I have fond memories of my late Italian immigrant mother standing at the stove on Sundays stirring her Sunday sauce a.k.a gravy.
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 and freeze the leftovers so I can 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.
Sunday Sauce
Before I get to the recipe, I want to explain a few things.
Fresh Herbs
Using fresh herbs to make the best Italian gravy recipe is essential. You’ll want to use fresh parsley. You may be wondering why basil isn’t listed here. Italians don’t cook with basil, they’ll add it at the end for some aroma of basil.
Types of Meat
If you want to add meat to this recipe, do it after you’ve cooked the onions and garlic for a few minutes. Below, are the types of meat you can use.
Sausage Links
Add Italian sausage after the garlic and onions have cooked a bit and let them brown on each side before adding the canned tomato sauce or puree.
Pork Rib
Sometimes, I’ll add some pork ribs to this recipe. Again, I add it after the garlic and onions have cooked a bit. Pork gives tomato sauce a wonderful flavor. Don’t be alarmed if your sauce turns a bit orange. Pork will do this when it works it’s magic.
Ground Beef
You can add a pound of ground beef to this recipe (after the garlic and onions but, if you choose to do that, go to my meat sauce recipe.
Large Stock Pot
I like to use a large stock pot when making this recipe because it gives me plenty of room to stir. Plus, when it begins to splatter, the edges of a large pot will catch the splats instead of going all over my stove and back splash.
Trust me, the last thing you want to do is use a pot that’s barely big enough and get burned with hot sauce splatters or a messy stove to clean up. It gets everywhere, even the floor!
Ingredients
- canned tomato sauce (or tomato puree)
- extra virgin olive oil (it’s the only kind I use)
- fresh garlic cloves
- onions
- fresh 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.
Long Cooking Time
As I mentioned above, you’ll want to cook this sauce for about 2 1/2 hours. This gives the sauce time to absorb the olive oil, onions and garlic and spices.
One time, I didn’t let it cook the entire time and it came out a bit raw so, just let it cook and don’t forget to stir it.
Below is a picture of what the sauce looks like after cooking for 2 1/2 hours! It’s DELICIOUS! The first time my friend made this recipe she said her family almost licked their plates clean.
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.
Red Sauce
Red sauce is an American favorite. How many times have your heard people asking for extra sauce for their pasta, stromboli, or cheesesteak?
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.
San Marzano Tomatoes
You can use San Marzano tomatoes to make this recipe. They’re imported from Italy and are really good although, they’re pricy. I mostly see them in whole form so, you will need to puree them first before adding them.
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 January 15 , 2023.
Authentic Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce
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 tomato puree will work
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley or 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- First, in a large Dutch oven or pot, add oil, minced garlic and chopped onion. Stir and cook on med/high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
- Next, slowly (to avoid splatters) add tomato sauce to the oil mixture. It will look oily and that's o.k. Stir it so the oil is combined with the sauce.
- Then, add the parsley and pepper. If you choose to add salt, it's best to add it at the END of the cooking time so you can judge if it is to your liking as is. The canned tomatoes have a good bit of salt already.
- Next, bring sauce to a boil, cover and cook on low heat for 2.5 hours. Stir (to the bottom of the pot) every 15 minutes to avoid sticking and burning. Using a heat diffuser works well.
- Then, allow sauce to cook before putting in refrigerator or freezing.
Video
Notes
How to Freeze homemade Spaghetti 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.
