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Homemade Tomato Sauce

Plant Based Recipes

Last Updated on January 19, 2023

Homemade tomato sauce is a healthy, easy alternative to bottled sauce and tastes so much better! Rich, garlicky, and versatile, you’ll use this old fashioned tomato sauce recipe every chance you can get.

An assortment of tomatoes used for homemade tomato sauce

homemade tomato sauce

I feel like the tomato is one food I can’t live without. It’s great for salads and sandwiches. But most importantly, heirloom tomato sauce is a crucial ingredient for pizza.

I used to buy bottled red pasta sauce all the time. It was one of the foods that I was afraid of giving up because of how many times I failed at making marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes myself.

I eventually realized the “low and slow” recipes I was seeing everywhere just weren’t working with my fresh tomatoes.

This homemade tomato sauce recipe is inspired by an episode of Cut Throat Kitchen I saw, and it produces amazing sauce every time.

Did you know one cup of the jarred stuff contains half of your average daily sugar intake? Half. I should’ve ditched the bottle sooner. Especially because this old fashioned tomato sauce recipe is so easy and healthy!  

Apple sauce is also so easy to make at home. Or you can check out my list of 20 Things to Make At Home Instead of Buying for more zero waste clean recipes.

photo collage showing the process of roasting tomatoes for homemade red pasta sauce

Look at those tomatoes. Aren’t they beautiful?

why you’ll love this old fashioned tomato sauce recipe

  • Half the sugar of bottled red pasta sauce
  • One batch makes a lot – it will fill a 32 oz mason jar so you have plenty to save for later
  • Just 4 ingredients and a couple of simple spices
  • Can be used with lasagna, pizza, or pasta

heirloom tomato sauce ingredients

  • Roughly 2.5 lbs of tomatoes (I had 1 lb of heirloom, 1 lb of grapevine, and .5 lb of Roma)
  • 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper
  • A pinch of sugar, basil, oregano, and thyme
  • Oil for the bottom of the pan

how to make marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes

step 1: roast tomatoes

First, oil the bottom of your pan. Then, sprinkle your herbs, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper over the oil.

Halve or quarter your tomatoes (depending on size), place them cut side down on the pan, and roast at 400 for 30 minutes. When you pull the tomatoes out, the skins will be charred and loose.

Allow the tomatoes to cool for about 20 minutes, and you can easily remove the skins.

step 2: blend red pasta sauce

Place the skinless tomatoes and all of that delicious juice in a food processor or blender.

Blend until you have a smooth consistency.

Now, enjoy on pasta, lasagna, or pizza!

heirloom tomato sauce on a homemade pizza

faqs

how do you store homemade tomato sauce?

Store this heirloom tomato sauce in an airtight mason jar. You can store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or it also freezes great for longer storage. You can thaw it overnight or in warm water.

Be sure to run your mason jar under room temperature tap water to loosen some frost, then place it in a bowl or pot of increasingly warmer water until fully defrosted.

what kind of tomatoes are best?

I used 4 Romas, 3 grapevines, and 3 heirlooms for my marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes. You can mix and match what you have on hand like I did or use just one type. I think using a mix of tomatoes really helped enhance the flavor of the sauce.

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Homemade Tomato Sauce

tomatoes being prepped for homemade tomato sauce

Homemade tomato sauce is a healthy, easy alternative to bottled sauce and tastes so much better! Rich, garlicky, and versatile, you’ll use this old fashioned tomato sauce recipe every chance you get.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • Roughly 2.5 lbs of tomatoes (I had 1 lb of heirloom, 1 lb of grapevine, and .5 lb of roma)
  • 4 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper
  • A pinch of sugar, basil, oregano, and thyme
  • Oil for the bottom of the pan

Instructions

    1. First oil the bottom of your pan. Then sprinkle your herbs, garlic, sugar, and salt over the oil.
    2. Halve or quarter your tomatoes, depending on their size. Place them cut side down and roast at 400F for 30 minutes.
    3. Allow the tomatoes to cool for 20 minutes, and you can easily remove the skins.
    4. Place the skinless tomatoes and all that delicious juice in a food processor or blender.
    5. Blend until you have a smooth consistency.
    6. Enjoy on pasta, lasagna, or pizza!
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  1. I like this! The one additional tip my Italian-American mom would do is to squeeze out the seeds before roasting.

    If you have excess tomatoes but no time to prep sauce, wash them, mark them with an ‘X’ on the end opposite the stem and place in freezer (use a container to keep them together ; )
    When you need to use a tomato, just pull it out of freezer, defrost/thaw in microwave in dish, then pick off the skin at the crossed end. Easy-peasy!

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