Homemade Pasta Sauce in Under 30 Minutes

Name: Pasta Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 onions (chopped); 2 tbsp olive oil; 8 cloves garlic (minced); 56 oz crushed tomatoes; 6 oz tomato paste; 1/2 tbsp oregano; 1 tbsp basil; 1/2 tsp thyme; Salt & Pepper (to taste)

39 Comments / By Stephanie / December 26, 2019

Instead of buying premade and processed pasta sauce, serve your family something healthier and more delicious in under 30 minutes.

Jump to Recipe

There are so many delicious meals that have pasta sauce in the ingredients list. If you’re like me, that means grabbing a jar at the grocery store and continuing on with your shopping.

Well, that was me, until we started trying to minimize the amount of waste we produce in our home and especially in the kitchen. We are also working on cutting out all unnecessary ingredients such as the extra preservatives in processed food.

To start, I made sure to buy the sauce in a glass jar rather than plastic. That’s better for the environment and our health. My next step in the journey was to find a way to make my own pasta sauce that I could cook in batches and freeze for later. I stumbled across this recipe and decided to give it a try.

If you look at her blog, there are two recipes there. The first is for truly homemade pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes, and the second uses canned tomatoes. I started with the canned option.

Now, I know that means trading one container for another. But the aluminum cans are easier to recycle and are accepted at almost any recycling station. Plus, those have a lot less preservatives in them than the jar of completed pasta sauce.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

One day, when I have plenty of time in the kitchen, I want to try the other recipe using whole tomatoes. But I haven’t gotten that adventurous just yet.

When I made this pasta sauce, I ended up with about 5 cups of sauce. That’s way more than I need for one recipe, so I gave some to my in-laws who used it in baked ziti, I used some to make stuffed shells for our family, and still have some leftovers to freeze for later.

If you are going to freeze the sauce, make sure to leave enough room at the top so the jar doesn’t break. I like to use large glass mason jars for this to avoid the plastic and because they seal well.

Serving Suggestions & Tips

Add other seasonings and additional herbs such as red pepper flakes, fresh basil, minced fresh garlic cloves, fresh parsley, a bay leaf, a little bit of sugar, or a tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
When possible, use fresh herbs instead of dried herbs for more flavor.
Make this a meaty pasta sauce by adding browned ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
Use your homemade pasta sauce recipe in place of homemade tomato sauce, homemade marinara sauce, or homemade spaghetti sauce.
Even though it sounds like a lot, be sure to use at least 8 cloves of garlic and 2 whole onions.
Serve the pasta sauce over any pasta shape and garnish the pasta with Parmesan cheese.
Stir with a wooden spoon. Don’t use a metal spoon because it will react with the acidity of the tomatoes.
This is also a great recipe for a dipping sauce for garlic bread and breadsticks.
To thin out your sauce a bit, add some of the pasta water to the sauce after cooking your favorite pasta.

Pasta Sauce Step by Step

Ingredients

2 onions (chopped)
2 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic (minced)
56 oz crushed tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
1/2 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and black pepper (to taste)

Preparation

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, saute the diced onions in oil until they are soft. This takes about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and heat for another 1-2 minutes.

Diced onions cooked in oil in a saucepan on a wooden surface

Pour in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and all of the seasonings. Bring this to a boil by increasing the heat to high, then reduce to medium-high and let the mixture simmer for about 10-15 minutes minimum.

Tomato sauce covered with seasonings with a wooden spoon in a saucepan on a wooden surface

If you want a stronger flavor or thicker sauce, simmer longer. If you want a thinner sauce, then use an immersion blender until it’s smooth and to the desired consistency.

Spaghetti with homemade pasta sauce on a round white plate with a glass jar of pasta sauce behind next to a white and brown towel all on a wooden surface (vertical)

Homemade Pasta Sauce Leftovers

Storage: Let the sauce cool to room temperature then place it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Reheating: The best way to reheat the leftover spaghetti sauce is in a small saucepan over medium heat until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes. If needed, add some tomato sauce, chicken broth, or boiling water to a thick sauce.

Freezing: Add the cooled pasta sauce to a freezer-safe container, making sure to leave room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw your jarred sauce in the refrigerator for 1-2 days before using. Make sure to mix it well before reheating and serving.

Recipe

Originally Published On: September 12, 2018

Last Updated On: November 4, 2024

Pasta Sauce

Instead of buying premade and processed pasta sauce, serve your family something healthier and more delicious in under 30 minutes.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Total Time 25

Course:

Side Dish

Cuisine:

Italian

Keyword:

basil

sauce

tomato

Servings: cups

4.89 from 9 votes