Anyone can make this simple tomato sauce recipe! If you love Italian food, this sauce is perfect for pasta, pizza, meat, vegetables, eggs, and so much more! You can also put some on a slice of crusty French or Italian bread for a quick snack.
Different Recipes for Tomato Sauce
There are probably a million different recipes for tomato sauce available. Between the internet, physical cookbooks, and people you know in person, each one will most likely do something different with their sauce.
Heck, even I make mine at least four different ways depending on the ingredients I have readily available. See my tips below and then check out this post where I compare and contrast making tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes vs canned tomatoes.
How To Make a Simple Tomato Sauce
My sauce is very simple to make. I learned from my mom and then adapted her recipe to suit my preferences. I make my tomato sauce a bit spicier than my mom makes hers.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- garlic cloves
- one 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- one 6oz can tomato paste (optional – depending on how thick you want your sauce to be)
- salt
- pepper
- oregano
- garlic powder
- crushed red pepper flakes
- water
Instructions
Cook’s Note: Please keep in mind, I do not measure anything when I cook. I can say one can, clove, cup, etc. However, when it comes to spices, I “eyeball” everything.
- In a medium sauce pan, add enough olive oil to barely cover the bottom of the pot. You don’t need a lot.
- Add 2-3 garlic cloves, flipping them occasionally, until they turn a light brown. Do not burn the garlic or your sauce will be bitter!
- When the garlic is done, you can remove it and either set it to the side for later, or throw it away.
- At this point, you should take the pot off the burner. If you are going to use tomato paste to make your sauce thicker, add that to the pot now. BE CAREFUL: the oil may splatter. If you are not using paste, skip to the step to add crushed tomatoes.
- Stir the tomato paste in the oil and fill the empty can with water. Add that to the pot and stir.
- It is now safe to add the pot back to the lit burner.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot. If you are not using tomato paste, you should still remove the pot from the burner and be careful if the oil splatters. Then, add the pot back to the lit burner.
- Fill the empty can half to three quarters and add to the pot. Stir well.
- Add your seasonings. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper – all “to taste” – keeping in mind it is always best to start out with a little bit and you can add more later. If you add too much, you can’t take it away.
- Let it come to a boil, cover with a lid slightly tilted to let the steam out.
- Stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Your sauce should be ready in about 30 minutes.
Cook’s Note: Some people like to eat fresh garlic. I am not one of them. I prefer to double up on the garlic by adding garlic powder instead. However, you can add the garlic cloves back to the sauce when you season it, if that is what you prefer.
Reasons Why I Love This Simple Tomato Sauce
This simple tomato sauce can be used to make so many cheap and easy meals:
- Pasta
- Pizza or pizza bread
- Meatballs
- Chicken Parmigiana (Parmesan)
- Vegetables – it is delicious with potatoes and green beans.
- Eggs – yes, eggs!
- As a dip for mozzarella cheese sticks or cheesy garlic bread
- Or just put some on a slice of crusty Italian bread.
Better yet: You can serve a little bit on the side with this three-ingredient Italian appetizer!
Other Variations:
Sometimes grocery stores are out of stock on the canned tomatoes you want. Whether it is a particular brand or type of product, it can be frustrating. You can substitute the crushed tomatoes above for any of the following combinations.
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- Whole tomatoes – there is a kitchen gadget you can use to crush them yourself!
- Diced tomatoes – if you like chunks of tomatoes in your sauce, this would be a good alternative.
- Tomato puree – it is smooth and thick enough to make into a sauce and you won’t need tomato paste.
Do You Make Your Own Tomato Sauce?
I want to hear from you! Have you tried to make a simple tomato sauce or is this one of those foods you would prefer to take the faster (a.k.a “shortcut”) route for dinner?
Check out this post to read about the Foods I DO NOT Want to Make from Scratch.
