Homemade Tomato Sauce
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Based on Marcella Hazan’s famous recipe, this simple and rich homemade tomato sauce is a summer essential.
I’ve got a confession: there’s a whole shelf in my pantry dedicated to my favorite jarred tomato sauce for those crazy-busy nights. But when tomatoes are in season and I have a little time to spare, nothing beats making tomato sauce from scratch. It’s so good that it makes me wonder how I ever settle for that run-of-the-mill jarred stuff! My go-to recipe is inspired by Marcella Hazan’s famously simple tomato butter sauce, although I’ve tweaked it over the years to make it my own. It’s such a rich and flavorful sauce, it doesn’t even need Parmesan cheese when tossed with pasta. If fresh tomatoes aren’t in season or you’re short on time, canned whole peeled tomatoes work beautifully (San Marzanos are the gold standard). Just steer clear of canned diced tomatoes—they are made with a chemical that keeps them from breaking down properly.
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Tomato Sauce
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by scoring the tomatoes with an X on one end. Don’t cut too deep; about 1/4 inch is good.
Place the tomatoes in boiling water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the skins start to peel back. Be careful not to cook too long, or the tomatoes will become soft and difficult to handle.
Plunge the tomatoes into an ice-cold water bath to stop the cooking process.
Transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board and peel the skins off.
Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch chunks.
Place the chopped tomatoes, along with all of their seeds and juices, into a large Dutch oven or saucepan, along with the butter, olive oil, onions, garlic, salt and sugar.
Bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours, until the sauce is no longer watery.
Remove the onion and discard. Use a wooden spoon or potato masher to smash any large chunks of tomatoes or garlic to make a slightly chunky and thick sauce.
Before serving, stir in the basil.
The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days, or can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
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Homemade Tomato Sauce
Based on Marcella Hazan’s famous recipe, this simple and rich homemade tomato sauce is a summer essential.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds plum tomatoes (or two 28-ounce cans whole peeled plum tomatoes)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and cut in half
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- If using fresh tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Fill a large bowl halfway-full with ice cubes and cold water. Using a sharp knife, cut a ¼-inch deep X on one end of each tomato. Place the scored tomatoes into the boiling water and cook until you see the skin starting to wrinkle and split, 1 to 2 minutes (be careful not to cook too long, or the tomatoes will become soft and difficult to handle). Using a slotted spoon, lift the tomatoes out of the pot and plunge them into the ice-cold water bath. Let sit for a few minutes to cool, then transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board and, using your hands, peel off their skins.
- Cut the tomatoes into ½-inch chunks (discard the cores at this point) and transfer them, along with all of their juices, into a Dutch oven or saucepan.
- To the chopped tomatoes, add the butter, olive oil, onions, garlic, salt, and sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1½ to 2½ hours, stirring occasionally and mashing the tomatoes, until the sauce is no longer watery. Remove and discard the onions. Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, mash any large chunks of tomatoes and garlic to make a slightly chunky and thick sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Before serving, stir in the basil.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 256
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 503 mg
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Delicious. First time I’ve ever made homemade tomato sauce. It was simple, only change I made was to leave one onion in, I just chopped it a bit. So good 😀
My husband makes and processes between 60-80 jars of sauce every summer from our garden tomatoes. It is a very tasty sauce, but I have been wanting to try and make one on my own that has far fewer ingredients. This recipe caught my eye because of the butter. It made me wonder if that was what is needed to get the flavor just the way I want. Sure enough, it is. When I was done with the first batch using this recipe, I tasted it and it reminded me of the local Italian restaurant’s sauce as well as one in the North End of Boston, MA. It is just the perfect blend of ingredients. Today, I made a double batch of the sauce and my husband intends to can it when done. Thank you for the perfect recipe!
Hi Suzanne! How long do you pressure can pints for? Do you think it’s ok to can with the butter that’s incorporated into it (will it go bad?)
Exceptional taste for such a simple recipe! It’s by far the best tomato sauce I have ever had,even better than those served in restaurants!
This is honestly the best tomato sauce that I’ve ever made. The slow cooking of the tomatoes, garlic and onions gives it an amazing taste. Make sure to use good quality olive oil. Also I sprinkle in some red pepper flakes. Yum!!
Can this recipe be canned? I am looking for a good tomato sauce recipe to bottle up for the winter.
Hi Tim, I didn’t develop this recipe with canning in mind, so I’m not sure it would be safe — sorry!
My kids look forward to our tomato crop every year solely because of this recipe. We grow and use San Marzano tomatoes for this sauce. Delicious every time!
This recupe is wonderful! So good! I tried it last weekend with tomatoes from my raised beds and we loved it so today I made another batch (as soon as I had 4 more lbs. of tomatoes harvested) to freeze for later use.
This was fabulous and a great way to use tomatoes from my garden. Thank you.
I see a few people asking about what to do with the leftover onions. Easy peasy! Cut them up and put them in your meatballs 😋 I followed this recipe relatively closely. The biggest change I made was discarding only 1 onion half (used it in my meatballs), and removing the roots from the other three and blending the sauce together. Then I added 1 tbsp tomato paste and basil before adding in the meatballs and simmering for another hour. Other than that, I followed this closely. I’m glad I did. The butter added a wonderful balance to the sauce! Simple and delicious! Yum! Thanks for all of your hard work on this one!
I usually do a roasted tomato sauce but decided to try this one. The sauce turned out so so good. The next time I think I will add some Italian herbs, but even without them, this recipe is sure a keeper.