Spaghetti Sauce

Nothing makes an Italian dish better than some homemade spaghetti sauce! This basic tomato sauce is very easy to make and easy to modify. Depending on the recipe that you plan to use it in, I provided all kinds of variations to try!

I’ve been making my tomato spaghetti sauce for so many years now and I’ve only made a couple of adjustments to it. The reason this sauce has been so good and so popular with everyone is the taste but also the acidity. I’ve found a way to keep the acidity levels down while still providing the classic rich flavors of tomato sauce.

I have two simple ingredients that help me keep the acidity of tomatoes well balanced and that is carrots and a touch of sugar.

Once you taste just how delicious my homemade sauce is, you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought sauce again. Especially since all you need is 10 minutes to toss everything in a pot and then let it do it’s job for about an hour.

If you’ve been staying away from this type of spaghetti sauce because of the high acidity, please give my sauce a try and see if you like it better!

Key Ingredient Notes and Must Haves

Carrots – These veggies lend natural sweetness to the sauce, which helps balance the high acid of tomatoes. It also gives the sauce richness of flavor. (Of course, it also gives you knowledge that you’re adding more veggies into your family’s meals.)

Garlic – For best results, use fresh garlic cloves! I’ve found that 5-6 large cloves provides just the right note, but you may prefer more or less.

Tomatoes – use can of crushed tomatoes and I recommend a fire roasted ones. If not available, use plain but don’t use those with added flavor ingredients.

Herbs – Fresh basil, dried oregano and dried bay leaves give the sauce the best Italian flavor. Expert note: if your bay leaves look large and bright green, they are not as dry and are more potent, so use just 1.

Sugar – this is a must ingredients to balance out high acidity of the sauce. You can add 1 to 2 teaspoons and taste after each addition. If you need to, substitute raw sugar or turbinado but I have not tested the recipe with sugar substitutes.

What are the best tomatoes to use?

Use fire roasted canned tomatoes. For the best spaghetti sauce, the best tomatoes to use are San Marzano. Try to find those at your grocery store, it would be labeled right on the can.

Fresh tomatoes? – Spaghetti sauce is meant to be made with canned tomatoes with an addition of aromatics. Using fresh tomatoes is actually a different sauce – Pomodoro Sauce! “Pomodoro” literally translates to “tomato,” which is where that Italian tomato sauce gets its name.

How to Make Spaghetti Sauce

This is a very simple process of chopping veggies and then combining everything in a pot. You can’t mess it up!

1. Prepare your ingredients. Begin by chopping onions and carrots, peeling garlic, and mince basil. Don’t worry about the exact size of the cut since the sauce will be blended.
2. Sauté the veggies. Preheat a 3-quart pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and carrots and sauté for a few minutes until onion begin to soften. Smash garlic and add it to the pot.

3. Add remaining ingredients. Sauté the garlic until fragrant and add the entire can of tomatoes. Add bay leaves, oregano, sugar, half the basil, and salt. Stir well, cover with a lid but leave a crack for steam to escape.
4. Cook the sauce. Cook for about 30 minutes and add remaining basil leaves. Stir and cook for another 30 minutes or so. Before blending the sauce, make sure to remove the bay leaves.

5. Blend it. Blend sauce in the blender or using an immersion blender until smooth. Make sure to open the little tab so the steam can escape while blending.

PRO TIP: if you will be transferring the sauce into a stand-up blender, make sure it is safe to use with hot liquids, like soups and sauces. This is the hot and cold Blender that I prefer to use.

What are the best ways to use spaghetti sauce?

While you can most obviously serve this sauce over pasta for a delicious Instant Pot spaghetti dinner, it has so many other uses! Use it in my favorite spaghetti and meatballs Bake (such an easy dinner) or some hearty meatball Subs. Use it pasta based dishes like lasagna, manicotti, or stuffed shells recipe.

Use it to make sandwiches like chicken parmesan burger or even on an Italian Sub.
Impress everyone with homemade chicken Parmesan or enjoy a meatless entrée with eggplant parmesan. As you can see, the options here are pretty limitless.

PRO TIP: This recipe makes about 4.5-5 cups. It will be enough for 9×13 lasagna with a little leftover.

Can I make spaghetti sauce ahead of time?

Absolutely! If you’re planning of making Lasagna, Manicotti, or any other dishes that take a little while to make, you can easily make the sauce ahead of time. Prepare the sauce as directed, cool it down, and store in a glass jar with an air-tight lid, in the refrigerator. (Expert tip: I recommend using a jar with a coated lid so metal is not touching the sauce or it will react with acids in tomatoes.)

Variations to Try

Depending on the recipe that you plan to use spaghetti sauce in, you can add different flavors to it!

• Try adding some extra cheeses, like Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, Pecorino, and/or Fontina.
• To make an easy Bolognese sauce, cook ground beef until browned, add this spaghetti sauce to cooked ground beef, and simmer for a few minutes. (Learn more about Bolognese sauce in my post)!
• Bring an amazing garlic flavor to your sauce by adding roasted garlic to the spaghetti sauce.
• You can make this sauce spicy. Add crushed red pepper flakes and/or some dried chili pepper. Adjust the amount to your own spice tolerance.

Storing Suggestions

If you’re not using the sauce right away, it’s best to get it cool quickly and get it in the refrigerator.

• For best results, cool the sauce quickly before storing it in the refrigerator.
• Transfer to sealed glass jars, where it will keep for 4-7 days.
• To prolong freshness and prevent contamination, pour servings out rather than dipping utensils into the jar. Using multiple smaller jars is also effective, as one can remain unopened while the other is in use.

Freezing Instructions

Cook the sauce according to the recipe. Before freezing, it’s best to cool the sauce as quickly as possible.

• To cool the sauce fast: set the an ice bath is an effective method.
• Portion the cooled sauce into freezer-safe zip-lock bags, squeeze out all excess air, and seal tightly.
• Label each bag with the contents and date. Lay the bags flat on a cutting board in the freezer until frozen, after which you can remove the board and stack the bags to save space. Freeze for up to 3 months.

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More Sauce Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
• Homemade Marinara Sauce
• Homemade Basil and Roasted Garlic Baked Penne
• Mushroom Sauce
• Homemade Alfredo Sauce
• Vodka Sauce

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in September, 2018.