Authentic spaghetti sauce recipe (fresh or canned tomatoes)

Authentic Italian food is a big tradition in our family. Over the years I have found many healthy variations on our favorite Italian dishes that fit our lifestyle. One of the most delicious recipes is this homemade spaghetti sauce that goes well with rice noodles. zucchini noodles, and of course homemade meatballs.

Why homemade pasta sauce?

Years ago I was introduced to my best Nonna's Spaghetti Sauce recipe, which uses pre-canned tomato sauce and diced tomatoes (that she probably canned herself). One year I tried to replicate the recipe using fresh tomatoes as we had an abundance of them our garden and I came up with my own pasta sauce recipe. It's great at home “spaghetti” and meatballsespecially with some parmesan cheese.

I'm sharing my own variations of both today:

How to make pasta sauce from fresh or canned tomatoes

If you are working from fresh tomatoes, use the first recipe. If you are using canned tomatoes, use the second one. I cook this in the crock pot, but you can also cook them in a small pot or slow cooker if you prefer.

While Nonna's Recipe is still the gold standard of spaghetti sauce in our family, I'm not sure I'm allowed to share the secret recipe. Instead, I'm sharing my own variations. I know I can share part of her secret, which is tossing a piece of carrot into the sauce while it's cooking. This absorbs the acidity of the tomatoes and creates a sweeter sauce. It also removes the need for a sweetener to reduce acidity.

This spaghetti sauce is great for an easy weeknight dinner, especially if you can make it for later. Plus, we think it tastes a lot better than jarred sauce from the store.

Homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes

Authentic tomato marinara sauce made from fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic.

Grate half of the carrot.
Pour the olive oil into a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
When hot, add the diced onions to the olive oil and fry for 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and grated carrot and fry for 2-3 minutes more or until the onions are translucent and soft.
Add the tomatoes, chopped basil leaves, oregano, thyme bay leaves, parsley and sea salt.
Simmer on low for 2-3 hours or until cooked and beginning to darken.
Add the carrot piece for the last 30 minutes to soak up the acidity as the sauce thickens.
Remove sprigs of fresh herbs, bay leaves and a piece of carrot.
Optional: Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth (for a thicker sauce, skip this step).
Use fresh or refrigerate for up to 1 week, or can according to the canning instructions for tomato products.

Nutrition facts

Homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes

Amount per serving (0.5 cup)

Calories 144
Calories from fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7 g11%

Saturated fat 1 g6%

Unsaturated fat 1 g

Monounsaturated fat 5 g

Sodium 313 mg14%

potassium 778 mg22%

Carbohydrates 19 g6%

Fiber 5 g21%

Sugar 12 g13%

Protein 3 g6%

Vitamin A 3722 IU74%

Vitamin C 44 mg53%

Calcium 53 mg5%

Iron 1 mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

To peel fresh tomatoes (or peaches) cut a small “x” on the top and drop into boiling water for 10 seconds and then into an ice bath. The skin will peel off easily.

30 minutes homemade spaghetti sauce with canned tomatoes

If the two-hour cooking time doesn't appeal to you, this recipe tastes almost as good and cooks in much less time. This is my favorite on a busy night when I have 30 minutes to turn a pound of ground beef into dinner.

2 medium onion (shredded)
8 carnation fresh garlic (chopped)
¼ CUP olive oil
56 ounce crushed tomatoes (either whole or stewed tomatoes)
6 ounce tomato paste
½ SPOON dried oregano
1 TBSP dried basil leaves or 1/4 cup fresh, finely chopped
2 Daphnia Leaf optionally
½ SPOON dry thyme optionally
salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)

Heat the olive oil in a medium or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes
Add the minced garlic and fry for another minute.
Next, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to meld. (Can simmer longer if desired for a thicker sauce with a deeper flavor).
Serve over spaghetti noodles or pasta as desired.

Nutrition facts

30 minutes homemade spaghetti sauce with canned tomatoes

Amount per serving (0.5 cup)

Calories 158
Calories from fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7 g11%

Saturated fat 1 g6%

Unsaturated fat 1 g

Monounsaturated fat 5 g

Sodium 577 mg25%

potassium 865 mg25%

Carbohydrates 22 g7%

Fiber 5 g21%

Sugar 13 g14%

Protein 5 g10%

Vitamin A 761 IU15%

Vitamin C 26 mg32%

Calcium 102 mg10%

Iron 4 mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

For a thinner sauce that works best for pizza, chicken parmesan, etc., use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
This recipe makes about 4 cups of sauce.

How to use homemade pasta sauce

You probably already have a recipe in mind as you read this post, but this is infinitely versatile and great in many recipes. The fresh tomato recipe variation is great for tomato season, and I can often use some extra in the winter.

It works great with Italian sausage, beef, and even turkey. I'll often serve it with zucchini noodles and chopped bell peppers for extra veggies.

I use this sauce on:

How to whip up your own pasta sauce

You can easily make a large batch of any of these sauces and keep it for future use. I often do this when we have an abundance of tomatoes from the garden. There's no reason to can the recipe made from canned tomatoes since it's quick to whip up and doesn't need an extra step.

Instructions for canning tomato sauce at home

I follow; follows; accompany these instructions for canning my homemade tomato sauce. There is some debate as to whether it is okay to water bath canned tomato products or not. The general consensus seems to be that tomatoes are unfavorable for canning in a water bath because the pH is sometimes not acidic enough. One solution is to add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice per liter of canning or check the pH to make sure it is 4.4 or below.

I prefer to only press as I wish pressure preservative the instructions. The pressure is sufficient to kill any botulism spores and is considered safe for tomatoes.

How to freeze tomato sauce at home

If canning isn't your thing, you can also freeze this homemade sauce. I like to freeze in quart size glass jars (here's how) or metal container, for it avoid plastic in freezer bags. You can also freeze this sauce in any airtight container after it has cooled.