Briana Milner You will feel like you are enjoying a meal in Italy when you make this delicious and flavorful homemade sauce! It will make you exclaim, “Mamma Mia!”
This homemade, traditional, pasta sauce is perfect on any pasta dish! Homemade pasta sauce is quick to make and tastes so much better than any store-bought brand! Some of our favorite ways to enjoy this delicious sauce is over any pasta, like spaghetti noodles, in lasagna, and as a dipping sauce for breadsticks! Yum!
This recipe is a simple tomato sauce with Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, black pepper and olive oil – items you may already have in your pantry! There is no sugar added, so it is healthier than the sauces you would purchase in the store.
Why this pasta sauce is my favorite:
1. It is super quick to make as it only takes 5 minutes!
2. This sauce is easy to make as it only has 7 ingredients.
3. Unlike store brands, it has no added sugar so it is healthier for you.
4. This recipe makes 3-1/2 cups of sauce, some of which you will want to use right away and save some for another day.
5. It can be used in a variety of dishes!
The history behind pasta sauce:
The Italian chef, Francesco Leonardi, is credited as being the first person to use tomato sauce with pasta, and today, besides the spices that are normally included in a sauce, you might find bacon, pork or sausage have been added.
INGREDIENTS:
- Can of crushed tomatoes – for the amount listed in the recipe, you need to use a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes.
- Olive oil – Olive oil is the best kitchen oil to use for this recipe.
- Italian seasoning – this is a great blend of flavors of marjoram and oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary. Perfect for pizzas, spaghetti, etc – any Italian dish!
- Onion powder – onion powder creates a great flavor when marinaded with tomatoes!
- Black pepper – fresh cracked pepper is best! It will bring out the flavor in the tomatoes!
- Salt – you can omit if you are trying to watch your sodium intake, especially as there is sodium in te canned crushed tomatoes. You can allow individuals to salt their sauce if desired.
- Crushed red pepper optional – our family loves a little kick of heat in our sauce, but you can absolutely omit this ingredient. If you are making this sauce for others, and are unsure if they would prefer the heat, you can offer it on the side. Crushed red pepper is great in a recipe as an ingredient, but also perfect as a topping for that one spicy person!
Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse in 2-second intervals for 30 seconds.
Store in an airtight container or use right away in your favorite pasta. You can add 1 10 oz can of tomato paste to create the perfect pizza sauce.
How do I store my leftovers?
Storing the sauce is easy – it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. I suggest using glass food storage instead of plastic as the tomatoes stain.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Yes! My favorite way of freezing leftover pasta sauce is smoothing it out in ice cube trays! Freeze, and then pop the “cubes” into a freezer bag! When you’re ready for more sauce next time, you can thaw it for 4-6 hours before you need to cook with it, put it in a microwave safe bowl, or warm it in a saucepan until it thaws completely.
Supplies needed to get started!
A food processor is a great tool to have in the kitchen. This is the one we have, and used to make this sauce!
Here are alot of other great options!
You don’t necessarily need a food processor for this recipe. We prefer it because it make the sauce much smoother, but you can use a blender if that is what you have on hand!
Can I use this recipe as a base for pizza sauce?
Yes! You can add 1 – 10 oz can of tomato paste to create the perfect pizza sauce! Simple as that!
If you like this pasta sauce, you should make it with our Lasagna recipe!
Homemade Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes any Italian brand
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper optional
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse in 2-second intervals for 30 seconds.
- Store in an airtight container or use right away in your favorite pasta. You can add 1 10 oz can of tomato paste to create the perfect pizza sauce.
