Classic Tomato Sauce for Pasta

By
Katie Workman
Katie Workman
Award-winning food writer, blogger, and author of two cookbooks. She frequently appears on broadcast media sharing her expertise.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/7/24
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 7 cups

Making pasta sauce from scratch is surprisingly easy. Once you try it, you'll wonder why you were so dependent on jarred pasta sauces. This recipe makes a stunning, full-bodied red sauce to star in your pasta dish. It relies on a few pantry staples, including canned tomatoes, making it quick to whip up, even on a busy weeknight.

Cooked classic tomato sauce in a pot with a wooden spoon

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Make It Your Own

There are as many recipes for tomato sauce as there are cooks who make it. Customizing this sauce to your taste or the meal you plan to use it in is a snap. For instance, tomato paste thickens the sauce and adds richness, but leaving it out creates a thinner sauce. You can change the seasoning to fit another recipe or add vegetables or meat for a more robust main dish. One family favorite is the classic spaghetti and meatballs. Just simmer meatballs (homemade or store-bought) in the sauce, add cooked spaghetti, and your meal is on the table in no time!

Control Freak

Tomato-based, homemade, and jarred pasta sauces are generally healthy and have fewer calories than creamy ones. The nice part about making your own is that you can control the ingredients. Jarred pasta sauces may include excess salt and preservatives, depending on the brand. With homemade sauce, you'll know exactly what you're eating and can make healthy decisions about what ingredients to include and what to leave out.

Tips for a Delicious Homemade Tomato Sauce

  • Ingredients matter—Use good quality olive oil, canned tomatoes, and the freshest onion and garlic you can find for the best flavor sauce possible.
  • Avoid bitterness—Garlic can turn bitter if overcooked, so move on to the next step once you begin to smell it in the pan.
  • Don't boil the sauce—This quick sauce should be slowly simmered (not boiled) for about 20 minutes. Simmering gently coaxes out the best flavors in the ingredients while allowing the flavors to meld together.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS TOMATO SAUCE
A Large Saucepan
A Handy Garlic Press
A Solid Spatula

"This recipe was a cinch to make and requires very little prep work. As versatile as a jar of sauce, but cheaper to make and tasted fresher and better. We had it as-is one night and added crumbled hot Italian sausage to the rest of the sauce on a later night and it was delicious." —Danielle Centoni

Classic tomato sauce in a pot along side a bowl of pasta with sauce
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes in puree

  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, more to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for classic tomato sauce gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan, like this one from Amazon, over medium heat. Add 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups), and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Add 2 medium cloves minced garlic and cook until just fragrant.

    Chopped onion and garlic cooking in a saucepan with olive oil

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Add 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes in puree tomatoes, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, and 1 pinch red pepper flakes, if using. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

    Crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and dried herbs cooking in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if desired.

    Thickened and cooking tomato sauce in a pot with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Serve with your favorite pasta, and enjoy.

    Spaghetti with classic tomato sauce and a sprinkle of herbs on a white plate

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Skip it—Leave the tomato paste out for a thinner sauce.
  • Lighten up—Cut back on the garlic and herbs for a lighter flavor to highlight another ingredient. 
  • Switch it up—Add more seasoning or use fresh herbs if you like. Half a tablespoon of Italian seasoning can replace the oregano and basil. Use 1 tablespoon each of fresh oregano and basil instead of the dried herbs; add them during the last 10 minutes of cooking for the best flavor.
  • Tasty add-ins—Chopped sweet peppers can be sautéed with the onion and garlic. Use a single bell pepper or a few mini sweet peppers. Try adding a handful of frozen peas to the simmering sauce. Adding ground meat creates a sauce that resembles a classic Tuscan-style meat sauce.
  • Sweeten it up—Cut the tomato's acidity with about 2 teaspoons of sugar (or to taste). This sweeter tomato sauce recipe also includes chopped carrots.
  • Simplify—For a basic marinara sauce, you'll add more vegetables and water with one can of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano is best).

How to Store and Freeze

Leftover sauce can be stored alone or with pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used within 5 days. In a freezer-safe container, it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Helpful Links

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
141 Calories
6g Fat
22g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 141
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 7%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 507mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 23mg 114%
Calcium 89mg 7%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 748mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Article Sources
The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food Data Central: Branded Tomato Pasta Sauce. Published April 1, 2019.