Homemade Tomato Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Thank you for this recipe! I made it as directed with fresh tomatoes from our garden. Yummy! I put that batch in the freezer. Tomorrow, I will be making another batch for dinner!
I made this sauce yesterday, it was delicious!! I’ve tried making sauce with fresh tomatoes but never did very well with it. This recipe was easy and delicious. A must make and will share with my friends and family.
I thought I’d test out half a recipe before using my garden Romas, which will ripen in a few weeks. So I used a can of Italian plum tomatoes. The sauce is surprisingly piquant and tasty. As others have said, must be the butter. And it could hardly be easier to make. Took about 1.5 hours to reach the proper consistency. Next time I might mash up the onions and leave them in – they looked so good I hated to discard them. I’m going to serve the sauce with meatballs and a small side of pasta.
Can this recipe be preserved in a canner
Hi Judith, Unfortunately, I don’t think this recipe is safe for canning. Sorry!
this sauce was delicious! I have never made pasta sauce with butter like this before. I used fresh tomatoes and freeze dried basil. I thought it was great! The flavor was just right and, in my opinion, the butter mellowed the flavor in best way.
Hi Jenn, I make the sauce the same way with some small changes. I leave the salt and sugar, other spices out till I use it. I also roast my tomato’s whole in the oven (broiler) first which adds a depth of flavor and after 20 minutes under the broiler the tomato’s loss 90% of their liquid so they cook down to a rich sauce very quickly. I make around 50 quarts each year packing the sauce in air tight bags and enjoy the flavor of fresh tomato sauce till the next harvest in early June. Not to mention all the fresh salsa I make and freeze.
Do you peel them before broiling them?
Can you use tree vine size tomatoes and if so, how many to use?
Hi Renee, It’s fine to use another type of tomatoes, but it’s really hard to say how many you’ll need since size can vary by a lot and I measure by weight here. I typically use 16 to 20 plum tomatoes to get 4 pounds if that helps to compare.
So rich ad flavorful! I use 3/4 Roma and 1/4 various round tomato varieties to add flavor. Increasing the temp slowly and adding tomatoes as I go keeps it from separating (an old crushed tomatoes canning technique) and you don’t need to simmer any longer for the non-paste tomatoes.
Can you used a vegan butter substitute (Miyoko’s) for the real butter?
Sure, that should be fine. Enjoy!
Best sauce! Cannot be any easier to prep/make. My honey can get bad reflux with most tomato sauces, but not this one! I’m looking forward to my garden tomatoes coming in and I will try the fresh version. Thank you for sharing ❤️