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Whip up homemade Quick Tomato Sauce in 15 minutes! Perfect for busy nights, it's a fresh, delicious alternative to sauce in the jar.
Homemade tomato sauce
“I’m having one of those days” is a phrase we use a lot lately. The idea of coming home after a hard day and having to feed a family is stressful. That's how this Quick Tomato Sauce recipe was born. After years of experimentation, Keith discovered that you actually can coax a lot of flavor from a homemade sauce in just minutes. We serve it on pasta, over Homemade Meatballs, Ratatouille, and even as a basic Pizza Sauce.
We love a traditional, slow simmered tomato sauce or Bolognese. But when work, school, and obligations take over, who has time for that? With the help of a few fresh ingredients, this quick homemade pasta sauce is a go-to recipe that's on repeat at our house.
Ingredients
Jump to:
- TOMATOES: vine-ripened tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes work best. You can also use canned crushed tomatoes
- GARLIC: fresh garlic cloves
- GREEN ONIONS: sliced green onions (scallions)
- BASIL LEAVES: fresh basil leaves
- SUGAR: granulated sugar adds signature sweetness to this sauce.
- OLIVE OIL: use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford
*see recipe card for quantities.
🔪Top tip
This tomato sauce recipe can be made chunky or smooth, depending on your taste. For a smooth texture, use an emulsion blender right in the pan.
Instructions
- Chop Garlic: Peel and chop garlic cloves.
- Sauté Garlic + Green Onions: In a large sauté pan, add oil, garlic and green onions. Sauté over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add Tomatoes: Dice tomatoes into small pieces and add to sauté pan. Cook down, stirring often (about 10 minutes).
- Blend Sauce: At this point you can use an emulsion blender if you like a smoother sauce. For a chunky sauce, go ahead and add the sugar and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Add Basil: Tear basil leaves and add to sauce.
- Season + Serve: Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over your favorite pasta, homemade meatballs, or as a pizza sauce.
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Variations
- Use Canned Tomatoes: If you don't have homegrown tomatoes, use canned San Marzano tomatoes (whole or crushed tomatoes both work).
- Smooth Sauce: If you prefer a smooth sauce (not chunky), use an emulsion blender (or put it in the food processor) before serving.
- Make it Spicy by adding some red pepper flakes: for a spicy version of this sauce, check out our Arrabbiata Sauce recipe.
🍅 More Tomato Recipes
Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months
- Reheat in a sauté pan with a little olive oil
- Make Ahead and refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container until you are ready to use
FAQ
A quick tomato sauce typically requires canned or fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh herbs like basil or oregano. We add sugar and green onion for added flavor.
We recommend large homegrown tomatoes for homemade sauce because of their natural sweetness. We like vine-ripened tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes. In the off season, use Roma tomatoes or canned San Marzano tomatoes.
Yes, you can prepare the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 7 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Quick Tomato Sauce pairs perfectly with pasta, pizza, homemade meatballs, ratatouille, or as a dipping sauce for focaccia bread or mozzarella sticks.
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Quick Tomato Sauce recipe
Whip up homemade Quick Tomato Sauce in 15 minutes! Perfect for busy nights, it's a fresh, delicious alternative to sauce in the jar.
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
Ingredients
- 4 Large ripe Tomatoes or 8 Roma Tomatoes (or substitute 1 29 oz can crushed tomatoes)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ C sliced green onions
- 6-8 basil leaves
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ C olive oil
Instructions
- Peel and chop garlic cloves.
- In a large sauté pan, add oil, garlic and green onions and sauté over medium low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Dice tomatoes into small pieces. Add to sauté pan and cook down, stirring often (about 10 minutes).
- At this point you can use an emulsion blender if you like a smoother sauce. If not, go ahead and add the sugar and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Tear basil leaves and add to sauce.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over your favorite pasta.
Notes
- If you don't have homegrown tomatoes, use canned San Marzano tomatoes (whole or crushed tomatoes both work).
- If you prefer a smooth sauce (not chunky), use an emulsion blender (or put it in the food processor) before serving.
- For a spicy version of this sauce, check out our Arrabbiata Sauce recipe.
- To store: place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¾ C
- Calories: 54
- Sugar: 6.6 g
- Sodium: 10.2 mg
- Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.6 g
- Protein: 1.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
That is fantastic Jackie! Your sauce looks so yummy! I agree on the 15 minutes tomato sauce, I prefer it over the long hours stewed one (like ragu). We italians can recognize a good tomato sauce when we see one 🙂 . Great job!
Jackie says
Thank you Nicoletta!
This means the world coming from you!!
K & J
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Looks delicious and so flavoursome! I've actually never made my own tomato sauce before but you really have inspired me here.
Jackie says
thanks Thalia! We hope you get to try it.... so easy!!
K &J
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
Oh I can imagine how perfect this would be for those busy evening where you don't feel like cooking - tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes sounds absolutely amazing, especially with pasta and crusty bread! So simple but one of my absolute favourite meals 🙂 will have to give your recipe a go!
Jackie says
thanks Claudia! We so appreciate your kind words!!
K&J
Jackie says
This is one of the recipes we use most often!! It's our GO-TO basic pasta sauce, pizza sauce, and dip for crusty bread.