Fresh Tomato Sauce

Fresh tomato sauce is really easy to make.

This sauce is packed with the rich and fresh flavor of garden tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. It’s great for tossing with pasta, topping pizza, or serving over your favorite meatballs.

This sauce has a great flavor.
You need just a handful of fresh ingredients.
Fresh tomato sauce freezes well to enjoy all year long.
This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Ingredients For Fresh Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes: Use ripe garden tomatoes or summer market tomatoes—the riper, the better! You can use any variety of tomatoes for this recipe—plum tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, or heirlooms are favorites.

Herbs: Dried herbs are added earlier in the cooking process so they have a chance to rehydrate. Fresh basil and parsley are added just before serving for a fresh flavor.

Red Wine: Use a dry wine like Italian Chianti or Pinot Noir. These pair well with the flavors of tomato and are, in general, very good wines to cook with. These wines can also pair well for drinking, so keep those leftovers to serve with dinner!

As this sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, the quality of the tomatoes is important for great flavor.

Tomatoes can range in flavor from very sweet to very tart or even bland if they’re not in season. Taste a slice of tomato before cooking. I’ve included some tips in the notes in the recipe below based on the flavor of your tomatoes.

If your tomatoes are very tart, you can add a little bit of shredded carrot or finely diced red peppers for sweetness (we do this with marinara sauce too). A pinch of sugar works too.

tomatoes in a cold bath with ingredients around it to make Fresh Tomato Sauce

How to Peel Tomatoes

Peeling tomatoes is optional but I prefer the texture of the sauce with peeled tomatoes.

To peel tomatoes, cut an ‘X’ on the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife. Place in a pot of boiling water for 20 seconds and then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking. The skins will easily peel off.

slicing tomatoes to make Fresh Tomato Sauce

draining tomato seeds in a bowl to make Fresh Tomato Sauce

How to Make Fresh Tomato Sauce

Chop tomatoes in half and remove the seeds (catch any juices from the seeds in a bowl).
Sauté onions in olive oil, add garlic & seasonings.
Simmer the remaining ingredients with prepared tomatoes (per the recipe below).
Blend or mash to desired consistency. Stir in fresh herbs & serve.

Tips for Perfection

Ensure tomatoes are ripe and juicy, with a vibrant, tart flavor.
Strain the seeds but be sure to collect the juices, it adds lots of flavor to the sauce.
For a chunky sauce, skip the blender and instead break up the cooked tomatoes with a spoon or a masher.
Thicken the sauce further by cooking it longer.
If the sauce is too acidic, add a pinch of sugar, just a little at a time, until the flavor seems “just right.”
Fresh herbs are delicate and should be added just before serving.

Fresh Tomato Sauce in a bowl with garnish

Storage & Freezing

Store this fresh tomato sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Ladle leftovers into a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months.

More Pasta Sauce Recipes We Love

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This fresh tomato sauce is easy to make and perfect spooned over meatballs or your favorite pasta.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Peel the tomatoes by bringing a large pot of water to a boil and preparing a bowl of ice water. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato (just enough to cut through the skin). Place in the boiling water for 20 seconds and then into ice water. The skins will easily peel.
Place a fine strainer over a small bowl. Cut tomatoes in half and remove the seeds into the strainer being sure to reserve any juices in the bowl. Discard the seeds and chop the tomatoes into chunks.
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium low heat until tender, do not brown.
Once onion is tender, add garlic and seasonings. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add chopped tomatoes, red wine, reserved tomato juices, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and let cook uncovered for 45-55 minutes or until thickened.
Blend sauce with a hand blender (or pulse a few times in a food processor) to reach desired consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
Stir in fresh herbs and serve.

This recipe can be doubled or tripled if desired and it freezes well.
Tomato Flavor: The riper the tomatoes, the better the flavor of the sauce. Taste a slice of tomato before making the sauce; it should have a vibrant tart flavor. If the tomatoes are bland, the sauce will have less flavor.
Strain the seeds but be sure to collect the juices, it adds lots of flavor to the sauce.

If your tomatoes are very tart add either 1 shredded carrot before simmering or a pinch of sugar for sweetness.
Some tomatoes are very sweet, if your sauce is too sweet, add 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.
If your tomatoes are not flavorful, add 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste before simmering.

Sauce Texture

For a chunky texture, skip the blender and break up the tomatoes with a spoon as they cook.
For a smooth sauce, blend all of the tomatoes with an immersion blender.

Serving Suggestions

Do not rinse pasta before adding the sauce as the starches help it to cling to the pasta.
Thicken the sauce further by cooking it longer.
Fresh herbs are delicate and should be added just before serving.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Sauce

Cuisine American, Italian

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