Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

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This Homemade Spaghetti Sauce is rich and hearty, packed with fresh tomatoes and savory spices. One bite and you’ll be hooked!

A bowl of spaghetti topped with spaghetti sauce made from scratch

This homemade spaghetti sauce is savory, fresh and beats the canned stuff from the pantry any day! I’ve been making my own spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes for years now and I love it. It’s so easy to make, and the flavor is so much better than the store-bought kind. I love making this sauce with diced tomatoes from my garden, fresh herbs like fresh basil and fresh parsley. You can’t beat the flavor of homegrown produce in a dish like this one! Switch it up and try this sauce with our Meatball Subs or our Chicken Parmesan Sandwich recipe, it really goes well with everything!

Ingredients in Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

This homemade spaghetti sauce recipe is a staple at our house, and will be at yours too! Top your spaghetti noodles with this fragrant, fresh pasta sauce and your family will love it! Here’s what you need:

Tomatoes – fresh, garden tomatoes work best. I start with about a dozen or so, depending on how large they are. If you can’t find good, fresh tomatoes, you can use a couple of cans of crushed tomatoes.
Onion – One large onion, diced or chopped with a food processor.
Mushrooms – I love using fresh, chopped mushrooms for this marinara sauce. Homegrown vegetables give a nice bulk to this sauce.
Soy sauce – I know it sounds weird, but soy sauce gives the mushrooms a wonderful meaty flavor that can’t be beat! Whenever I make sautéed mushrooms I always add a splash of soy sauce.
Additional Seasonings – garlic, fresh basil and oregano, a little brown sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.

What Tomatoes are Best for Spaghetti Sauce?

Garden tomatoes are the way to go, in my opinion (check out our awesome guide for growing tomatoes, trust me, we have some amazing tips). As far as tomato varieties go, choose tomatoes that have a rich flavor and are less watery. Roma tomatoes, also known as plum tomatoes, are a popular choice because of their meaty texture and fewer seeds. San Marzano tomatoes, often considered the gold standard for sauces, have a sweet, low-acid flesh that adds depth to your sauce. You can get them at the grocery or online for under . Heirloom tomatoes can also be a great choice, offering unique and complex flavors. If you have an abundance of cherry or grape tomatoes, they can contribute a sweet twist to your sauce. Keep in mind that the type of tomato you choose will impact the sauce’s flavor, so consider the balance of sweetness and acidity that you desire and taste as you go!

A bowl of spaghetti with marinara sauce with the pasta twirled around a fork.

Make it a Meat Sauce

Once you have a sauce simmering on the stove, you can add all kinds of meat to create a savory meat sauce. I will often do a mixture of ground beef and ground pork but Italian sausage, ground turkey, ground chicken, beef short ribs, or even meatballs can be added for more protein.

More Garden Fresh Ingredients

If you like a “chunky” homemade garden spaghetti sauce, just chop up any veggies you like and stir them in while sautéing the onions.

Red bell pepper
Green bell pepper
Carrots, shredded or finely chopped.
Red pepper flakes
Zucchini

Soy Sauce in Spaghetti Sauce?

You may notice that soy sauce is a key ingredient in this recipe. All the Italians are dying inside right now but hear me out. Adding soy sauce to sautéed mushrooms is an old trick that a chef in Utah taught me. When you add soy sauce to mushrooms while they are cooking, it gives them a rich, meaty flavor that is unparalleled. I ALWAYS add a splash of soy sauce when I sauté mushrooms. And I promise, it doesn’t make it taste weird or soy sauce-y at all. It just brings out the flavor SO much more. You have GOT to try this trick. It takes the flavor to the next level!

Fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and mushrooms next to a cutting board with an onion and a knife

Roasting Fresh Tomatoes

Another suggestion for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes comes from one of our readers, Diana. She says, “I have a suggestion for those who don’t mind the extra time it might take. I started roasting my fresh tomatoes last year for canning and wow! what a difference that made! The natural sugars come out and it also concentrates the tomato flavor.” Here are her suggestions:

Cut tomatoes in half, remove as much of the seeds/gel as possible into a strainer with a bowl to catch the juices and then place the halves cut side down on a large cookie pan covered with parchment paper.
Even though you remove a lot of the seeds/tomato get before roasting, you will get a lot of liquid from roasting. Save it all and strain it.
Roast the tomatoes at 350-400 degrees until the skins start turning color. When the skins are browned, remove the tray from the oven and drain the liquid into the strainer with the seeds/gel. Let the tomatoes cool somewhat and remove the skin.
You can then add the tomatoes and the strained liquid/gel to the pot and process them the way you would for sauce or canning. The roasting concentrates the tomato flavor remarkably.
Roasted Sun Golds are like candy after halving and roasting. Cut them in half, add chopped onion and garlic, red bell pepper, and some olive oil. Roast at about 325 since they are small and the skins are thin. No need to remove seeds or skins…just blend in the food processor.

No Fresh Tomatoes? No Problem!

Home-grown tomatoes are delicious in this recipe but fresh, garden tomatoes can be hard to come by year-round. Whenever we can’t use fresh tomatoes, we always use DOP San Marzano Tomatoes. They are THE best alternative to homegrown tomatoes. We even use San Marzano tomatoes before resorting to store-bought tomatoes. For this recipe we use two 28oz. cans of tomatoes. We prefer using whole tomatoes as opposed to crushed tomatoes (most DOP tomato brands only come with whole tomatoes) and simply mash them with a potato masher as the sauce cooks down.

Low and Slow for Thick Sauce

To thicken your sauce, slow and steady is your ticket. Last time I made this, I had it simmering for eight hours (uncovered, stirring occasionally). Trust me, the longer you can let it simmer, the better! If you are finding that the water isn’t evaporating as quickly as you would like or it isn’t thickening up how you want it to, there is an easy fix. Just add some tomato paste, about a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the consistency you are looking for. You can also blend chunks of tomatoes in an immersion blender and add to the sauce for extra thickness.

Troubleshooting

Tomato size, type, sweetness, and water content can vary greatly between varieties so you will have the most success with this recipe when you simply go by your personal feel, taste, and preference. Taste as you go and adjust as needed!

Sauce too thin? Allow it to simmer longer or add tomato paste to thicken.

Sauce too thick? Add a little water or broth to thin and then simmer until you reach the thickness you like.

To sweet? If you have super sweet tomatoes you may want to cut back on the sugar to begin with. Start small when adding the sugar and then work up every few minutes as you go. If it still seems too sweet, add another splash of soy sauce to balance it out.

A close up of homemade spaghetti sauce in a skillet with a serving spoon

Freeze for Later

Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes will stay good in the refrigerator for about three to four days. Any longer than that, you may just want to freeze it for later. Make a double batch of this glorious sauce and freeze it in a freezer safe Tupperware-type container, a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag, or a glass jar. If you do go the glass jar route, make sure to leave an inch or two of space at the top of the jar so the sauce doesn’t expand and break the jar. When freezing, make sure to cool the sauce completely in the fridge before freezing. The sauce will stay nice and fresh in the freezer for up to six months. Low on freezer space or prefer to can your sauce? Try our homemade canned spaghetti sauce!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I can this sauce using a water bath or pressure canner?

We actually haven’t tested this sauce for canning so I can’t say for sure. It’s the mushrooms that may make it problematic. For a tried and true tested canned spaghetti sauce recipe, try our Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce (it’s amazing)!

Do I need to peel or remove the seeds from the tomatoes?

I always peel the tomatoes and remove the rough stem area but they don’t need to be seeded. If you prefer to remove the seeds you certainly can.

How much spaghetti sauce does this recipe make?

It really depends on how long the sauce reduces. It can make anywhere between 5 and 7 cups depending on how long it simmers down.

Can I make this spaghetti sauce in a crockpot or slow cooker?

Yes! Just sauté the onions, garlic, and mushrooms first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours. Leave the lid cracked during the last hour to help thicken the sauce.

If adding ground beef or sausage to spaghetti sauce, when should I add it?

Cook the meat along with the onions until browned and cooked through, then continue with the recipe.

Can I use regular sugar instead of brown sugar?

Yes, but the flavor won’t be quite as deep.

Can I add red wine to this sauce?

Yes! If you would like to add a splash of red wine, add it right after sautéing the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes to cook off the alcohol before adding the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. This helps deepen the flavor without overpowering the sauce.

How can I make this spaghetti sauce without adding sugar?

You can add some shredded carrot to the onion when sautéing or add some red wine before adding the tomatoes to add some natural sweetness.

More Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipes

Looking for more delicious pasta sauces you can pair with your spaghetti? Try one of our other homemade savory pasta sauce recipes! If you are looking for more of an authentic Italian tomato sauce, try our Pomodoro sauce recipe (Sugo di Pomodoro). This recipe comes directly from Italy and pairs perfectly with spaghetti. If you have lots of tomatoes and are looking for more long-term storage for your spaghetti sauce, try our homemade canned spaghetti sauce. Then you can enjoy your sauce all-year round! For Ravioli, try our Homemade Ravioli Sauce.