Easy Tomato Sauce Recipe

tomato sauce in saucepan with black serving spoon

5 from 26 votes

Here's how to make quick tomato sauce with any tomatoes and a few pantry staples. It's easy, zesty and perfect for Italian pasta, pizza, and lasagna.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: cups

Calories: 37kcal

Author: Traci

Equipment

chef's knife and cutting board to cut onions and garlic
3.5 quart saucepan
stirring utensil
immersion blender optional to puree sauce

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Olive Oil
½ medium Onion diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves Garlic minced
1 (28-ounce can) Crushed Tomatoes or 1 ½ pounds fresh tomatoes, skin-on, cut in half
⅓ cup Tomato Paste about half of a 6-ounce can
1 tablespoon Dried Oregano or ¼ cup fresh oregano
½ teaspoon Salt
⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
¼ teaspoon Red Chili Pepper Flakes optional
1 cup Water

Instructions

Heat OLIVE OIL in saucepan on medium-high heat.
Add ONION and GARLIC. Sauté until tender, stirring as needed.
Stir in TOMATOES, TOMATO PASTE, OREGANO, CHILI PEPPERS, SALT, PEPPER, and WATER.
Bring this mixture to a boil for a few minutes. Reduce heat to low, loosely cover, and simmer for 25 minutes or until the sauce thickens to your liking, stirring as needed.
Note: If using fresh tomatoes, you must blend the sauce to adjust its consistency. I recommend an immersion blender or any heat-safe blender.
Serve warm.
To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 90 days, longer if vacuum sealed.

Notes

tomato variety - Use any canned or fresh tomatoes, including crushed, diced, stewed, whole, or plum varieties like San Marzano. No need to peel fresh tomatoes, as the sauce will be blended.
simmer longer for depth - This quick tomato sauce can be simmered beyond the suggested time frame to develop deeper color and richer flavor.
adjusting flavor - Everyone's palate is different, so taste your sauce as you go and adjust the seasonings to your liking, especially salt.
sauce thickness - To thicken tomato sauce, simply simmer it longer until the liquid reduces the sauce to your desired texture. Use an immersion blender to create a smoother texture.
acidity - If you need to cut the acidity in your sauce, add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavor.
freezing tomato sauce - It's super convenient to freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for future meals. Just thaw, heat, and serve!
substitutions - Visit the recipe variations section in the blogpost for ideas.

Nutrition