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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Omg this is soooo good! I have a variety of tomatoes from the garden and did not want them to go to waste. Completely worth the messy kitchen! Thank you! Absolutely making again!
Hi Jenn, this was wonderfully fresh, a real gamechanger! Can I ask whether the first step of boiling then chilling the tomatoes is purely for the purpose of peeling the tomato, or does this step serve any other purpose? If I am happy to keep in the tomato skins and blend them into the sauce at the end, could I jump straight to the simmering stage?
Glad you liked it! Yes, the boiling step is purely to remove the skins.
Thanks Jenn, it’s so nice that you take the time to reply us readers so quickly 🙂
All I can say is WOW! This is by far the best tomato sauce I’ve ever had. It makes me sad I don’t have any more tomatoes from my garden to make more. Totally worth the extra effort of making it from scratch instead of using the jarred stuff. I typically use Rao’s jarred sauce which I like but this is so much better than even that!
Hello!! Gotta say, I am SO excited to try this recipe as the farmers market has sooo many delicious tomatoes!! I’ve tried your baked ziti recipe and it is a staple in our house now, I will never try another again.
However I like a smooth sauce (my go to is always Hunts tomato sauce), but I don’t own an immersion blender. I have a regular smoothie blender, would that work the same? If so, when would I blend? How do the seeds filter out or do I need to strain? Sorry for the silly questions but thanks so much!!
Hi Virginia, you should be able to use your regular blender but will have to blend it in a few batches as it won’t all fit. After blending, you’ll need to check the texture to see if the seeds are still present (as it depends on the strength of your blender). If not, and they bother you, you can strain them out using a fine sieve. Hope you enjoy!
Delicious! I used Roma tomatoes from our garden and followed the recipe exactly. The butter gives the sauce a silky texture…scrumptious! I intend to freeze the sauce and will look forward to remembering the taste of summer tomatoes on a cold winter day. Another winner from Jenn!
I have made this recipe several times this summer and it’s been excellent each time. The first time I used heirloom tomatoes and followed the recipe exactly. The next few times I used cherry tomatoes (as I had dozens and dozens!) With the cherries, I simply used an immersion blender once the sauce was cooked, and it took care of the skins- blending them completely into the sauce.
Susan, so you skipped the boiling step for tomatoes and started on step 3? I also have a ton of cherry tomatoes and would like to make a sauce. I’m just worried I will mess it up and waste my tomatoes! Thanks for your help!
I usually don’t take the time to rate/comment but WOW – I’m trying to learn to cook from scratch but I’m far from experienced. This recipe was wonderful. I had 2lbs of tomatoes so I halved everything, except the garlic (partner is a big garlic guy). I didn’t have fresh basil so I did maybe a half teaspoon of dried, and I also added a small amount of rosemary and oregano from my herb garden and a bit more salt to taste. I also followed some of the comments and kept the onion in – planning to mix with ground turkey and thought it would be a good compliment.
It’s perfect. It’s delicious. I am very proud of myself. If you’re like me and think maybe you’d like to try to use up those garden tomatoes learning something new, try it!!
I would love to make a batch of this for freezing. Is there a freezer container you prefer (plastic or glass), and should it be filled to the very top? Thanks.
I actually don’t have a favorite brand. I usually just get the Ziploc plastic ones at the supermarket (and sometimes use freezer bags).
Any special advice if I were to halve this recipe? Would every ingredient be halved, including the pasta? Would the cooking time be about the same, etc.? Thank you!
Hi Andrew, yup, you’d just halve all the ingredients. It may take slightly less time to thicken up, so keep an eye on it. Enjoy!
Isn’t this marinara sauce with butter? I thought tomato sauce was just tomatoes. Please help me understand. Tthanks
Hi Chris, marinara and tomato sauce are often terms that are used interchangeably and this recipe is kind of a hybrid between the two. Hope that clarifies!