The BEST Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe

Bowl of tomato pasta sauce with spoon and herbs in background.

The BEST Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe

A rich and flavourful homemade pasta sauce you can ladle over pasta or use as a base sauce in pasta bakes, moussaka and more! Get this easy spaghetti sauce made with fresh tomatoes prepped in just 15 mins.

Course Condiment, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Servings Kg of Sauce

Calories 969kcal

Author Wandercooks

Cost $10

Equipment

Extra large saucepan

Ingredients

1 kg ripe roma tomatoes whole, sub with canned tomatoes (crushed or diced)
1/3 cup olive oil
8-10 cloves garlic finely diced
1 onion finely ficed
1/4 cup red wine
4 bay leaves
1 handful fresh basil leaves

Optional Spices

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Prepare the tomatoes: (Note: If using canned tomatoes, you can skip this section.)

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add whole fresh tomatoes and ensure they are covered by the water. Bring back to the boil, then remove from heat and drain.
1 kg ripe roma tomatoes
Allow tomatoes to cool down enough so you can handle them, then peel the skin and dice into small pieces. Discard the stems.

Make the sauce:

Heat the olive oil in the same large pot. Add garlic and onion and sauté until translucent.
1/3 cup olive oil, 8-10 cloves garlic, 1 onion
Add the prepared tomatoes (or canned tomatoes), red wine, basil leaves, bay leaves and optional spices (hot paprika, smoked paprika and mace). Stir well and bring to the boil once more, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for around 2 hours until sauce has thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
1/4 cup red wine, 4 bay leaves, 1 handful fresh basil leaves, 1 tsp hot paprika, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground mace
Carefully transfer sauce into airtight containers and allow to fully cool down before storing in the fridge or freezer.

Video

Notes

Tomatoes - This recipe works great with most varieties of fresh tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are the best choice because they have a rich flavour, dense texture and less pulp and seeds. Look for tomatoes with a rich red colour and delicious aroma. You could even use cherry tomatoes, which would yield a sweeter sauce. Sub with canned roma or san marzano tomatoes to make it quicker and easier.
Olive Oil - Use high quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavour.
Red Wine - For depth of flavour choose a nice dry red wine. Otherwise if you prefer not to cook with alcohol, sub with cranberry juice, beef stock or chicken stock, or 1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar.
Onion, Garlic and Herbs - Use finely chopped onion and garlic along with basil leaves and bay leaves. Use fresh herbs if you like, but high quality dried herbs will work just as well.
Optional Spices - We love adding a little extra heat and flavour with hot paprika, smoked paprika and mace. Sub with nutmeg and cinnamon for a sweeter flavour profile.
Keep Clean - You might like to wear an apron while chopping the boiled tomatoes, as this step can get a little messy!
Even More Flavour - The riper the tomato, the better it will be flavour-wise for this dish. Avoid serving the finished sauce on the same day if you can. It will be even better if you store it in the fridge for a day or two to allow the flavours to fully develop before using.
Consistency - This sauce is slightly chunky as that’s what we prefer. However if you want a super smooth sauce, you can dice the tomatoes extra small when prepping or use an immersion blender to puree the sauce once cooked.
Storage - Homemade pasta sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for around 2-3 months.
Pink Sauce - Add cream or sour-cream for a lighter rosé pasta sauce.
Make it Spicy - Add some regular red pepper flakes, Korean chilli flakes or experiment with gochujang for something a little different!

Nutrition