Name: Authentic Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 7 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 cup onion, chopped (or 1/2 large onion); 145 oz canned tomato sauce (not tomato puree); 2 tbsp fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley); 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste); salt to taste

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Learn how to make delicious AUTHENTIC homemade Italian Tomato Sauce with canned tomatoes with just 5 ingredients! This simple recipe makes a big pot for freezing. Vegan and gluten-free.

I have fond memories of my late Italian immigrant mother standing at the stove on Sundays stirring her Sunday sauce.

She made the best tomato sauce! I am so lucky to have grown up with fine Italian cuisine to eat everyday.

I’m also lucky to have all of her delicious and authentic Italian recipes to make for my own family!

I make this spaghetti sauce recipe about every 2-3 months. I freeze the leftovers and pull out just the right amount for certain recipes or just to put on pasta.

I use it to make my popular Baked Ziti with ricotta cheese.

Using homemade tomato sauce makes any dish so much better! When you see how easy it is to make, you’ll never buy jarred again.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links which means, if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission but, the price you pay is the same.

As a matter of fact, I NEVER buy jarred spaghettis sauce… ever! Why would I when I can make fresh, delicious homemade sauce easily at home that tastes 10 times better without additives and preservatives?

This recipe is similar to my Italian Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes except it’s EASIER!

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links which means, if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission but, the price you pay is the same.

How to make Authentic Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

canned tomato sauce (or tomato puree)
extra virgin olive oil
fresh garlic cloves
onions
parsley
salt and pepper

Instructions

First, in a large Dutch oven or pot on med/high, add oil, minced garlic.
Then, add the chopped onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Next, slowly and carefully add the tomato sauce. If you add it to fast, it’ll splatter and make a mess of your stove.
Then, add the parsley (fresh or dried.)
Next, stir the sauce. You will see a puddle of oil and that’s o.k. because it’ll cook into the sauce and give it great flavor.
Then, bring it to a boil, cover reduce heat to low and cook for 2.5 hours stirring every 15 minutes. Be sure to stir the bottom to avoid sticking. Using a heat diffuser helps the sauce not to stick to the bottom of the pot.

Here’s the heat diffuser I use.

Below is a picture of what the sauce looks like after cooking for 2.5 hours! It’s DELICIOUS!

It looks rich in color and tastes so flavorful from the garlic, onions and olive oil. Slow cooking it for a long time makes all the difference. You can’t rush greatness!

Tips for Making the BEST Homemade Tomato Sauce

Do NOT add sugar! None… not even a spoonful. If you find the acidity to be high in the tomatoes, add 1/4 cup of minced carrots.
Do NOT add water to the pot. No, no, no! Do not rinse out the tin containers and add that to the sauce. It will water down your sauce and dilute the flavor.
If you don’t have fresh or dried parsley, feel free to use Italian seasoning instead.
Do not use plain olive oil or any other kind of oil. You need a good quality EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL! It adds great flavor to this recipe. I’ve never used anything but EVOO.
If you taste test it at the end of the cooking time and feel it needs more garlic, add a sprinkle of garlic powder.
If you fancy, add 1/2-3/4 cup of dry white wine at the point of cooking the onions and garlic, cover and continue with instructions.
You may add meat (Italian sausage, ground beef or pork spare ribs,) add 1 lb- 1.5lb about 3 minutes after adding the onions and garlic.

Vegan Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

This authentic Italian homemade spaghetti sauce recipe is naturally Vegan and gluten-free. It tastes great on any pasta. It’s nice to have a Vegan recipe to offer your friends who are Vegan. So, keep this recipe in mind for those occasions.

You don’t have to use meat to make spaghetti sauce. I often don’t and this delicious recipe is proof.

This recipe is the same one I use to make my authentic Italian meatballs.

How to Freeze homemade Spaghetti Sauce

It’s very simple to freeze homemade sauce.

First, let the sauce cool to warm, not hot temperature.
Then, using a ladle, add the sauce to plastic containers that have tight-fitting lids.
Next, if the sauce is still warm, allow it to cool in the containers.
Then, label the containers with “Spaghetti Sauce” and the date.
Next, put the containers in your freezer.

How long does homemade tomato sauce last in the freezer?

I keep my tomato sauce in the freezer for months. It will retain its best quality up to six months but, is safe to store in your freezer longer without jeopardizing much of the quality. I like to date my sauce so I can remove the older sauce first.

So, if you find tomato sauce in your freezer that’s 9 months or even a year old, don’t throw it away.

You’re going to love this spaghetti sauce recipe. My friend told me the first time she made this recipe she licked the plate clean and said she’d never use store-bought jarred sauce again.

Treat your family to a great with this flavorful sauce.

See more Italian recipes!

*This post was updated on May 13, 2022.

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