This Homemade Spaghetti Sauce is full of flavor and made with a few staple ingredients including fresh tomatoes.
If you have an abundance of tomatoes growing in your garden, making homemade tomato sauce is a great way to use them up.
Nothing beats homemade like a fresh batch of sauce for spaghetti. This is a super simple recipe with lots of variations to your liking. It takes some time but so worth it and wins over jarred pasta sauce. It can either be enjoyed the day of making, freeze or canning for later.
Serve with a side salad and garlic bread for a complete easy weeknight dinner!
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Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients & Substitutions
- Fresh tomatoes: I used large ones picked straight from the garden. You could also use a large can or two of crushed tomatoes.
- Onion: I used a white onion but you can also use a yellow onion.
- Minced garlic: I used minced garlic from a jar.
- Seasonings: Rosemary, basil and Italian seasoning.
- Butter: I used salted butter but you can also use unsalted butter and add a bit of salt.
- Sugar: This will add a hint of sweetness but can be omitted from the recipe.
How to Make Fresh Spaghetti Sauce
Add water and ice cubes halfway to a large bowl.
Cut an “X” in the bottom of each tomato.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place tomatoes in for about 1-2 minutes or when skin begins to wrinkle. (I like to do this in batches to keep the flow going and prevent the ice bath from overflowing)
Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place in ice bath for 2 minutes until cooled.
Peel skin off each tomato. (You can remove the seeds with a food mill or cook with seeds and all.)
Place tomatoes and juices in a large pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot; butter, garlic, onion, sugar, basil, rosemary, Italian seasoning and sugar.
Bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat for about 3 hours uncovered stirring occasionally until sauce is no longer watery. Simmer longer if sauce is still watery.
Adjust seasoning to taste and mash large chunks with a masher if needed.
Remove onions with a slotted spoon.
Place in an airtight container for later or serve over spaghetti noodles.
Helpful Tips and Variations
- Instead of a meatless pasta sauce, add in a pound of cooked ground beef, chicken or turkey.
- If sauce is too thin and watery, simmer longer uncovered. The steam will make some of the water evaporate and thicken the sauce.
- This also makes a great lasagna sauce!
- Add some heat with red pepper flakes.
Storing Leftovers
- To Store: Allow to cool and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat to desired temperature on the stovetop over medium low heat.
- To Freeze: Allow to cool and place in freezer bags or containers leaving room to expand. Thaw in fridge overnight and reheat to desired temperature.
More Pasta Sauce Recipes
Recipe
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 11 -12 Fresh tomatoes
- 1 tbsp. Basil
- 1 Onion peeled and cut in half
- 1 tbsp. Minced garlic
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 6 tbsp. salted Butter
- 1 tsp Rosemary
- 1 tsp Sugar
Instructions
- Add water and ice cubes halfway to a large bowl.
- Cut an “X” in the bottom of each tomato.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place tomatoes in for about 1-2 minutes or when skin begins to wrinkle. (I like to do this in batches to keep the flow going and prevent the ice bath from overflowing)
- Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place in ice bath for 2 minutes until cooled.
- Peel skin off each tomato. (You can remove the seeds with a food mill or cook with seeds and all.)
- Place tomatoes and juices in a large pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot; butter, garlic, onion, sugar, basil, rosemary, Italian seasoning and sugar.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer on low heat for about 3 hours uncovered stirring occasionally until sauce is no longer watery. Simmer longer if sauce is still watery.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and mash large chunks with a masher if needed.
- Remove onions with a slotted spoon.
- Place in an airtight container for later or serve over spaghetti noodles.
Notes
- To Store: Allow to cool and store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat to desired temperature on the stovetop over medium low heat.
- To Freeze: Allow to cool and place in freezer bags or containers leaving room to expand. Thaw in fridge overnight and reheat to desired temperature.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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