Making tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes is deeply connected to my childhood summers in Italy.
I learned the process by watching my grandparents during the summers I spent at their house. When tomatoes were at their peak, making sauce was a way to capture that incredible late-summer flavor and enjoy it beyond the season.
Unlike my everyday Sugo al Pomodoro which I make with canned whole peeled tomatoes and can have on the table in about 30 minutes, this recipe starts with fresh plum tomatoes. They are blanched, peeled, chopped and slowly cooked until they become a naturally sweet, rich tomato sauce.
If you have an abundance of ripe garden tomatoes—or simply couldn’t resist bringing home too many beautiful tomatoes from the farmers’ market—this is the recipe to make.
Homemade tomato Sauce is one of the main staples in Italian culture and cuisine. There are many ways to make Italian tomatoes sauce and in Italy every family as its own recipe.
In general when you ask an Italian about tomato sauce you will get into a long conversation about all the tomato sauce recipes as in Italy we like to aromatize the sauce in different ways. I recall in fact this was the funniest conversation I had with Robert, when we started dating. While he hardly tried to teach me how in US tomato sauce is usually classified, I believe that at some point he gave up. I assume he just learned how to trust my cooking.
BEST TOMATOES TO USE FOR FRESH TOMATO SAUCE
For homemade tomato sauce, choose ripe, meaty tomatoes with relatively few seeds and less water. Plum tomatoes are ideal because their dense flesh produces a naturally thicker sauce.
San Marzano is one famous Italian plum-tomato variety, but don’t worry if you can’t find it fresh. Roma tomatoes or ripe plum tomatoes from your garden or farmers’ market work beautifully.
The most important thing is ripeness. Fresh tomato sauce is simple, so a deeply flavored, in-season tomato will make a much better sauce than an underripe tomato chosen only because of its variety.
If fresh tomatoes aren’t in season, make my Sugo al Pomodoro with whole peeled canned tomatoes instead.
HOW TO MAKE TOMATO SAUCE FROM FRESH TOMATOES
1. Blanch the tomatoes.
Wash the tomatoes and cut a shallow X into the bottom of each one. Lower them into simmering water for about 45–60 seconds, or until the skins begin to loosen.
2. Peel and prepare them.
Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and allow them to cool enough to handle. Peel away the skins, halve the tomatoes and remove the tough core. Remove excess seeds if desired.
3. Chop the tomatoes.
For a rustic, thicker sauce, chop them by hand. For a finer consistency, pulse them briefly in a food processor. Don’t completely purée them.
4. Cook the sauce.
Warm the EVOO with the garlic, then add the tomatoes and salt. Simmer gently until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce reaches the consistency you like.
Sugar, optional, to taste
Usually you do not need sugar in tomato sauce. Ripe summer tomatoes should have enough natural sweetness. Taste the finished sauce first. If your tomatoes are particularly acidic, you can add a small pinch of sugar to balance them, but it shouldn’t make the sauce taste sweet.
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HOW TO STORE FRESH TOMATO SAUCE
Refrigerator: Let the sauce cool completely, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3–4 days.
Freezer: For longer storage, freeze the cooled sauce in freezer-safe containers or bags. Leave some room for expansion if using containers.
What about canning?
If you want to preserve tomato sauce at room temperature, use a tested tomato-canning recipe and processing method from a trusted food-preservation authority. The acidity and processing requirements for safe home canning are different from simply storing cooked tomato sauce in a jar.
VARIATIONS
This recipe is gluten-free, suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It is packed with antioxidants and vitamins and it is low in calories.
If you want to add your own signature touch to the sauce, you can by using different spices and herbs when you will warm up your sauce to use it in different recipes. Here some suggestions to make incredible classic Italian recipe using this sauce:Â
– Adding fresh basil leaves will give you a great sauce for Pasta alla Norma or Traditional Italian Eggplant Parmesan.
– Chill flakes or whole dried spicy peppers, which you can use to toss a plate of spaghetti.
– Fresh or dried herbs such as oregano, thyme, marjoram: great to stew some meats in, for example, my Easy Italian Meatballs.
– Olives, cappers and anchovies that you can use in Sicilia-style Tuna.
– Meat or meatballs: try my Easy Italian meatballs and serve it over homemade tagliatelle, or spaghetti.
– If you add some sumac and zaatar, you can make Farmer’s Eggs with Sumac and Za’atar.
– Or you can just use this sauce for a yummy Crispy Chicken Parmigiana.
– You can use it to cook Ragu’ or Chicken Cacciatora.
Equipment
- jar
Ingredients
- 4 pounds tomatoes plum tomatoes (see notes)
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cloves garlic
- â…“ cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 pinch sugar optional
Instructions
- Start by washing the tomatoes.
- Heat a pot of water on the stovetop and when the water simmers, take the tomatoes one by one, make an X on the bottom of the veggie and place it in the water.
- After 45-60 seconds remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon. You might need to do this in batches, so continue until you are done with all the tomatoes.
- Now peel all your tomatoes. Cut them in half and remove the seeds. Cut each half in 2 quarters and remove the white part.
- Chop the tomatoes and place them in a pot where you previously added EVOO and garlic. (see notes)
- Let it simmer for 60 minutes covered, then for 30 minutes uncovered. (see notes)
- Now you can use your sauce, freeze it, can it or refrigerate it. (see notes)
Notes
- From 4 pounds of tomatoes, I obtained 2 jars. Each jar old 2 cups and 1/4.
- Use possibly plum tomatoes as they are pulpy enough to obtain a thick, dense sauce. Alternatively, garden tomatoes are a good alternative.
- To chop the tomatoes you have 2 alternatives, you can do it by hand and in this case it will lead to a chunkier sauce, Or you can use a food processor, which will give you a thinner sauce.
- Taste the sauce before adding sugar, ripe summer tomatoes will not need added sugar. If you feel it is too acid, add just a pinch.
- How long you will cook the tomatoes, will also give you 2 different results: the longer you cook the sauce, the thicker it will be. The less you are simmering the sauce, the more liquid will be. It is up to your preference, many Italian recipes call for a thicker one.
- For storing the sauce there are few options: you can use it immediately, you can refrigerate it for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. You can freeze it, in this case, it will last up to 8 weeks. Or best is to can it, following the link in the post.
Nutrition
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Thank you! I had lots of tomatoes and wanted to know how to make sauce.
Hello! Thank you for stopping by! I am so glad you find this recipe useful and that turned out well.
Made this a month agi and took some out of the larder to use and the whole lot has mold on top……Why?
Hi Yvonne,
Jarring requires to take specific measure: all tools needs to be cleaned and sterile. The jar needs to have no air, this is why you press down the top and flip it until it cool down.The cap needs to be closed very strongly.
Maybe something might have occurred. Also it depends where you store it. A cool, dry place is best to avoid humidity, therefore condensation and formation of mold.
I am sorry about it. I hoe the above suggestions will help.
Can I put chopped fresh basil in while making it to freeze? Or do I have to wait until til I’m ready to use it?
Hi Jan,
First of all apologies for my late reply. I suggest you to put whole leaves in while cooking it for the sauce to absorb the flavor. Then when you freeze it it is better to remove the basil. You can add more once you will be using that jar. Another tip for the basil: chopping basil with a knife make the leaves oxidize and turning black. I suggest you; 1) tap the leaves between your hands to release the essentials oil gently and then put in the sauce. OR 2) chop it with your hands.
I hope you enjoy the sauce and I hope you can leave a rating if you made it and if you will try other recipes!
Thank you for stopping by!
Is it advisable to use glass jars for freezing the sauce?
Hi Charm,
yes it is especially for thick sauces like tomato in this case, the mason jar needs to be in a glass that is freezer safe. As a good rule, leave 1 inch space between the sauce and the lid, freeze side up.
I hope it helps! I have always used glass jars, they never broke.
Laura