Best Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipe

When it comes to making homemade tomato sauce, you just can’t beat the flavor when you use fresh tomatoes. Whether you grow them in your backyard or pick up a basket of tomatoes at your local Farmer’s market in the middle of summer, the best recipes are made with tomatoes that are fresh picked off the vine.

No matter what variety of tomato that you have on hand, you can use them to make tomato sauce. Then use the sauce as the base for your favorite Italian pasta dish. Or spread it as the base for your favorite pizza, as the dipping sauce for breadsticks, or as the saucey layer in your lasagna.

Whatever you choose to do with it you will absolutely love the intense flavor that it provides. Best of all, it is simple and easy to make.

Surprisingly it requires only 6 ingredients (in addition to salt and pepper). However, these 6 ingredients pair together perfectly to make the most delicious sauce that you have ever had.

In fact, this recipe will become your go-to recipe whenever you want to make pizza, pasta or your favorite Italian meal. It comes together easily and you can even freeze it to have it on hand for later use.

What Variety Of Tomatoes Makes The Best Sauce

Although you can use just about any type of tomato to make fresh homemade tomato sauce, there is one type of tomato that is the preferred tomato of choice. Paste tomatoes are the gold standard variety when it comes to making sauce.

These varieties of tomatoes are often called Roma, Amish Paste, San Marzano or sometimes they go by the simple name of plum tomatoes. So why are they the tomato of choice? The 3-4 inch oval tomatoes have thick walls and a small seed core which makes them ideal for sauce making.

Although you can use all paste tomatoes to make sauce, you can also use a variety of tomatoes. Standard slicing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or a mixture of varieties can all be used. However, you will need to let the sauce thicken longer than the suggested time in the recipe below.

How To Peel Tomatoes

If you are using any type of tomato (besides cherry tomatoes) you must first peel them. Luckily, this is a simple process.

Start by filling a medium size stockpot with water until it is 3/4th full. Then place the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. While the water is boiling, prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl and set aside.

Once the water begins to boil, place the tomatoes in the pot for 1 minute.

After the tomatoes have been in the boiling water for 1 minute, use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the tomatoes to the ice water bath. Let them sit in the cold water until they are cool enough to handle.

Working with one tomato at a time use a paring knife and make a small cut at the surface of the skin. Then use your hands to peel away the skin and discard. Finally, use the same paring knife to cut any tough cores away from the center of the tomatoes and discard.

Now all that there is left to do is to cut the tomatoes into chunks and you are on your way to cooking fresh tomato sauce!

Helpful Tips When Making Sauce From Fresh Tomatoes

Texture – Once the sauce cooks down there will still be small chunks of tomatoes visible. Although some people like a chunkier sauce, if you prefer a smoother sauce use an immersion blender, food processor or high speed blender and pulse until it becomes the consistency that you prefer.

Flavor – The recipe calls for simmering the sauce for 2 hours. However, for more intense flavor continue to simmer for another 1-2 hours. Just be sure to place a lid on top, just slightly vented so the sauce doesn’t become too thick.

Sweeter Sauce – For those who find tomato sauce too acidic, you have three options. Make the sauce with low acid tomatoes such as Golden Jubilee Tomatoes. (See our article on: Growing Golden Jubilee Tomatoes) Or add more tomato paste and/or granulated sugar (1 Tablespoon at a time) to tame the acidity level.

Basil – Be sure to stir in the fresh basil right before serving. Adding fresh herbs while the sauce is simmering can result in the sauce having a bitter flavor. Therefore it is best to add the fresh basil once the sauce is finished cooking.

Best Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipe

* Complete recipe instructions including specific measurements, cook temperatures and times are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to read the entire article for helpful tips and tricks when making this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 lbs fresh tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 small yellow onion
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons fresh basil
• salt and black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large saucepan fill it 3/4 full with water. Place the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil.

As you wait for the pot of water to come to a boil, prepare an ice water bath. Do this by filling the bowl 1/2 full with ice, and then add enough water to fill the bowl 3/4 full.

Once the water is boiling carefully drop the tomatoes into the pot and let them boil for 1 minute. Then use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer them to the ice water bath and let them sit for at least one minute.

Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to slice the skin open if needed (it might already be split open). Then peel the skins off and remove the hard center core and discard both the peels and the core.

Chop the tomatoes into roughly 1 inch chunks. Set aside.

In a large saucepan placed over medium-high heat add the oil. Once the oil is hot add your onions and saute for 4-5 minutes.

Then add the garlic and saute just until fragrant (approximately 30 seconds – 1 minute). Decrease the heat to LOW and add the chopped tomatoes to the pot.

Then stir in the tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on LOW for 2 hours stirring frequently.

When the fresh tomato sauce has been simmering for 2 hours taste and adjust the salt and pepper per your taste preference. Then stir in the fresh chopped basil.

Use immediately or let it cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The tomato sauce can also be stored in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months.

ENJOY!

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