Italian Red Sauce with San Marzano Tomatoes
This homemade Italian tomato sauce is easy, simple to make and uses canned San Marzano tomatoes for terrific flavor and convenience. With a taste far superior to jarred tomato sauce, you can make this red pasta sauce with San Marzano tomatoes in about an hour. Serve over some fresh homemade pasta and finish with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Bonus? It's even better the next day!
Servings 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 28 oz can whole, peeled Italian tomatoes preferably San Marzano, see note
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped, 1/2 cup
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup red wine optional - see note below
- 3 oz tomato paste or 1/2 of a 6 oz can
- 2 tsp kosher salt to start
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- crushed red pepper to taste - try 1/4 teaspoon to start if you like heat.
- water as needed (in 1/4 cup increments)
- fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Place tomatoes in a blender with their juices and pulse until desired consistency reached.
- Heat olive oil in a 4qt. saucepan (or larger if doubling) over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent and rich in color, about 5 minutes. Briefly add garlic for 30 seconds until you smell it.
- Add red wine here, if desired. Cook for at least two minutes until wine is incorporated. See note below.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add tomato paste. Swirl around until softened and combined with onions about 2 minutes. Add spices ending with sugar and quickly combine because you don’t want the sugar to burn but to caramelize just a bit.
- Quickly add pureed tomatoes and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes. Check the seasoning after 30 minutes or so. Add more salt/pepper or a little more sugar if the tomatoes are more on the acidic side.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- The sauce will thicken which is what you want. You are looking for a rich, red, sauce with kick-butt flavor. You can leave it as it and use it w/meat or as a pizza sauce.
Video
Notes
Cooking Options
- Check flavor and consistency after 30 minutes. The sauce can be thinned down with 1/4 cup of water.
- You also can add some red wine (1/2 cup) right after the onions and garlic are added.
- Make my homemade meatballs using this sauce.
- You can cook down and use as dipping sauce for focaccia, a pizza sauce or even your favorite appetizer (I see you, frozen mozzarella stick lovers!).
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheat on the stove on low until heated through. Can also be microwaved in a microwave-safe bowl (covered) until heated.
- Freeze cooled, cooked spaghetti sauce in freezer-safe bags or sealed, airtight containers for up to 3 months.
