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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, Sunday Gravy, Marinara Sauce and other kinds of sauces?
- 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.
- We also have recipes for Bolognese (a meat sauce that is cooked low and slow with milk), a more traditional Italian Meat Sauce (made with ground beef and Italian sausage), and finally an Italian Meat Ragu (made with shredded beef and other ingredients).
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
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Italian Tomato Sauce
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
- 3/4 cup chopped onion (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano, divided, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, divided, or 1/2 tablespoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped mint, divided
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 28–ounce cans of whole tomatoes or two quarts of freshly canned garden tomatoes
- 1/4 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.
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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.
Mike says
I would like to make this recipe but with fresh picked cherry tomatoes. I have an abundance of ripe cherry tomatoes. What modifications would I need to make? It seems like peeling the cherry tomatoes would not be practical.
Also, I do not have a heat diffuser. My stove is a glass top electric. Any suggestions? I just saw other comments on this. Think I will use a cooling rack over the burner.
Martha says
Hi Mike – Agree – peeling cherry tomatoes would be very time intensive! I’d suggest cooking the tomatoes then straining the mixture in a cone-shaped chinois (here’s a link to one on Amazon that is similar to one that we have: https://amzn.to/2q4KIxD ) – a wooden pestle like this (https://amzn.to/2yGFonS) would allow you to press the tomato pulp through the strainer while leaving the skins behind. (Other strainers will also work, but chinois is meant for situations like this.) The diffuser is suggested to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pot – alternately, you can just make sure you keep the cooking temp low and stirring the pot often. Hope that helps!
Dawn Johnson says
I would like to use this recipe as a base for my spaghetti sauce. Would you suggest cooking this first and then adding the other ingredients to be cooked longer- or would you suggest throwing everything in to cook together?
Jack says
Depends on what ingredients you are adding. My family used to make a sauce on Sundays that they added meat to like pork ribs and bone in beef chuck. They would sear the meat first then cook in the sauce until tender. So if that is the case, start the meat early and add it to the sauce before the sauce cooks. The longer you cook a tomato sauce, the deeper the flavor BUT the more of the true fresh tomato taste is lost. If you are adding ground beef or ground pork, I would cook that and add to the sauce about 30 minutes prior to the completion time. If you are adding vegetables like sautéed Green bell peppers and onions, I would again cook separate then add close to the end of the sauce cook time. If you are trying to make large batches of the sauce to use for different purposes, I would make it but remove it from heat before cooking for the 90 minutes. Zip bag it and freeze it that way. Then when you need it, pull it from freezer and thaw then use as needed as described above.
Hope this helps,
Jack
Carol says
This is the best sauce I have ever tasted. Adding a piece of pork roast while cooking really adds to the flavor but even without it is wonderful. Freezing in zip lock bags is a Great way to have fresh sauce handy all the time. Thanks for this great recipe.
Martha says
You’re very welcome Carol – so glad you enjoyed the sauce as much as we do!
Andrew says
Hi – I made this sauce and your Italian Meatballs today as written and just wanted to let you know that both are amazing!
Martha says
Thank you so much Andrew! So glad you enjoyed the recipes.
Roelene Carol Craig says
Wow, what a cache of recipes for a newly wed. I printed out all of them. I will include a copy of each one for every bridal shower I attend. Thanks so very much.
Martha says
Thank you!
Patricia says
Hi Martha, a friend gave me a freezer bag full of tomatoes from her garden ( last years ) and I would like to use them up. Can you tell me how I can make a tomato sauce or soup with them? Once they are thawed out, can I use your recipe? I don’t want to waste them.
Martha says
Hi Patricia – You can absolutely use them – in this sauce recipe (you’ll probably want to start with 3-4 pounds of fresh tomatoes), or we have a great tomato jam recipe (https://www.afamilyfeast.com/tomato-jam/ – which is what we make with a lot of our own garden tomatoes that we freeze) or our Tomato Soup recipe (https://www.afamilyfeast.com/tomato-soup/). I’m not sure what kind of tomatoes she gave you, but chances are you will need to remove the peel and seeds before cooking with them – all you’ll really want for your recipe is the tomato pulp. We’d suggest thawing them in a strainer – if they are whole, cut them in half – so that the excess liquids drains out. Once thawed you might be able to remove the skins by hand as well as the seeds, or you could put the tomatoes through a food mill which will push the pulp through holes, leaving the skins and seeds behind. Once thing to note – if the tomatoes are at all freezer burned, the flavor won’t be as good. I hope that helps! Martha
Becki says
I made one of your tomato sauces a little while back and it was the best. Tasted just like the popular Italian Restaurant in my town – which is a big deal! So good – will have to try this one, too.
Martha says
We hope you love this sauce too Becki!
Linda R says
Hi Martha… This is the recipe that will get me back in the kitchen after a difficult battle with shingles. I have missed cooking most of all….have saved several of your recipes for getting back on track. Today, I made my first batch of pesto for freezing. My DH planted my herb garden to cheer me up and it’s producing so much basil.
I hope you are having cooler weather than we are, so humid and hot in Mid South.
Thanks for the inspiration!!!
Linda
Martha says
Hi Linda! I’m so sorry to hear about your recent bout of shingles. My brother-in-law had shingles a few summers ago and it was so painful! I hope you’ve turned the corner for good! Our sauce is a great way to use up some of that fresh basil from your garden. We’ve had a very cool June up until this week (so our garden basil isn’t producing very much yet at all) – and this week it’s hazy, hot and humid. I don’t mind it after such a cool and rainy last few months – but ask me again in a few weeks. 🙂 (I’m sure I’ll be wishing for cooler days again…) So nice to hear from you today and I hope you are feeling 100% better very soon. Martha
Alicia says
Hi, I want to try this sauce recipe … Am I able to use a Crock pot? If so how long do I leave it for?
Martha says
Hi Alicia – I wouldn’t recommend it – the liquids in this sauce need to reduce a bit as it simmers on the stove (which helps give it rich, delicious flavor). A slow cooker lid will trap the moisture and it won’t reduce – I think the sauce will end up watery.
Alicia says
What if you don’t have a heat diffuser?
Martha says
Hi Alicia – Just be sure to keep your heat under the pot at a low simmer and stir the sauce so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom.
Alicia says
Thank you. Also for how long?
Martha says
Hi Alicia – Your cook time will be the same as written in the recipe – about 90 minutes
[email protected] says
I would like to try this recipe in my instant pot…how would I convert this recipe for a pressure cooker?
Martha says
Hi – We haven’t tried making this sauce in the Instant Pot ourselves (nor are we Instant Pot experts) so I’m super reluctant to even guess at how you would go about adapting it. Maybe you could start with a recipe like this: http://www.instantlydelicious.com/blog/basic-homemade-pasta-sauce – the adjust the herbs and other seasonings to match our recipe? Hope that helps!