An authentic and delicious Italian Tomato Sauce that has been passed down through generations.
This recipe for Italian Tomato Sauce is a recipe that my husband Jack spent years perfecting. For Jack, knowing how to make a great Italian Tomato Sauce is a very personal thing – and it brings back fond memories of his childhood.
To this day, Jack clearly remembers the amazing smells coming from a pot of tomato sauce that was always simmering away on the stove anytime he visited his Italian grandparents. He worked hard to recreate that wonderful recipe in our own kitchen – and this is it!
In fact, ever since posting this Italian Tomato Sauce recipe here on A Family Feast back in 2013, we’ve had so many readers write to us to tell us how much they love this sauce. And, many of our readers have told us that they now consider this their ‘go-to’ Italian tomato sauce recipe. (Note: We haven’t made any changes to the recipe over the years, we just included some updated photos today!)
There are so many different ways to make an Italian Tomato Sauce and depending on whom you ask – and where their family originally came from – you will find many different family recipes. Some use different types of tomatoes, some with or without meat, some cooked for a long time giving the sauce a deep, rich taste and others cooked for just a short time for a light fresh taste. Some families even refer to their Italian tomato sauce as Sunday Gravy or Marinara. (Click on those links – we have our own version of those recipes too!)
What’s the difference between Italian Tomato Sauce vs. Sunday Gravy vs. Marinara Sauce?
- For Jack, an Italian Tomato Sauce is a tomato-based sauce that simmers for a long time on the stove so that the flavors really deepen and develop. (This recipe is a delicious example!)
- A Sunday Gravy recipe is a tomato sauce cooked along with a variety of meats including meatballs, spare ribs, sausage, and pork chops, so the sauce picks up additional flavor from the meat.
- Finally, Marinara is also a tomato-based sauce, but it’s a quickly-cooked sauce, yielding a bright, fresh tomato flavor.
- And – since we’re talking about all types of tomato sauces – we also have a Roasted Tomato Pizza Sauce recipe AND an Easy No-Cook Pizza Sauce recipe you might be interested in checking out too. Pizza sauces typically have a bold flavor that is meant to both complement and shine through the flavors of the dough, cheese and toppings on a pizza.
Today’s recipe is originally inspired by a version of Italian Tomato Sauce that Jack grew up with, and he credits his Aunt Mary for this recipe, plus some additional influences from the sauce that Jack’s father (aka Grampa) used to make. If you happen to be growing San Marzano Pomodoro tomatoes in your garden – definitely use those! However, if fresh tomatoes aren’t available, we think some of the best San Marzano Pomodoro canned tomatoes are made by Cento and Pastene – and both brands are readily available at most local grocery stores.
Mangia!
P.S. We freeze our Italian Tomato Sauce in gallon zipper seal bags for long-term storage, laying the bags flat after filling and squeezing out any excess air. Freeze the bags flat on a sheet pan, then once frozen you can fit them more easily in your freezer. For information on how to can a high-acid food like tomato sauce, we suggest that you visit the Ball Canning website here. Here is another interesting link about canning tomato sauce which suggests that the pressure method should be used to ensure safe canning of any homemade tomato sauce.
You may also like these other Italian family classics:
- Marinara Sauce
- Nanny’s Italian Stuffed Peppers
- Classic Lasagna
- Sunday Gravy
- Grandma Gennaco’s Beef Braciole
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Description
An important first step to note when making this sauce is to bring the olive oil up to temperature very slowly with the garlic, herbs, and spices, and cook for about five minutes to brown the garlic. This is a step that Jack has seen referenced in a number of great Italian cookbooks and although not clearly stated why, we believe this slow heat-up process allows the oil to be infused with the seasonings providing a really delicious base to your sauce.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 4 crushed garlic cloves
- ¾ cup chopped onion (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano, divided, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, divided, or ½ tablespoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped mint, divided
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes or two quarts of freshly canned garden tomatoes
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Before you begin, pour your two cans of tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hand. Don’t break them up too small, you want large chunks.
- In a large heavy bottomed pot with a lid, on a burner with no flame, pour in olive oil and add red pepper flakes, garlic, onion, most of the oregano, basil and mint (save a little bit of each for the end), sugar salt and pepper. Turn on the burner and slowly bring up to hot. When the onions and garlic start to cook, stir and heat for five minutes.
- Remove the pot from the burner and place a heat diffuser over the burner. Place the pot over the heat diffuser and add the tomatoes. Turn burner to medium high and stir until they start to boil. Then reduce to simmer, partially cover and simmer 90 minutes.
- After 90 minutes, remove from heat and add the reserved herbs and Parmesan cheese. Add the butter to round out the flavors. Stir again and serve.
Notes
The old saying about the sauce tasting better the next day reheated is true. It gives the flavors a chance to blend and mellow out.
Keywords: Italian Tomato Sauce
Dear Martha and Jack,
First of all, thank you for taking the time to write down a recipe that took so long. I am often unwilling to give away my recipes, but I would rather make better cooks than keep them in the dark.
Anyway, my question to you two is this; other than water, what would you suggest to help thin this sauce out just a wee bit?
Thank you for your time,
Jon
Hi Jon – Thank YOU for your very nice comment! If you need to thin the sauce a bit after it is cooked, we’d recommend a mild white or red wine, or beef stock. But try adding as little as possible – wine or stock will definitely change the flavor profile of the sauce if you add too much! I hope that helps! Martha
I was this think about adding some sausage to this sauce ? What u guys think?
Absolutely Anna! Sausage would be delicious as well as meatballs, etc.
This is a recipe my Nonna would be proud of! The last time I made this I used your basic sauce pot on a flat top electric stove without a diffuser because I don’t have one. I’d like to cook this in my Dutch Oven and now have a coil electric stove. I saw above about using cans. Will that work with this kind of stove? Also do I flatten the can from top to bottom or just squeeze the heck out of it? Better yet can I not use them and not worry about burning it in a Dutch Oven?
Thanks Nikki! Even with the Dutch oven, we’d still recommend using a diffuser or crushed cans on your electric stove top to avoid any chance of sticking and burning. Just remove the top and bottom of the can and then flatten it sideways. Please let us know if you have any other questions! Martha
Very very good. Thank you!
Thanks Jeannette!
I am drooling over the picture, but I can’t find the recipe? Help! Thanks…cms
Please scroll down to the bottom Connie! Thanks!
I have been using Centro cherry tomatoes for other dishes, but NOT my Sunday meat sauce. They are much less expensive for the large can than the San Marzano tomatoes. Can I substitute these for sauce and what would be the difference in taste? They seem to be of very high quality and taste good. I love good sauce and believe the tomaotes are the key to it.
Hi Lois! San Marzanos are considered the ‘gold standard’ for a good sauce but I’m sure the cherry tomatoes will still result in something delicious! We haven’t made this recipe using the Cento cherry tomatoes so I can’t speak specifically to how it will taste. Please let us know how it comes out and thanks for visiting our site!
Thank you for your prompt reply. I am going to try it this Sunday and I will let you know. Because, as with the others on this site, it is the tomatoes that make the difference in the sauce. One only has to learn the hard way about THAT!!
Hi! I have made your sauce tonight for dinner and it was delicious! Just can’t figure out why it didn’t thicken up? Any suggestions? Thanks 🙂
Jenni
Hi Jenni! You could try adding some tomato paste and cooking it down longer. Hope that helps! Martha
Thanks for this recipe! After perusing the web for a LONG time I finally settled on this recipe and I am in the “simmering” stage right now. The house smells awesome. I am going to put a jar in the fridge to use after a couple of days, and the remainder is going to be canned for winter use (I tripled the recipe and used fresh garden tomatoes! Although I did add most of a can of San Marzano tomatoes as they were left over from another recipe earlier this week). I cannot wait to try it! Only change I made was to add a carrot and stalk of celery which I will remove after simmering. Have never added parmesan directly to the sauce, buy I think it is a great idea.
Leaving out the cigar ash…….
Thanks again!
We hope you enjoy the sauce Chris! Your garden tomatoes will be delicious for this sauce – we’ve been doing the same these last few weeks! (And agree…we can’t vouch for the cigar ash…LOL!) Thanks for writing to us! Martha
I have fond memories of Sunday mornings, my dad at the stove, a cigar dangling out of his mouth, as he made a large pot of sauce for the week. I’m eager to try Jack’s version and I will let you know whether or not butter and mint (two ingredients my dad never used) are a satisfactory substitute for the cigar ash- my dad’s secret ingredient!
Paul – you’ve made both Jack and me laugh this morning! We hope you enjoy the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by! Martha
I’m trying to stay away from canned food, and your recipe sounds so delicious, is there a way I can make this with fresh organic tomatoes???
Yes! Fresh organic tomatoes can be used for this recipe!
I have tried several time to make sauce but have not been too successful. I can’t wait to try your recipe. Would love to be able to can our own sauce. Thanks so much for posting!
I hope you have good luck with this sauce Gen! Thanks for visiting our site!
Do be careful about the San Marzanos. If you want the real ones that come from the region around Naples, make sure you see the “DOP” designation on the label and the seal of the consortium. Not all Cento San Marzanos are DOP (in fact perhaps none of them are anymore)… they are merely San Marzanos that are grown somewhere in Italy, but not necessarily in the Neapolitan area which produces the genuine and protected tomatoes. For the real taste of Italy, make sure you are buying the genuine product. If this doesn’t matter to you, than a “whatever” San Marzano is just fine. I would say your garden grown home canned tomatoes would be miles better than a whatever Cento San Marzano! My compliments!
Thank you so much Bella!
I put my sauce in the oven at 325 degrees after it comes to a simmer on the stove. That way, you don’t have to worry about the bottom burning. If you spray the sides of the stock pan first, it will be much easier to clean. Will it burn around the top sides of the pan? Yep…but since it cooks down, it won’t impact the sauce with a burned flavor.
Thanks Allisynne! Great idea!
I want to make this recipe for a get-together with a bunch of friends, and one of my friends is vegan. Would omitting the cheese and butter ruin the flavor of the recipe? Is there something I could use to replace the omitted ingredients? Thank you!
Hi Wendy! The butter rounds out the flavors and the parmesan has a unique taste all its own…you can definitely make the sauce and omit the two. It won’t taste exactly the same but we think it will still be a good sauce! Unfortunately, I don’t have substitution suggests for you. Thanks for visiting our site!
Martha
Hi Martha and Jack, I am excited to try your sauce recipe, but I am a bit concerned about the mint. I have never heard of adding mint to sauce. Do you taste it much in the end?
Hi Chris! You can leave it out if you prefer but it actually adds a nice subtle flavor that complements the basil really well. It’s not a strong flavor in the sauce at all! Thanks for visiting our site!
Martha
I use a cooling rack rather than diffuser …I use it under the pot…works great have been doing it for years when I simmer or cook anything for a period of time
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Great idea Mary! Thanks for letting us know!
Will this sauce freeze well?
Hi Wendi! Yes – this sauce will freeze well. We’ve frozen it in a zipper seal bag or a plastic container and it freezes fine! Martha
Can you use fresh tomatoes?
Yes – you can use fresh plum tomatoes for this sauce. You would need to remove the skin first. Here’s how:
Bring some water to a boil; then cut an X in the bottom of each tomato before putting it into the boiling water. Leave in boiling water until the skin starts to peel (just a minute or so). With a slotted spoon, remove them to an ice water bath to cool quickly. Once cool enough to handle, remove to a sheet tray. Skin will peel right off. Pinch green stem and twist and pull. What is left will all be usable for the sauce. Plum tomatoes have few seeds so don’t worry about trying to seed them.
Hope that helps! Thanks for visiting our site! Martha
How many tomatoes should you use ?
Hi Talia – It depends on the size of your tomatoes – that’s why we suggest going by weight. Kitchen scales are inexpensive and a great tool to have in your kitchen.
I am eager to make this sauce as it is different from any in my collections of tomato sauces. I believe it will be our favorite! Hopefully I will be able to can some this summer! Homemade sauce is much healthier and tastier than those bought in a store.
Thanks Winnie! We hope you enjoy the sauce!
There is nothing like homemade sauce!! It sort of kills me to buy in when I know it’s easy to make. I love trying out new recipes! This will be pinned and tried for sure!
Thanks Tanya!
Is the heat diffuser absolutely needed? I don’t have one but want to make this sauce. 🙂
Hi Amanda! The heat diffuser isn’t absolutely necessary but it will help prevent the sauce from sticking and burning in the bottom of your pot. My husband suggests that you put a few crumpled pieces of aluminum foil over your stove burner and then put the pot on top of that. Or – be sure to stir the sauce frequently and use a very heavy-bottomed pan to avoid any burning while the sauce cooks. Hope that helps! Martha
Great thank you! I usually cook my sauces with a cast iron skillet so that should be heavy bottomed enough. Will still do the crumpled foil though, that’s a great idea. 🙂 Thanks!
Amanda – I just realized that I misunderstood my husband’s suggestion when I responded to your question this morning!! You can use crushed aluminum cans (NOT foil – foil won’t be sturdy enough) – what Jack used to do before he had the diffuser was peel the paper label off a can, and remove both ends, then crush the can and use that under his pots. So sorry for the confusion – next time I will let him respond! Thanks again for visiting our site!
Martha
I have a gas stove…I just grab one of the grates off another burner and use that.
Great idea Florence!