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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!
Featured with this recipe
- Ingredients in Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- What Tomatoes are Best for Spaghetti Sauce?
- Additions to this Sauce
- Soy Sauce in Spaghetti Sauce?
- More Garden Fresh Ingredients
- Roasting Fresh Tomatoes
- No Fresh Tomatoes? No Problem!
- Low and Slow for Thick Sauce
- Freeze for Later
- Frequently Asked Questions about Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- More Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipes
- How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes Recipe
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce is savory, fresh and beats the canned stuff from the pantry any day! I’ve been making my own spaghetti sauce 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!
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.
- Olive oil – two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or whatever you have on hand.
- 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!
- Garlic – six large cloves
- Fresh basil leaves – Garden grown, or you can find fresh basil leaves in the produce section of your grocery store. Dried basil works in a pinch, just use half the amount.
- Oregano – dried or fresh, finely chopped
- Brown sugar – just a couple of tablespoons adds much needed sweetness to the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
What Tomatoes are Best for Spaghetti Sauce?
When making spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes, 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. 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!
Additions to this Sauce
Once you have a sauce simmering on the stove, you can add all kinds of meat to create a luscious meat sauce. Here are some ideas:
- Meatballs
- Beef Short Ribs
- Chicken
- Ground turkey
- Ground beef
- Italian sausage
Soy Sauce in Spaghetti Sauce?
You may notice that soy sauce is a key ingredient in this recipe. Trust me on this. Adding soy sauce to chopped 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!
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
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.
Freeze 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 about Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
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.
Yes, you can make much more sauce for what you can buy bottled sauce for. A 24-ounce jar of name brand marinara sauce costs $3.69 or 15 cents per ounce.
Add garlic and onions, simmer in olive oil, then add the rest of the ingredients. And of course, let it simmer as long as you can, so the ingredients blend together beautifully.
READ MORE: Easy Ground Beef Recipes
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.
How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
Video
Ingredients
- 12-14 tomatoes (fresh, garden tomatoes work best- appx. 6-8 lbs. You can also use two 28oz. cans of San Marzano tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms fresh, chopped
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (see notes above)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 10-12 basil leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place tomatoes a few at a time in the water and remove after 10-15 seconds.
- Immediately place tomatoes in an ice-water bath and remove skins and stems. Cut tomatoes into fourths and place in a food processor or blender.
- Process tomatoes a few times, you want them to be the consistency of crushed tomatoes (don’t over process). Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté until they become soft and transparent.
- Add mushrooms and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce and garlic and continue to cook until mushrooms become soft.
- Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally for at least one hour. The longer the better! Ideally 2+ hours.
- Serve over cooked pasta.
Notes
- 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.
- You may notice that soy sauce is a key ingredient in this recipe. Trust me on this. Adding soy sauce to chopped 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!
- If you like a “chunky” homemade garden spaghetti sauce, just chop up any veggies you like and stir them in while sautéing the onions.
I haven’t made my own spaghetti sauce in years. When I bought a box of tomatoes from Costco that didn’t meet my slice/eat standards I found your recipe. I had forgotten the difference in taste of a scratch sauce verses bottled. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes!! I have never posted a comment before for recipes I have found online but felt the need to say thanks:)
So glad you loved this recipe!
I made this sauce. It was so simple and very tasty.
I did add about 1 TBsp. of Fennel seed while it was cooking down, and 1 TBsp. of homemade brown sugar.
I will be using this one for all my to go favorites.
Hello, I’m very excited to try this recipe. I’m planning on making it tomorrow with 4 28oz cans of DOP Marzano tomatoes. Do you think 1lb of ground Italian sausage and 2lbs of ground beef would be a good amount of meat for the sauce? My man doesn’t like sweet, so I’m planning to substitute some red wine for the sugar. Fingers crossed. I also have a little tomato paste left over from a previous recipe. Sometimes I get a lot of ideas in my head but don’t want to do too much and ruin the recipe. Do you think it would be good to add some? Or omit? Thanks!
Yes, you can totally use 1 lb go Italian sausage and 2 lbs of ground beef. It will be very meaty but delicious! Also red wine is a great substitute for sugar. Add it when you are cooking the beef and before you add the tomatoes. Tomato paste I would just add a little at a time for thickening. Hope this all helps!
My auntie was Italian (Reggio Calabria) and she never put sugar in her sauce. My mum lived in Ostuni for quite a while, and no one there put sugar in their sauces, either, brown or any other kind. Around 1/2 a cup of wine did the job: Sangiovese, Chianti or Merlot in the cooler months; Verdicchio or Sauvignon blanc for warmer times.
As it heats, the acidity in wine will break down to let the sugars of the alcohol take over, and in turn soften the acidity of the tomatoes, while adding tons of umami. You get the same effect with Coq au Vin or Boeuf Burgundie.
Just made this recipe tonight for my family. My kids, who are usually picky, said it was the best spaghetti sauce they’ve ever had! We food processed all vegetables, onion, and garlic so they wouldn’t get suspicious and it turned out perfect! You can really play with it and add in additional ingredients. We added in some bell pepper tonight. Will certainly make again!
Ok. So I’ve never made homemade spaghetti sauce before, although I have eaten a few meals with it. This stuff…. magic. Easy as heck and tastes out of this world. Will be my go to for sauce recipe, forever. BTW, no need to alter this in ANY way people. Stick with the program. You won’t be disappointed. I promise.
Love the versatility of this recipe for incorporating fresh veggies from the garden. I made the following changes: add 1/2 cup wine to the sautéed onions and garlic, and reduce down before adding tomatoes, chopped sweet red peppers, grated carrot, zucchini, and 1/2 – 1 cup fresh chopped parsley. I substituted 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon for the tablespoon of salt. My family thought this was pure heaven!
I made this with 12 Early Girl tomatoes. I roasted the tomatoes per the note above. I added no extra vegetables. I used an immersion blender in the pot and made it smooth. It is amazing!
I am wondering this: what becomes of the seeds with preparing the tomatoes in water? Thanks!
They get blended up in the blender!
For the firstvtime ee I harvested my garden tomatoes and made this recipe. It is far better than bottled or canned sauce.
Recipe looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it. Is there a way to do it without the mushrooms? Would I just pass that entire step? Thank you!
Yes you can just omit the mushrooms!
I didn’t add mushroom. I didn’t add anything but the tomatoes, and it is amazing.
Best I’ve ever eaten! I picked 10 lbs of various tomatoes from our work garden. Peeling is a chore but the outcome is well worth the effort. Used sweet onions and Baby Bella mushrooms.
A great tasting spaghetti sauce!! I always enjoy being able to use my fresh herbs from the garden or farmers market.
This is an easy recipe to make and wonderful tastes!!
I want to try this but I noticed you have this recipe and another one that is a much larger quantity that you mention your Uncle Larry. That one has tomato paste and this one doesn’t, but this one looks much easier as it doesn’t make as much.
This spaghetti sauce tastes amazing! Can it be preserved using the water bath canning method?
I’ve tried many, but this is the best ever!
This was delicious! I roasted the tomatoes and blended it all again after simmering so there weren’t onion chunks and we all loved it! I have two jars in the freezer and plan to make more wi tv the plethora of tomatoes my one plant is producing!
Do you think you could simmer in crockpot instead of all day on the stove?
I LOVE this recipe. Many many thanks. I would like help when it comes to your basil and oregano ingredients. What would be an equal amount of dried basil and oregano? Thanks for the help.
If you are using dried, use 2 teaspoons of each!
How many servings is this?
6 servings!
I wonder if you have to remove the seeds after cutting the tomatoes into quarters, or do you add them to the sauce?
We don’t usually remove the seeds.
The recipe turned out great, despite some inconsistencies. Prep time, including gathering the 8+ pounds of the tomatoes, filling a large pot with water and boiling it, and a separate pot for an ice water bath, AND the peeling of the tomatoes thereafter, including removing the stems, took way way more than the stated prep time of 15 minutes. Are the cloves of garlic to be used WHOLE or cut up? I used a combination of tomatoes from my bumper crop: large tomatoes beefsteak (Kellogg’s Breakfast, etc.) as well as cherry tomatoes (Matt’s Wild Cherry, SunSugar, etc.). Are the mushrooms ok to be shredded instead of chopped? I cooked the mixture for about two hours and the result was still a great spaghetti sauce. I would appreciate a response to my comments.
I responded to your earlier comment about the garlic. The mushrooms are find to be shredded. Thanks for making our recipe!
Very, Very delicious. However, Prep Time is shown as 15 minutes: NO way. It was much, much longer. Plus, there is an inconsistency in the recipe: on the printed version, the recipe calls for FOUR tablespoons of olive oil and in another place Two tablespoons. I used 8 1/2 pounds of both full-size beefsteak tomatoes and patio tomatoes. I also chopped the onions in a Cuisinart food processor. As for the mushrooms, I think I should have chopped them by hand, rather than place them in the Cuisinart, since they came out shredded rather than chunky. As for the garlic, I put into the mix twelve garlic cloves, whole; did you want us to crush them first?
The bottom line is the taste of the sauce: delicious. I gave the recipe four stars instead of five because the prep time as stated earlier was nowhere near accurate.
If you crush the garlic before you add it, it will release more flavor!
I was going to go by weight.
What is the weight of tomatoes use when you double it.
The weight says the same for
1x, 2x & 3x. Thank you.
It is just double – so 50 lbs.
A wonderful way to use fresh tomatoes. We made a fabulous chicken cacciatore with it. I used half the amount of brown sugar because we are cutting carbs and it tasted wonderful. Thank you for this great recipe.
AWESOME SAUCE!
Quick question- could I can this recipe with a pressure canner? The temperature should be warm enough to make the sauce shelf stable, right?
I did make 11 quarts of the canned recipe you mentioned in the comments, but we liked this one better.
We haven’t testing this recipe for safe canning, so I can’t recommend it.
12 – 14 tomatoes is 8 – 10 pounds? What the heck tomatoes are you using? I just weighed 2 Roma tomatoes – 1/2 lb . So 10 lbs would need 20 tomatoes – assuming all a good size.
I’ve made chutney, salsa, etc over many years. This # tomatoes/ weight is wrong – unless you are using huge beefsteak tomatoes!
That is why we put the amount in weight because it all depends on what kind of tomatoes you are using.
Can this recipe be canned using a water bath canner?
We have not tested this recipe for canning. You can freeze it! If you want a canned spaghetti sauce recipe with fresh tomatoes try this one: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/canned-spaghetti-sauce/
So good, I bookmarked it. The soy sauce was a surprise ingredient, it added a umami flavor that I absolutely loved. I made a huge pot of sauce and my family loved it. Thank you!
How much basil and oregano do I use in the sauce
As listed in the recipe, it is 10-12 basil leaves and 1 tablespoon of oregano.
Wonderful and easy!
Should I simmer covered or uncovered?
We usually simmer it uncovered. If it is getting too thick, you can cover it.
Delicious! Thick and flavorful!
I made a small batch with regular tomatoes from the farmers market that needed to be used up, small onions from farmers market, and homegrown green pepper, basil and oregano. No mushrooms (none on hand) but I added soya sauce. I did not remove the tomato skins. Restaurant quality. Delicious. Served on farfalle. My tummy thanks you.
Does this recipe used fresh oregano or dried oregano? It says finely chopped but the link goes to dried oregano. Also, I REALLY appreciate the recipe adjustments for 1X, 2X, etc. For some reason, though, the 2X recipes uses the same weight of tomatoes as a single batch. Both say 8-10 pounds.
You can use dried or fresh! And for the 2x recipe it would be 16-20 lbs of tomatoes. The recipe card doesn’t double it automatically because it isn’t an exact amount. Hope this helps!
First time It was simmering and I tasted a spoon full and bama good. Could not wait to get this on some spaghetti.
Absolutely incredible sauce, this is my 2nd time making it; using fresh tomatoes and herbs and mushroom, I added in green pepper this time, it’s simmering now and by the time we eat dinner it will have simmered for over 3 hours, my house smells like Italy and I love it!!! Thank you for this recipe!! My kids like to help with the tomato process so that’s a plus too! 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
Thank you, Jessie! We are so happy you love this recipe as much as we do! Way to get the kids to help – love it! 😉
This recipe is SO good but i used over 50 tomatoes … some Roma some bigger ones and i didn’t get enough for my family dinner of six . But the flavor is outstanding!! Just need a LOT more tomatoes!!
great tasting sauce . my sauce turned out a bit chunkier than my wife likes but she soldiered through :). I am embarrassed to say how long the “prep” time took .I think 15 minutes is impossible . but I am constantly cleaning as I progress . Would love to hear any suggestions on beating 3.5 hours . I did roast the tomatoes.
Everyone works at their own pace in the kitchen!
Dan, I totally agree with you. I, too, made this recipe following the directions as stated. No way is prep time 15 minutes. For me, it was approximately two hours before I got all the ingredients into the large skillet to cook.
Wow – I was skeptical of the five star reviews but this is damn good. I think the key is fresh tomatoes. Made recipe as listed but did not use oregano (just not a fan) and added some fresh rosemary. The recommendations to let it cook down are right but we ate if after about 90 minutes of simmering. Grilled Conecuh sausage separately and served with sauce on spaghetti. Wife who is not a big tomato person said best sauce she has ever tasted…
This was my first time making pasta sauce, and it is so awesome! I have been growing Roma tomatoes specifically to try making pasta sauce for the first time. I also had basil and green peppers from my garden to add to the sauce. Next year I will grow onions and oregano to make it all come from the garden. But this was such a good use for my tomatoes. I also add a 1lb of ground turkey and pair with my favorite Merlot.
I forgot to buy mushrooms, so I made it without. Still crazy good! I roasted the tomatoes as suggested in the notes. Will do the same next time. Didn’t seem like any extra effort.
OMG!!! Had a bounty of fresh tomatoes from the garden and my first time making spaghetti sauce and boy is this delicious 😋. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing.
Can plum/Roma tomatoes be used?
Yes!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times, both with homegrown tomatoes and canned San Marzano tomatoes and it is *phenomenal*. Thank you for the tip on the mushrooms — I’ve been doing that ever since I made the first batch, and you’re absolutely right, it adds a definite ‘oomph’ to the umami of the ‘shrooms. Great way to use my garden herbs, too, and it freezes wonderfully. Nothing like enjoying summer tomato freshness in the middle of December!
Thank you for sharing!
Hey!! I left a comment a little earlier. Said the sauce was so thin. However, letting it cook longer to evaporate the juice from the tomatoes worked perfectly!! Love it! 55 years old and for the first time used some salad tomatoes that were getting soft for fresh sauce. Brilliant!!
Thank you for this simple base recipe!! #EAHWP
Love this
Any thoughts on adding meat?? if so, how and when? 🙂
Yes! Ground beef or sliced Italian sausage are some of our favorites. We cook it in a separate pan and add it right before serving.
I made this using fresh tomatoes during the summer but now we are into winter I must use canned tomatoes. My conversion chart indicates 1 pd of tomatoes = 14.5 oz diced canned tomatoes. Since I want to make the max of 10 lbs of fresh tomatoes, this would be 5 – 28oz cans of diced tomatoes. Is this correct? I question this because the recipe indicates it is for 6 servings which does not seem right.
We love this recipe! If you want a tasty sauce this is it. I believe the soy sauce is the secret ingredient. I do add an 1/8 tsp ground fennel. My husband suffers from acute pancreatitis and this doesn’t cause a flair up. I do cook the sauce longer then the recipe calls for. I simmer about an hour covered so tomatoes break down, then about 2 hours uncovered.
Flavor is great! As a first timer, easy to make..
This is the best spaghetti sauce recipe I have made and I was really happy to find a “big batch” recipe.
The only things I did a bit differently were to add 2 additional 12 oz cans of tomato paste (total of 24 oz), simmered for about 6 hours to get to my desired thickness, and I asded 2 packets of dry IGA brand spaghetti sauce seasoning just because I had gotten it for free and needed to use it so I threw it in.
Other than that I made it as is and it turned our perfect! Thank you!!
this is a great recipe. i love it just as is,,,,i didnt add anything else to it,,,love it thanks so much
This sauce was amazing! Very flavorful. I grow my own tomatoes and had a bumper crop this year. I have never made my own pasta sauce though. This was very easy to make. I just used a mix of different tomatoes (Rio Grande paste, Early Girl, Brandywine, Mountain Fresh and even a Yellow Boy). I followed the recipe to a “T” except for the garlic. I used garlic powder. Let it cook down for about 4 hours. My husband was blown away. I am going to make the puree and freeze it so I can do fresh sauce all winter. No idea how I will ever eat grocery store jarred sauce again. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
I made the sauce. Not much taste if u ask me. So no soy sauce added. Just 1 tsp of reg sugar. If you truly want Italian sauce add your spices at the very end. Also throw in a carrot peeled pull it out at the end. Absorbs the acids. Also add some parm cheese rind pull that out too when it’s done. Adds a Amazing flavor. Just something to try or think about. Thanks for the recipe.
Can this recipe be canned? I was worried about mushrooms. I use water bath.
This recipe has not been tested for canning but you can freeze it! 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. 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.
I would say yes. I water bath my pickles with onions, mushrooms, and peppers and they can very well
Ca this be frozen?
Absolutely!
This was my first time making this and its absolutely delicious
Having been raised by an Italian Mom and my Nana we always made pasta sauce from scratch. The best tomato to use (I’m growing then now) are San Marzana Tomatoes, 2nd best are Roma tomatoes. My wife and I make spaghetti alla Puttanesca (a dish to die for) the recipe calls for anchovies, capers, kalamata olives, garlic and tomatoes. You can look up the meaning, recipe and history of this authentic sauce. It takes as long as it takes to cook the pasta. I also make my own pastas, breads and so on. Never used soy sauce in my sauce or had to use sugar.
This is all great information! Thank you for sharing with us. I am sure your bread and sauce is amazing!!
First time making Spaghetti Sauce using my homegrown tomatoes. My husband said it was the best sauce he ever ate and that we will no longer purchase store bought Spaghetti Sauce, and he meant it. Guess I better get to making more and freezing it. Thank you for a great recipe.
Wow! That is impressive! Way to go!! This homemade spaghetti sauce is so easy to make. Glad that you all loved it!
I made this with the suggested ‘roasting’ in the oven for the tomatoes. The recipe was way too sweet for husband and I so I’ll make it again w/o the sugar. I cooked it for 5 hours
Am trying this now with the roasted tomato option. Am wondering if I should cover the pot or not while it simmers. I’m using a cast iron pot.
Leave the pot uncovered. Hope you enjoy the sauce!
I love this recipe. I wanted to share a way to do mushrooms that also truly takes them to another level.
Dry cook them first. I truly mean throw them in a pan sliced your desired way completely dry. My friend learned this in Italy and it has taken every mushroom recipe I make now to an out of this world level. The texture and flavor I can’t put into words. When I make them people can’t keep their hands outa my pan so I tend to make extra. Add your soy sauce once cooked to draw out even more flavor or a little garlic salt. Add your sautéed onions separately to the sauce.
If you have never cooked mushrooms this way give it a shot. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Definitely will do it that way. Thank you
Real italians would never use sugar or soy sauce. Even mushrooms and onion are a matter of taste. When I make sauce (or gravy) I make it the italian way and people love it.
Soy sauce is just a different way of adding salt. Onions and basil provide sweetness, but there is nothing wrong with adding an extra pinch of sugar if needed. Mushrooms are internal of course, but add a lot of flavor.
My sister in law makes sauce “the Italian way” like her Italian grandmother. It is very simple, with almost nothing in it. She cooks it all day. It comes out perfectly smooth, with no texture or taste. There are no onions or visible herbs. I assume she adds garlic. But it is so bland.
Yet everyone raves about it! Why? Because it tastes amazing? No. They rave because they are expected to love what supposedly is “Grandma’s real Italian gravy”.
Who said this was supposed to be “Real Italian” It is one person’s recipe and you can like it or not. She calls it “Homemade Spaghetti Sauce.” Publish your own recipies. This was a great sauce as is.
With all respect, I don’t think anyone particularly cares what so-called ‘real Italians’ would or would not use. If you don’t approve of the recipe, don’t use it, but I really hate it when people just post on sites without having tried the recipe in any way and have nothing constructive to add.
From my perspective as a Southerner, I find it utterly ridiculous that people call spaghetti sauce ‘gravy’, anyway.
OMG this is FANTASTIC ! My husband loved loved loved this recipe. He said and I agree best spaghetti sauce EVER ! This is my “wanna impress our friends who come for dinner recipe” and by the way that would be tomorrow, lol.
Saw some nice Roma maters on sale and mine are slowly coming in so what the ****- let’s make some sauce. I used forty or so leaves of fresh Basil from the back deck and double the recommendation of Oregano, also fresh picked. No mushrooms for us, diced three huge white onions finely and the flavor is amazing. I used an immersion blender. The sauce is thin but has boatloads of flavor. I’ll use this recipe after my garden harvest of Romas is done.
Awesome sauce! Love it!
Just made this recipe tonight. I do not like mushrooms so I used green peppers. The taste is great. The next time I make this recipe I will reduce the amount of salt a little, this of course, is my preference.
Love, love, love this sauce! My family is spoiled now because they do not want the jar kind anymore!
I thrown tomatoes in a ziplock bag into the freezer. when frozen drop in hot water for about 10 seconds and the skin comes right off. Then thaw in bowl, core and boil seeds and all.
Why does everyone peel and deseed tomatoes that is where the excellent taste of tomatoes is incased in….to me that is like skining and deboneing a chicken
Not me I like all that stuff
I have a ton of small romas. Have you ever tried not blanching and peeling them? Seems like a ton of work for the smaller tomatoes but I’d love to try this recipe.
I haven’t tried that specifically, but let us know how it goes if you try it!
Tried recipes using 2 tbsp of brown sugar, we find it too sweet. Is there a way to fix it please.
If you don’t like it as sweet, you can leave out the sugar!
We find lemon juice enhances the tomatoes. Alternatively, a bit of balsamic vinegar.
I pick my tomatoes, wash and cut each end off, then dry them off and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze a few hours or overnight. Take them out and thaw. They will be soft. Put tomatoes in a food mill and squish them thru it. They will have no skins nor seeds. Make what you want out of the fresh sauce. This takes planning ahead but at least you don’t have to blanch and peel them and as an added feature… no seeds.
I haven’t made this yet but definitely will–such rave reviews! I’m wondering if this would freeze well. I have lots of tomatoes (hooray!) and would like to make several batches but don’t want to can it for a variety of reasons. Freezing would be my preference. Has anybody tried that?
Yes you can freeze it! We have done it before and it works great!
Brilliant xx
This is an amazing sauce. I eliminated mushrooms and soy sauce, but that is just personal preference. We love it and will be making it again!
Oh yum!!! I’ve been simmering this recipe for an hour and a half now and just snuck a taste… this is delicious!!! Made it exactly like the recipe calls for! Will be making a bigger batch for canning!!!
how can this recipe have 1292 mg sodium
The serving size is for a full jar, so that’s why it is a little higher. It isn’t just one individual serving.
I will never buy spaghetti sauce again! This recipe is a winner! The sauce is so tasty and I love that it’s made with fresh tomatoes. Thank you!
So fresh and delicious! I will definitely make this again!
This spaghettie sauce had so much flavor we loved it!! Everyone loved the sauce, it was the star of the dinner!!
Made a batch earlier in the week and making my second today. Absolutely delicious. I made it was roasted fresh tomatoes from the garden. Great because very little sugar is needed and my hubby is diabetic. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your comment and 5-star rating! I’m so happy you like this recipe!
I’m making sauce today and want to roast the tomatoes. Did you peel tomatoes before roasting?
Made this yesterday with our garden tomatoes. It is wonderful. I can never leave a recipe allow so I did make a few changes. I roasted the tomatoes as some suggested but did it on the bbq since our temp today is 110 so don’t need the oven on. Also added extra mushrooms since I had them and love mushrooms, added one can tomato paste for my doubled recipe. Best sauce I’ve ever had. Meat not needed. We froze extra in ziplock bags rather than canned the sauce. Hope we have more tomatoes for this season so I can make more.
Made this with roasted Cherokee Purples and volunteer Kamuela (I live in Hawaii) tomatoes, and I have never tasted a better tomato pasta sauce in my life! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Liz I’m in Michigan and my husband grows an over abundance of tomatoes every year. This is the first year he grew Cherokee purples while they grew they grew terribly! Every single one was severely cracked and split even though the tops were still green. What we managed to salvage which wasn’t much but were very tasty. Any suggestions on what he can do to make them better for next season?
I haven’t grown Cherokee purple tomatoes, but from what I know about them, the tops are supposed to be green. Most people pick theirs when the tomato is half green and let them ripen the rest of the way on the counter to prevent splitting. I hope this helps!
Don’t be afraid of that soy sauce addition…it’s delicious
I made this homemade spaghetti sauce and it was absolutely delicious. Taste way better than the jar spaghetti sauce. The directions was easy to follow. I roasted my tomatoes first.
I definitely want to try the roasted tomato next time
Do you have to saute green peppers and onion first? Can.t they
simmer with the tomatoes raw?
I think sautéing them brings out the flavors more, but you could just put them in with the sauce too.
Hi Vicky, I pureed my green pepper and onion instead of sauteing.
This recipe, and the tip on roasting the tomatoes first, led to the most delicious sauce that I have ever tasted! This was my first attempt at spaghetti sauce from scratch. Thx so much!
I made this sauce with some Roma tomatoes I froze whole this summer. It was awesome. My husband lived it.
I made this sauce tonight. It tastes great. I let it simmer down for about 4 hours. Nice thick consistency. Can’t wait to have it over pasta tomorrow.
Lovely recipe as it is. Second time around, I halved the sugar, added finely chopped carrots and celery, and cooked and chopped some hot Italian sausage with a bit of dried fennel seed, but only added the meat to half of the sauce, to please different tastes. But, the basic sauce is genius. Freezing it in small batches for later use as well.
I’d like to add some sausage also. Do you just use it as a spaghetti sauce that way over pasta? Or make lasagna? Trying to figure out what to do with it after I make it!
This was my first time attempting to make fresh tomato sauce. I followed the recipe, except I omitted the mushrooms and had to take out the seeds because of a medical issue, and used less brown sugar. I also added tomato paste to thicken the sauce. It was delicious, my husband loved it. In fact I’m back to making another batch for my lasagna. After tweaking to my taste this sauce is the bomb!
Love the recipes Thanks
Can you use canned tomatoes for this recipe?
Sure!
It had great consistency and texture, but way too sweet. I will make again, but without brown sugar.
I made this exactly as per the recipe. It was delicious but too sweet. I would start with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and add to taste next time.
This is a superb spaghetti sauce, I was surprised it was so satisfying without meat. The mushrooms are a perfect toothsome substitute for sausage or beef. You can add vegetables, herbs and spices according to what’s in your cabinet or garden to build on this terrific sauce!
How do I roast my tomatoes in oven
Has anyone tried adding red wine to Sauce, and if so, how much?
I always add red wine to my sauce whenever I make it. I usually do about 1/4 cup or so, the sauce will be more liquidity initially, I add a couple TBLS of tomato paste and simmer mine for 4-6 hours and it comes out just the way we like our sauce. Not too liquidity and not too thick.
By the way, this is the best and most perfect sauce recipe I have found!!!
So go ahead and add that wine😉
What kind of wine?Red chianti?New to making sauce I want it to come out great.
What kind of red wine brand if poss.
Do you remove the seeds first?
We usually just leave them in!
Let me say first…I’m a meat-a-holic. I see a recipe or dish and wonder “why would you eat that? There’s no meat. ”
So. I made this sauce as directed but cut in half to accommodate the fresh tomatoes I had.
As I was frying the hamburger, I tasted the sauce. OMG. Should I add the burger? So I spooned up a bit of sauce and a bit of burger. Nope!
Don’t do it! If you want Prego, get Prego; add meat. Save yourself a couple of hours.
BUT…if you want something truly delicious…just follow this recipe as written!
Can you can this recipe?
This particular recipe for canned spaghetti sauce hasn’t been “officially” tested for water-bath canning. However, after MUCH research, we’ve found that if you add lemon juice to the jars this recipe is acidic enough for canning. Tomatoes are in the “gray area” of having enough acidity, so they might be just fine on their own. But adding a bit of lemon juice ensures their acidity. If you’re still worried, you can pressure can them or add more lemon juice or red wine vinegar.
I made this with fresh tomatoes from my mom’s garden and added a pound of spicy Italian sausage (fairly lean). I fried off the sausage (casings removed) with about 2 tbsp butter, and added the onions to that to cook down. With the fat from the sausage and the butter, I omitted the oil. After that, I followed the recipe as written. Delicious! Note that I’m in Canada, and meat is generally significantly lower fat than in the US, so mileage may vary.
Could the simmering be done in a crock pot?
Sure!
This is a really deeply flavorful sauce without being oily. I got a little carried away adding some red pepper flakes so it was a little more on the arrabiata side. SO GOOD. (And my house smells so good, too.)
Can you add meat to this recipe?
Be really careful when adding or omitting ingredients to a canning recipe. You are usually fine adding spices but when it comes to adding more produce, meat or anything else it could throw off the acidity levels, thus making unsafe for canning.
This was my first even making my own sauce from scratch. I had more tomatoes than I could deal with from my garden (not complaining!) I didn’t weigh or measure the amount of tomatoes, and I didn’t have soy sauce. I added garlic salt to taste.
I LOVE the taste and so did my spouse! It made enough for a large pot of spaghetti. I simmered for 2 hours like recommended.
Thank you for helping make dinner a little extra special. I will definitely be using this recipe again. 🙂
Just wonderful.
Never comment on any recipes before. But this is so good!!
I had tons of cherry tomatoes on hand, so was using that in combinations with some canned tomatoes I had to use. Add 2 lemon juice (the cherry tomatoes too sweet). Roast the tomatoes, then blend, and cooked for 2 hours+. Best thing I ever made.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for the kind comment!
This is simply superb. Have prepared this recipe twice. I added beans, carrots, capsicum, celery and pak choi stalks. Also put in some chilli flakes. Thanks so much for sharing. My husband loves it when I prepare pasta using this sauce. Also I can give this to my 1 yr old happily.
Best sauce I’ve ever had! I liked the tomatoes blended more. So good!
Thank you for the 5-stars and for your comment! So happy you liked the spaghetti sauce!
I planted a vegetable garden. My beefsteak tomatoes are overpopulating lol. I had so many I had to think of something to make. I found this recipe, and I’ve never made homemade sauce. This was so good! Even my picky 8 yr old ate it. I will make again for sure.
Absolutely amazing! This sauce is delicious. I’m so happy for this recipe. My neighbor gave me 9 tomatoes from his garden and I tried to figure out what to do with them. I followed every step of this recipe and it was so worth it. Thank you for the written and visual instructions!
I just wanted to comment and say THANK YOU. I made this with 8 pounds of our homegrown tomatoes (a combination of Better Boy, Celebrity and a couple of kinds of cherry tomatoes), one of our homegrown green bell peppers and our own fresh basil and oregano and it was hands down the absolute best spaghetti sauce we’ve ever had. (As my dad’s family would say, ‘one of the best things we’ve ever stuck a tooth in’. 🙂 )
I didn’t roast the tomatoes, just did the hot water bath and slipped them out of the skins, then pulsed them a few times in my blender. I was a little worried when I saw all the juice, but I cooked it down slowly for 2 1/2 hours and the texture was absolutely perfect.
I served it over fresh angel hair and lightly seared chicken thighs, but even though the thighs were good, I really wish I’d just done the sauce — it would have been beautiful just on its own, no meat at all.
Thank you, thank you, for a terrific recipe!
I’m so happy your family loved this recipe as much as we do! It is truly the best spaghetti sauce EVER! Thank you for leaving a comment!
Did you skin the cherry tomatoes as well?
Way after the fact, but yes, I did remove the skins, though I didn’t remove the seeds. I hadn’t planned on using them in the first place, but I didn’t quite have enough of everything else and I did have cherries that we couldn’t use up quickly enough. It took a while, but it worked!
I love this recipe! I’m not much of a fan of mushrooms so left those out. My favorite ingredient was the soy sauce; it really elevated the flavor of the tomato sauce. I also added about a quarter cup of Pinot noir and a dash of balsamic vinegar and it turned out great. Definitely making again.
That sounds amazing!!
When do I add the ground beef to recipe? Didn’t know if it should simmer with sauce the 2+ hours. Thanks
I would add the ground beef right after you saute the onions and brown it before the next step! Hope this helps!
When did you put the garlic cloves in? You have them listened in the “ingredient” section but neglected to include them in the directions?
The garlic is in step 5 of the directions, after the soy sauce. Hope this helps!
If I make a large batch and put it in canning jars how long will it last
Canned goods will usually last a year on the shelf!
Made recipe exactly as printed except my wife and I love mushrooms so I used a 16oz. package of fresh mushrooms. Awesome taste and great flavors.
Here is a tip my sister shared with me that will keep you making this delicious sauce with homegrown tomatoes all year long. I grow quite a few types of tomatoes so that I have extra to freeze. I just throw whole tomatoes in a gallon freezer baggy (only the stems removed), date them and toss them in the freezer. When it is time to use, throw the frozen tomatoes in a colander and run a little cold water over them. The skins slip off as they thaw. They work great for tomato bisque all winter long as well.
Hi can i use canned mushrooms ? I don’t have fresh mushrooms right now 🙁
Sure!
What to add if I don’t have enough home grown tomatoes, I only had 5-6 lbs but used recipe for 8-10lbs
You can either reduce the recipe, or add some store-bought tomatoes. You could also see if there are any farmer’s markets in your area that have tomatoes available!
Hi again! I’m trying to make this sauce but am having to substitute canned tomatoes and dried spices. How much dried basil should be used? It says 10-12 basil leaves but I have no idea what that breaks down to in regard to dried basil. Should I start off with 1/2 tsp and then check or should it be less than 1/2 tsp to start with? I’m really looking forward to trying your recipe! Are dried mushrooms okay? I have some mushroom powder as well as dried mushrooms. I think they are porcini but will have to double-check.
Two teaspoons of dried basil will work in place of 10-12 fresh basil leaves. Also, dried mushrooms should work great in the sauce. Thank you for asking!
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. I cut them 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 pain (I place parchment paper down first). 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 until the skins start turning color. I can’t remember what temperature I used but I believe between 350 and 400. When the skins are browned, I 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. I find it is easier to remove the skins while they are still pretty warm. 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. You have eliminated the majority of the seeds that way as well as the skin. The roasting concentrates the tomato flavor remarkably. I won’t process my tomatoes for canning any other way after tasting the difference in the final product. If using fresh tomatoes processed this way for this recipe, you may not need to add any sugar…it makes that much of a difference! Roasted Sun Golds are like candy after halving and roasting. I just half those, add chopped onion and garlic, red bell pepper, and some olive oil. Those I roast at about 325 since they are small and the skins are thin. No need to remove seeds or skins…just whiz in the food processor or using a stick blender. You can add whatever spices you want to finish the sauce off…Mexican, Italian, etc. I’m serious about that Sungold sauce…you can eat it by the spoonful after roasting! No meat or spices needed!
Thank you so much for this suggestion, Diana. Since we won’t have garden tomatoes in the fall, I won’t be able to try this myself until then. I added your comment under the “suggestions” section of the post so all of our readers can see it. This sounds so delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
I think you will be shocked at how concentrated the tomato flavors become by roasting them. I certainly was! I originally was looking for a way to use a huge number of Sungolds and stumbled across the recipe for roasting them. It turned out so well that I thought about applying that method to regular tomatoes that I was going to can. My aunt and my mom requested that I can for them this past summer (they’re in their mid-80’s) and I was happy to do it for them. My aunt has not stopped raving about how great the canned tomatoes turned out, especially when used for spaghetti sauce. It is time-consuming and more hands-on, but I believe worth every minute of it, especially in those months when you’re longing for a good tomato taste in the dead of winter…lol! I think you will be very happy with the results! You can always try making a trial run and then make a fresh tomato sauce with that method. Because you roast the tomatoes, you don’t have to spend a long time simmering it later. I’d love to know what you think after you try that method! It made a day and night difference for me.
Hello,
If I want my sauce to be spicier, what’s the best spice for that?
Thank you!
When I want a spicier spaghetti sauce I usually use dried red pepper flakes! That seems to match the spice profile the best.
Such a great recipe! I used fresh tomatoes from my garden and it was a hit. My only suggestion was to remove the brown sugar as they found the sauce a little too sweet. I added cooked ground chicken to the recipe but I have way too much sauce now. How long can I freeze it for?
You can freeze it for 4-6 months! Thanks for the 5-star rating!
What type of tomatoes would you recommend to use with this recipe. I will be trying it but will need to purchase the tomatoes from the store. Any recommendation is appreciated. I was thinking due to the meatiness to use Roma but then to add another variety for a bit more depth. Not sure which would be best.
We’ve found that the best substitute for fresh tomatoes is 2 cans of canned crushed tomatoes.
Thank you! I actually made this recipe yesterday from Roma tomatoes. I found the prep time to be much much longer than what was shown when you include the peeling of the tomatoes, etc. The simmer time is not near long enough, even at 2 hrs. I cooked for 3 hrs yesterday, then placed in fridge overnight and started it up again today. I still thought it was a bit too bland for me and it could be just because the tomatoes may not have been the richest/sweetest ripened as they were purchased from the store. I ended up doctoring it later this afternoon to get it finished. I added some canned paste, used my blender to cream up about 4 ladles of my mixture, then added it back. I then added some canned tomato sauce as well as a splash of Red wine, more spice, 2 chicken bouillon and 1 beef bouillon cubes to flavor a bit deeper. I do appreciate the recipe base and I’m sure I it must have been the tomatoes — I just was not getting the richness I desired.
Having made this recipe with homegrown tomatoes, I’m pretty sure that was the problem. With homegrown tomatoes, it’s beautiful. I can definitely see how canned tomatoes would not work as well, though — there’s not enough juice to be able to let them cook down as long.
If you can get hold of homegrown, though, do try it — it’s worth it.
Can I freeze this? Making it today and have tons of tomatoes from my garden.
Yes! Put 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. 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.
Haven’t made it yet, but I have noticed that you never comment on removing the seeds from the tomatoes. Do you remove the seeds before processing?
Nope, we don’t remove the seeds. We don’t even really notice them. You can remove them if they bother you though!
Delicious!!!
Thank you for giving me the confidence to try spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes. I have always used Prego or made sauce from “scratch” with canned tomatoes and sauce. The tomatoes were so liquidy after processing I thought it would take all day to boil down to a sauce, but less than one hour at high heat worked great. I had 1/2 beef 1/2 Italian sausage in with it. It’s simmering now for dinner tonight!
So glad you took the leap and made it with fresh tomatoes. It makes all the difference, right? Thank you so much for the kind comment and for the 5-stars! What a compliment!
Absolutely Hearty & Delicious!! The tip on adding the soy sauce was brilliant as it brought out the best in the chopped mushrooms. Would highly recommend!!
Thanks Lena! So glad you liked this sauce. I’m so glad you didn’t leave out the soy sauce, it makes such a huge difference!
When simmering sauce, should I put lid on or keep off.
You will want to keep the lid off so it can reduce. With the lid on, it will gather condensation and drip back down into your sauce and it won’t reduce. Hope this helps!
How much sauce do you get from 8-10 lbs of tomatoes? Is that the same amount as 5 jars of store bought spaghetti sauce? (I know this one will taste 100 times better, I’m just trying to compare apples and apples.)
It really depends on how much the sauce is reduced and if you are weighing the tomatoes before or after you are peeling them… you should get close to 3-4 store-bought sized jars with 8-10 lbs. Hope this helps!
Hello! Is the high sodium from the soy sauce? I’m trying to make from scratch as much as possible due to 1 kidney. Thank you.
You can use low-sodium soy sauce if you are concerned. It does raise the sodium levels a bit. Hope this helps!
I made this today from our garden tomatoes. I have tried several recipes before. I was skeptical about a few of the ingredients, but I was so wrong. This was the MOST AWESOME sauce I have ever tasted. I cut the brown sugar in half but didn’t change anything else. Thank you! I will definitely make this again.
Hi Karen- I am so happy to hear you liked this recipe! Thank you for trusting me 😉 Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment, and thank you so much for the 5-stars! 😀
Hello – If I use canned crushed tomatoes do I still simmer for two hours?
Even if using canned tomatoes, I would still simmer as long as you can, just so those delicious flavors have a chance to cook together and combine. Hope this helps!
Super awesome/simple recipe! I’ve made many marinara recipes, and this is by far my family’s fave…Thank you!!
So glad you and your family enjoyed it! We are honored that of all the recipes you have tried, our was your favorite! Thank you! You made my day 🙂
I haven’t made this yet. I was wondering, if I leave out mushrooms should I also leave out the soy sauce?
You can go either way. They purpose of the soy sauce it to enhance the flavor of the mushrooms but it also brings out the flavor in the tomatoes. Totally up to you!
Can I jar this?
Yes, you can pressure can this or if you want to use a water canner you will want to actually use this recipe:
https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/canned-spaghetti-sauce/
This has been tried and tested for canning and is just as delicious!
Can I add meat like sausage and ground beef or will it take away from the original flavor
Meat is a great addition to this sauce! We don’t recommend canning the sauce with meat in it, but you can make it and eat it fresh or freeze it with the meat. Hope this helps!
Why am I using brown sugar?
It helps balance out the flavors and makes it taste more rich. You will love it, I promise!
Hi can I use regular sugar instead of brown sugar?
You can, but we find that the brown sugar gives it a richer taste!
If fresh herbs were are not available, would dried be okay? I searched the grocery stores and no fresh was available anywhere….making this today since I have garden tomatoes that need to be used up before they go bad.
Yes, you can definitely use dried! I only use the fresh herbs because they are readily available. You are fine just using whatever you have on hand. Dried will be great. 😀 Hope this helps!
I would just recommend, if using dried herbs, to use half as much as the “Fresh” amount.
I have a clarifying question before I make this. What is the amount of tomatoes in pounds? This measure is much easier because of variation in size of tomatoes. I know you have 10-12 pounds of tomatoes written, but that can’t be right. I am making tomato sauce right now from 4 lbs of tomatoes and I used about the same amount that you listed.
It really depends on the size of your tomatoes. In the recipe card we have 8-10 lbs of tomatoes. The measurements provided are also the weight pre-peeled. This recipe is extremely forgiving– you can use a variation of tomato amounts and still be totally fine. Hope this helps!
I’ve tried making sauce from fresh tomatoes before and wasn’t impressed. I tried this recipe because I have so many tomatoes. It was delicious. My family loved it also. Definitely keeping this recipe. Thank-you
I’m so glad you and your family love this recipe as much as we do! Thank you for sharing your success!
My local farmer had “pick your own vegetables” day so I stocked up on tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. Trying this recipe was my first attempt at making homemade spaghetti sauce and it turned out perfect! I made a double batch and let It simmer for 8 hours. It was so thick and flavorful. I will never use jarred sauce again! I had it with breaded eggplant and vegan meatballs. Thanks for sharing this recipie!!
So so glad to hear you liked this spaghetti sauce! The best way to use up garden tomatoes IMHO 😉 love your idea of sides, too! That sounds delicious!
Does the texture if the mushrooms change when you freeze?
If you are worried about getting a weird texture, you could always just chop the mushrooms really small. That way you get the flavor without the texture. Hope this helps!
Making this now and it smells amazing! I added beef and roasted red peppers. I also used the entire tomato and blended it raw in the vitamin first. Cut back on tons of time. Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Great idea to use the entire tomato! So glad you liked this recipe, thanks for coming back to let us know!
Delicious! It tastes so fresh. I also had a much longer prep time than 15minutes, but maybe I’m just slow. Nevertheless, I’m definitely making this again!
So glad you liked this recipe Kimberly! Sorry the prep took so long! What part did you find was the most time consuming? Trying to figure out how I can adjust the time to make the prep time more accurate. Thanks for the 5-stars!
Hi hopeing to make this sauce tomorrow,l have plenty of ripe small plumb tomatoes 🍅 do I
Still need to skin them?
Skinning them is totally a personal choice. Skins will soften if you decide to keep them on, I just like them skinless. I have used cherry tomatoes (well, Sun Golds) in this recipe with skins on and it is AMAZING– the skins are so thin you don’t even notice them. If you are fine with cooking the skins, I would say go for it!
This sauce is delicious!
Thank you! 😀 So glad you liked it!
I used this recipe and followed it to a T, ended up with tomatoe soup. It was very time consuming and VERY frustrating to end up with something that went in the garbage. Wasted home grown tomatoes 😡!
Hi Lydia- my guess is that the sauce didn’t reduce enough. You can simmer it as long as you need until it reduces. I am so sad to hear it went in the trash! It probably just needed more time or a little extra tomato paste.
I am assuming the recipe is calling for fresh herbs? Can you use dried herbs in this recipe?
Yes and yes. Fresh or dried herbs will work just fine! You can just add the herbs to taste and you will be totally fine. Hope this helps!
This sounds delicious! Do you mince/chop the garlic cloves or use them whole?
Hi Jen– you will want to mince the garlic. Hope this helps!
Can this sauce be canned
You will want to keep an eye out for acidity levels when canning. However, we actually have a canned spaghetti sauce recipe right here that is just as delicious! https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/canned-spaghetti-sauce/
Excellent sauce! I followed the recipe with a couple of exceptions – I added fried mushrooms and ground beef after the sauce had simmered for a couple hours. I also simmered for about 3 1/2 hours, as it was too thin after even 2 hours. This sauce has great flavor.
So glad you liked it. Definitely the longer you simmer it the thicker (and better) it will be. Glad you kept simmering! Thanks for the 5-stars, Sam!
I just made this and it turned out great. It’s a very nice thick sauce. I didn’t use the soy sauce or mushrooms and I removed the seeds from the tomatoes. It will be perfect for my homemade meatballs! It’s a keeper, thank you!
so glad you liked this recipe, even with the omissions! Adding meatballs will definitely give it that “meaty” taste that makes this sauce so good. Thanks for the 5-stars!
Had to add tomato paste
I was wondering about the seeds…I left them in, there are a LOT! But sauce tastes great
I love this sauce. I tried 2 others that we’re just ok, but this one was perfect for me. I have had a double batch simmering for about 4 hours and will do it tomorrow too. My husband is obsessed with putting wine in sauce and wants to add some. Have you tried that? I’m wary of ruining the perfect mix of flavors.
Hi Emily- so glad you liked this recipe! A little bit of cooking wine won’t hurt at all, you can throw it in with the mushrooms and it will probably be delicious. I wouldn’t overdo it but a few Tbsp. of cooking wine won’t hurt at all. Hope this helps!
I’m trying this recipe today and was hoping you could tell me app. How many cups of fresh tomatoes I’m looking for?, my tomatoes. Are very sizes. Thank yu
An average sized tomato can range anywhere between 3/4 c. and 1 c. IF it were me, I would just round up for sake of ease. So I would say 12-14 cups of tomatoes. Hope this helps!
Thank you for specifying that it’s 12-14 CUPS of tomatoes. I was looking at the recipe thinking there was no way my 12-14 tomatoes were going to equal 8-10 lbs LOL. This was exactly the comment I was looking for to clarify 🙂
Glad it helped! Sorry if it was confusing in the post!
Amazing! I used a mix of Roma’s and celebrities and fresh herbs. Delish! Question: if I do not want it as thick… May I add water? Also has anyone tried canning this yet?
Hi Brittany- I wouldn’t add water, I would just simmer it for less time. It will be pretty watery if you don’t let it simmer as long. Hope this helps!
Just made this recipe it is now simmering, I will simmer at least 5 hours and let you know how it turns out ..rachel
I’m excited to hear how you like it! A 5-hour simmer will be perfect! Yum!
I just got mine put together and it is simmering on the stove. My husband came home for lunch and when he walked in he immediately said how great the house smelled. I plan on letting it simmer for several hours and will probably not have it until tomorrow night (I think sauces always are better the next day)
Oh man, if he thinks it SMELLS good, I can’t wait for him to TASTE it!
This is wonderful sauce! I let my tomatoes drain a bit, similar to what I do for salsa, and used red bell pepper in place of mushrooms. My family is asking for more! I plan to can some to enjoy this winter.
So glad you like this recipe! Great idea adding some red bell pepper. You can definitely add more vegetables to the sauce to bulk it up. We have added carrot before, too, and it is wonderful!
This spaghetti sauce was so good! We had a good crop of tomatoes this year and were looking for other ways to use them. I came across this recipe and gave it a try. Very easy, and we had all the ingredients at home already. I did let it simmer for the 2 hours recommended, and it turned out great!!
So glad you liked it! Simmering it down is key. It makes all the flavors combine beautifully. Thanks so much for the 5-stars!
The whole family loved the recipe! I also added chopped carrots and bell peppers! Amazing, Amazing, amazing! I allowed the sauce to simmer for 1hr 45ish mins and turned out just fine! Thank you so much for sharing! This is the only way I’ll eat spaghetti now…from now on.
Yay!!! I am so glad that you liked this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and for the 5-stars!
Excellent recipe. Hard to believe there’s no beef in the ingredients. My only complaint is that the
15 min. prep time is way off. It took me at least 30 min. to blanch, peel, core and quarter the tomatoes, and I still had to chop the onion, mushrooms and basil. I think a 45 min. prep time is more realistic.
Hi Belle– thank you so much for letting me know how long it took you to do this recipe. I will re-evaluate the time and make some changes. Thanks for the 5-stars! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
You can always add browned ground beef or sausage after the sauce has been made. Keep some separate for vegetarians, though!
Absolutely! That would be delicious!
My family looved it!!
So easy to make and remember Ingrid’s.
I love this recipe!!! It is a keeper! I used fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs from my garden and doubled the recipe. I was so impressed I did it again the next day so I would have plenty to freeze. I let it simmer uncovered for several hours to reduce the liquid. Perfect. My hunt for the perfect sauce is over with.
Thank you so much for this wonderful comment! We are so excited that your hunt for the perfect sauce ended with us! Thank you! 😀
I was thinking of putting it in the crockpot for about 4 hours. On low with lid on. Do you think that would be to long , would it thinkin up that way also.
That should actually work nicely! That’s a great idea!
Do you have to remove the seeds???
I’m doing mine in a crockpot. Question – do you saute the garlic listed in ingredients? Not mentioned in recipe to even add it.
Oops the recipe instructions DO say add garlic to onions sautéing. My bad. Thank you. ,
Loved this great way to use my end of the season tomatoes only problem I had was too much soy sauce ..next time I will add more mushrooms
I made this Sunday and it was so amazing! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thanks for the 5-stars Jennifer! We are so glad you liked it!
Outstanding. I used less salt. So fresh tasting and soy sauce adds depth! Will make often
So glad you liked this spaghetti sauce! Thanks so much for the 5-stars and the nice comment 😀
How much does this recipe make?
It makes about 6-8 servings depending on your serving sizes. Hope this helps!
I’ve been making this for about a year and half now. This has become me and my husband’s favorite meal to make. It’s delicious and better than anything you can get at a restaurant around where we live. Love, love, love l!
I really enjoyed this recipe and will be making it again, I didn’t use brown sugar and I found that half a carrot grated into the sauteed onions adds more than enough sweetness
Great idea! Awesome way to cut out sugar without having to cut out the sweetness. Thank you for sharing!
Can you freeze this sauce
Yes! It freezes great!