Homemade Pasta Sauce

Homemade Pasta Sauce seems to always be a family favorite in any household. This mouthwatering red sauce incorporates onions, garlic, fresh herbs, and spices that boost its flavor. Add tender oven-baked meatballs to swim in this sea of mouth-watering marinara sauce and you have the perfect comfort food to remedy the winter “blahs.” This made-from-scratch recipe will have you coming back time and again to revisit this forever-beloved recipe.

Pasta Sauce Recipe

You’ll find this pasta sauce to be both easy and delicious. The longer the simmer the longer the merging of all the flavors. Which, by the way, this recipe makes a large batch for plenty of leftovers that are even better the second-day go-round. Another pasta sauce recipe you must try is this Vodka sauce. It’s ridiculously delectable. And if you want a sandwich that overflows with both this sauce and tender Oven-Baked Meatballs, check out my Meatball Sub recipe. Indulge me for one more recipe. Click on this Crockpot Lasagna to find the easiest and most convenient pasta recipe around. 

Ingredients you will need for this Easy Pasta Sauce Recipe

Don’t let the ingredient list frighten you away. Most of the items you’ll find in your spice drawer and pantry. It’s the combination of all of these that delivers a depth of intensity. 

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You can use avocado oil as well. This is to sauté the onions. 
• Sweet Onions. I chose sweet onions to give the sauce an added sweetness. They can be roughly chopped if you are using a food mill. 
• Garlic Cloves. This can be either minced or chopped. You’ll add it at the end of cooking onions and it should only be sautéed for about a minute. 
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper. Add these seasonings according to your taste preference.
• Tomato Paste. A magic ingredient in pasta sauce that adds richness and depth. It’s a small amount but enhances the overall flavor. It’s also a thickening agent for the sauce.
• Dry White Wine. The wine helps to deglaze the bottom of the pan to release all those hidden flavor bits, and also to enhance and accent the overall flavor of the sauce. 
• Crushed Tomatoes. I prefer the Glen Muir brand fire-roasted tomatoes to give a smoky subtleness. 
• Fresh Oregano and Basil. If at all possible, use fresh herbs in the sauce. If you have to substitute one, substitute the oregano. There’s just something so lovely about fresh basil in a marinara sauce.
• Onion and Garlic Powder. These are in addition to the sautéed chopped onion and garlic. It doesn’t need a lot. Adding the powders will deepen the fresh onion and garlic flavors.
• Fennel Seeds. This seed is actually a spice. It tastes like licorice and anise only milder and somewhat sweeter.
• Brown Sugar. Depending on whether you like your sauce sweet or not, you can either add less or none at all. Sugar is a personal preference item.

How to Make Pasta Sauce

• Sauté the onions. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan and add olive oil. When the oil is hot add chopped onions. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cook until the chopped onions are translated, about eight or ten minutes. 
• Add the garlic. This goes in after the onions have cooked. It only takes about one minute. It’s important not to burn the garlic. It can become bitter if it is overcooked.

• Add tomato paste. Remove the pan and immediately add tomato paste. Stir it for one minute. Adding tomato paste early in the cooking process causes the tomatoes in the paste to caramelize and enrich the flavor of the sauce. 
• Deglaze the pan. This recipe calls for adding 3/4 cup of dry white wine to the hot pan. Scrape with a spatula until the bottom is clean. Turn the heat down to a low boil and cook until most of the wine has evaporated. 

• Add crushed tomatoes. Three large cans of fire-roasted tomatoes join with the onions and garlic to create the base of this tempting pasta sauce recipe. 
• Boost the flavor with fresh herbs. I use a generous amount of oregano and basil – 4 tablespoons of chopped oregano and one cup of chopped basil. Believe me, the flavor that these two fresh herbs add truly makes the sauce.
• Sprinkle in onion and garlic powder. These are in addition to the sautéed chopped onion and garlic. It doesn’t need a lot, just 1 1/2 teaspoons each. Adding these will deepen those two flavors.
• Continue with Fennel Seeds. These little flavor bombs contribute an aniseed flavor with a warm, sweet aroma. 1 1/2 tablespoons are all you need for this recipe.
• Last but definitely not least, sweeten the sauce with a bit of brown sugar. This is purely a “preference” ingredient. I like my sauce kissed with some sweetness but some like it on a purely savory side. Neither is right nor wrong. 

• Simmer for at least one hour. Patience is a key ingredient here. Simmer over low heat while stirring every once in a while – one to two hours. Just watch it so that it doesn’t burn on the bottom. The longer it simmers, the more enhanced the flavors become.
• Use a food mill for a nice smooth sauce. For this recipe, I used a medium blade and it turned out perfect.
  • If you don’t have a food mill, there’s no need to go out and purchase one. You can get similar results with pureeing in a food processor. Just be careful putting really hot sauce in a food processor or blender as it can blow the lid off and make a mess of your kitchen.
  • Some people like chunkier sauces, so if that’s you, leave the sauce the way it is before the food mill. Chop the onions much smaller though.

What to serve with your Homemade Pasta Sauce

• Homemade Meatballs (with veal, lamb, and beef). Adding this meatball recipe can take this dish to a whole new level. Meatballs that simmer in the sauce for a good amount of time will most definitely intensify the flavor of both the sauce and meat. 
• Noodles that have been cooked al dente which is tender but still firm to the bite. I like cooked brown rice noodles which in my opinion are fabulous. If your looking for healthier pasta, definitely grab a bag of these noodles.
• Crusty bread like ciabatta. Find an artisan bread that is very tender on the interior yet nice and crispy on the outside. If you really want to liven it up, slice it, slather it with butter, rub it with fresh garlic and toast it under the broiler.
• A nice side salad. Just something very simple, it can be some romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, and sliced cucumbers.
• Meatball Sub Sandwiches. A great way to use any extra pasta sauce that you might have. 

What is the difference between Pasta Sauce and Marinara Sauce?

Both of these are tomato-based sauces and in many instances, the names seem to be interchangeable. Pasta Sauce has a more robust complexity with a more extensive ingredient list with a richer flavor. Pasta sauce typically contains meat, although this recipe does not unless you add meatballs. Marinara sauce is traditionally used more as a dipping sauce. Honestly, I’ve used this sauce in both ways. 

Can I use this Pasta Sauce in place of Pizza Sauce?

Pizza sauce is typically thicker than pasta sauce and made with uncooked tomatoes. You can thicken the sauce by adding extra tomato paste. Cook the sauce over higher heat, stirring frequently until it thickens. But truth be told I’ve used this sauce on top of my pizza dough recipe. 

Can I use Fresh Tomatoes instead?

Yes, by roasting your own tomatoes. But my suggestion is to roast them during the peak summer season when they are vine-ripened and picked at their freshest. It takes about 36 whole tomatoes to equal three of these cans.

To roast, cut in half, drizzle a little bit of olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and pepper and cook them in a 400°F oven for about 30 minutes, add a few sprigs of oregano and several torn basil leaves and cook for another 10 minutes or until the skins begin lifting off the tomatoes. Let them cool and smash them in a bowl.

Can I make this pasta sauce ahead of time and Freeze it?

This recipe freezes wonderfully. Make the sauce as directed but let it cool completely. Once cooled, spoon it into freezer-safe bags. Seal it and lay it flat on a baking sheet. Make sure all the air is out of the bag. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze the sauce solidly. Remove from the baking sheet and store in the freezer for up to six months. 

When ready to serve, remove the bag from the freezer and let it set out until it thaws to room temperature. Pour it into a saucepan and cook over low heat. Stir frequently until reheated. 

How long does this last in the fridge?

Homemade pasta sauce should be stored in the refrigerator and will last there for up to four days. 

For more comfort food

Crockpot Lasagna

Vodka Sauce

Homemade Chicken and Noodles

Beef Stroganoff

Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pies

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