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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What about lightly sautéing the finely chopped onion and garlic in EVOO. Leave both ingredients in? All other ingredients keep.
However, it would then change the recipe.
Hi Sally, I think it would be fine if you’d like to go that route. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I accidentally chopped the onions once because I didn’t read the directions closely. To fix it, I ended up blending the sauce with an immersion blender at the end. I was pleased with the outcome, but I plan to try the recipe as written, as I believe it will turn out even better. I’m sharing this in case anyone else needs to use chopped onions for some reason.
Been making this sauce for years, why, oh, why discard the onion? I just make sure it is very soft then grab my stick blender and add it to the sauce, helps thicken, too. Can’t stand the thought of wasting a good onion flavor.
Now you have to tell us your favorite brand of jarred tomato sauce!
Ha! Rao’s and Victoria.
This was excellent!
I did try a new-to-me method of preparing fresh tomatoes for sauce. Place a box grater on a rimmed baking sheet. Halve your tomatoes across the equator. Press the cut side on the grater and shred to the skin. It went really fast and I just poured the pulpy contents directly into the pan. My stove takes FOREVER to heat a pan of boiling water, so it was a shortcut.
This worked beautifully! My sauce is simmering right now. I hope I remember this tip next time I need it! I threw some of the peels in and plan to retrieve them with the onion.
I learned this technique when I took a cooking class in Barcelona. I was directed to grate the tomatoes for a romesco sauce. It’s very little effort for great results.
Whenever I need a recipe which really works without a doubt I come here 🙂 I am so thankful for you and you are a great cook.
At the moment this is on the stove.
I will freeze some of it.
Thanks a lot and hopefully stay around for a very long time.
Greetings from Germany
Outstanding recipe! I used whole tomatoes that were delicious but needed to be used, and this is the best sauce recipe I’ve ever tried!
I made this tonight with a few Jersey tomatoes and that was not enough so I added Tuttoroso San Marziano tomatoes. I followed the directions to the “T” and OMG so delicious! I left it a little chunky and served it over Orchietto pasta with lots of cheese and crusty garlic bread. What a hit it was! Love this recipe and now I am getting requests. Sooooooo good! So glad I came across this website. You are my new “Go To” for delicious meals to come!
Jenn, this tomato sauce is so good, I’ve made it a few times. I’m making again tonight adding half a red pepper, and a little wine towards the end. We eat the pepper and onion which absorbs the flavor.
Would heirloom tomatoes work in this recipe? My local farmers market has beautiful ripe heirlooms and I am thinking I want to make tomato sauce with them!
Sure, Alice, that should work. Please LMK how it comes out with the heirlooms!
I made this but it turned out awful for some reason. Mine lacked flavor. I tried to add more seasoning and added meat and it still was bad. I followed the recipe prior to adding meat and additional spices so I’m not sure what happened.