it doesn’t overpower this homemade tomato sauce.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Onions – These help form the base of flavour in your sauce.
- Red wine vinegar – A touch of vinegar adds some brightness.
- Tomatoes – I like to use ripe plummy tomatoes like Roma, as they have fewer seeds.
- Salt and pepper
- Dried oregano – Or use chopped fresh oregano if you happen to have it on hand.
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh basil – You can mince this finely so it’s evenly distributed, for slice it for more concentrated bursts of basil flavour.
Do I Need to Peel Tomatoes to Make Tomato Sauce?
Because I puree the tomato sauce with a blender, I leave the skin on my tomatoes. Peeling tomatoes is a bit tedious, but if you prefer not to eat your sauce with any bits of peel in it, then you can cut an X into the end of each tomato, submerge them in boiling water for a minute, then transfer them to an ice bath before peeling.
How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce
- Roast the garlic. You can make roasted garlic in the oven or try air fryer roasted garlic.
- Sauté the onion. Warm the olive oil in a large pot set over medium-high heat. Once it’s shimmering, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring often.
- Add the tomatoes. Stir the vinegar into the pot, followed by the tomatoes. Cover and cook for 8 minutes.
- Season. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, and roasted garlic.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or up to an hour.
- Puree. Remove the pot from the heat and blend the sauce with an immersion blender.
- Finish. Stir in the basil. Serve homemade tomato sauce right away, or store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Tips for Success
- Get a head start. You can roast the garlic a day or two before making homemade tomato sauce and refrigerate it until you’re ready to start on this recipe.
- No immersion blender? No problem. If don’t have an immersion blender, allow the mixture to cool completely and then blend it in a blender.
- Add the basil last. Basil has such a strong flavour and scent, but it loses that during the simmering process. For best results, always add it at the end of the cooking time.
- Allow the sauce to cool. You can serve the sauce immediately if desired, but after a night in the fridge, the flavours really develop.
Variations
- Feel free to switch up the herbs if you’d like; more of some, less of others or even new herbs. It’s up to you!
- You can use red wine or even white wine instead of the red wine vinegar.
- The tomatoes we used were naturally sweet, but if you want, you can add a tablespoon of sugar to the sauce to balance out the acidity.
- After blending the sauce, you can stir in olives, capers, sautéed mushrooms, or sautéed green bell peppers for extra flavour and texture.
Serving Suggestions
Spoon this homemade tomato sauce over vegan spaghetti and meatballs or use it for vegetable lasagna, vegan stuffed shells, or vegan chicken parm sandwiches. Don’t forget the roasted garlic bread to sop up every last bit from your plate!
How to Store
Refrigerate homemade tomato sauce in mason jars for 5 to 10 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
I love stocking this homemade tomato sauce in the freezer! You can freeze it in airtight containers or freezer bags; lay them flat in the freezer and you can stack them to maximize space. They’ll keep for up to 6 months.
Thaw freezer bags of sauce in a bowl of hot water or in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat according to the instructions above.
Enjoy friends! If you make this homemade tomato sauce, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
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Homemade Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large head garlic, about 10 cloves + drizzle of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 5 lbs. fresh ripe plummy tomatoes, washed, stems removed and chopped
- 1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped (use as much or as little as you like, but don’t go over like 1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 ° F/ 230° C. Cut off the top of the head of garlic, with the cloves still connected, but just enough to expose them a bit. Place in some foil and drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top. Wrap the foil around the garlic, and roasted for 45 minutes in the oven. You can do this ahead of time if you'd like, or while the other ingredients are cooking.
- In a pot over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add in the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring often. The onions should be golden and shimmering. Add the red wine vinegar and stir into the onions. Add in the chopped tomatoes and stir everything together. Cover the pot with lid and increase heat to medium high. Steam the tomatoes for 8 minutes – this will soften the tomatoes, help them to break down and allow more flavour to be infused into them. They will not burn since a lot of liquid will be released, but you can still check every few minutes to ensure.
- Remove the pot and reduce heat to medium. Add the salt, pepper, oregano and parsley and stir everything in to combine. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the tomato mixture. It will be butter soft, so you can just squeeze them out of the skins. Stir together again.
- Reduce heat to medium low (should be simmering) and place pot cover back on slightly but not to completely cover the pot. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes up to an hour, if desired. The skins should dissolve right off the tomatoes, and all the ingredients should be extremely soft and combined. Remove pot from heat and blend the sauce with your immersion blender until completely blended through. Add in the chopped basil and stir in.
- Allow sauce to cool. You can serve the sauce immediately if desired, but after a night in the fridge, the flavours really develop. Place in mason jars and store in the fridge. Enjoy!!
Notes
- This recipe is vegan and gluten free. Prep time doesn’t include the roasted garlic timing. You can make it at the same time, or ahead of time.
- You can feel free to switch up the herbs if you’d like; more of some, less of others or even new herbs. It’s up to you!
- You can use fresh red wine or even white wine instead of the red wine vinegar.
- If don’t have an immersion blender, allow the mixture to cool completely and then blend it in a blender.
- The tomatoes we used were naturally sweet, but if you want, you can add a tablespoon of sugar to the sauce to balance out the acidity.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
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