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How to Make Tomato Sauce from scratch

Name: How to Make Tomato Sauce from scratch
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 pounds whole canned San Marzano tomatoes; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 3 garlic cloves; 1 teaspoon salt; handful fresh basil leaves

Good tomato sauce starts with crushing whole San Marzano or Roma tomatoes by hand, then simmering them with olive oil, garlic, and salt for 45 minutes until the raw edge disappears and the sauce clings to your spoon. No sugar needed if you use quality tomatoes.

Total time: 50 min
Hands-on: 5 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 pounds whole canned San Marzano tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
handful fresh basil leaves

Step by step

Prepare the tomatoes. Crush 2 pounds of whole canned San Marzano tomatoes by hand in a large bowl. Feel for any hard stem pieces and remove them. Save the juice from the can.
Heat the oil. Warm 3 tablespoons of good olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. The oil should shimmer but not smoke.
Cook the garlic. Add 3 smashed garlic cloves to the oil. Cook until they turn golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove and discard them.
Add the tomatoes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and their juice. The mixture will bubble and sputter. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and stir.
Simmer the sauce. Reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to prevent sticking. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and has no raw tomato taste.
Finish the sauce. Taste and adjust salt. Stir in a handful of torn fresh basil leaves if using. The sauce keeps in the refrigerator for one week or freezes for three months.

Tips & troubleshooting

San Marzano tomatoes make the best sauce, but any whole canned tomatoes work better than pre-crushed varieties
Never use a blender or food processor - hand-crushing gives you the right texture
If your sauce tastes too acidic, add a pinch of baking soda instead of sugar
Make a double batch and freeze half in ice cube trays for easy portioning

Variations

Roasted Tomato Sauce. Halve fresh tomatoes, toss with olive oil and salt, then roast at 425°F for 30 minutes before crushing and simmering for 20 minutes.
Herb-Infused Sauce. Add a sprig of fresh oregano or thyme with the garlic, removing it before serving.
Onion Base Sauce. Sauté one diced yellow onion until soft before adding the garlic, then proceed with the recipe.

Questions

Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?: Yes, but you'll need about 3 pounds of ripe Roma tomatoes. Blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute, peel, and crush by hand before cooking.
Why does my sauce taste watery?: Keep simmering uncovered until more liquid evaporates. Good sauce should coat pasta, not pool around it.
Should I add wine to tomato sauce?: Only if you want to. Add 2 tablespoons of dry red wine with the tomatoes and let it cook off for a deeper flavor.
How do I know when the sauce is done?: Taste it. Raw tomato sauce has a sharp, bright edge that mellows after proper cooking. The sauce should also cling to your spoon without being thick.