Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce
Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce! A delicious fresh tomato sauce recipe using summer tomatoes, garlic and onion.
When life gives you tomatoes, make this simple fresh tomato sauce! My mother-in-law brought down 60 pounds of tomatoes last week, so I’ve been busy canning my homemade salsa (62 pints) and freezer jars of this tomato sauce.
I’m fairly certain that the best part of summer is the abundance of fresh produce– and I highly recommend this recipe for any bumper crop of fresh tomatoes that come your way.
The best part about this simple fresh tomato sauce recipe? It takes very little effort! No peeling, no blanching, no simmering for hours. Simply chop the tomatoes, cook with garlic, onion, salt and a little tomato paste to thicken everything up. If there’s ever been an easy button recipe, this is it.
Can I halve this fresh tomato sauce recipe?
Yes! I call for 10 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes in this recipe because I like to have enough for dinner one night, then leftovers to freeze. However, this recipe is very forgiving and can be halved if you don’t have 10 cups of tomatoes.
How many pounds is 10 cups of tomatoes?
A little over 6 pounds of tomatoes will yield 10 cups of chopped tomatoes. I’d error on grabbing 7 pounds just to be on the safe size.
Can I double (or triple!) this recipe?
Yes. This recipe is really forgiving and can easily be doubled or tripled. When I have lot of tomatoes, I will make a big batch of this sauce to freeze. More on freezing directions below.
How to freeze this simple fresh tomato sauce:
This recipe hasn’t been tested for canning, so I don’t recommend doing it. However, it can be frozen and I highly recommend making the full batch (if you have access to that many tomatoes) for freezing. There is nothing better than thawing a jar of summer sauce later in the year.
I always recommend using glass containers for freezing, and a mason jar works best in my opinion but glass containers work as well. Divide the sauce into jars, making sure to leave enough space for expansion. Then freeze!
To use, remove from the freezer and place in the fridge for ~24 hours to thaw out, or gently thaw in a bath of warm water. Remember that glass will shatter if exposed to hot water, a lessen I’ve learned more than once.
The perfect pasta using this simple fresh tomato sauce:
I included my notes in the actual recipe, but want to share it here again so you don’t miss it.
We recently splurged on this pasta machine and while I feel like it’s incredibly indulgent and a bit ridiculous, it’s also quickly become one of my favorite kitchen appliances. It takes only 10 minutes from start to finish to make homemade pasta and Vander loves helping to make it.
I’ve been making pasta for a very long time, and this is my foolproof method for creating restaurant worthy pasta at home. I included this technique (and a very similar recipe) in my cookbook, and here it is.
For the BEST spaghetti, cook pasta until 1-2 minutes under al dente. For example, if the package says 10 minutes, cook for 8 minutes and reserve some of the pasta water. Heat the tomato sauce in a skillet over medium heat, then add the undercooked pasta along with a splash of reserved pasta water and toss continuously, adding another splash or two of pasta water as needed.
Right before pasta is done, add in a tablespoon of butter (or non-dairy butter) and toss again until melted. The butter provides a glossy finish, so don’t skip it! You’ll also want to make sure to use the reserved pasta water as the pasta water contains starches that help the pasta cling to the sauce.
If you make this recipe, make sure to come back to rate it and leave a comment. Seeing you make my recipes makes my day and your feedback helps others! If you like this simple fresh tomato sauce, you’ll love my other fresh tomato sauce recipe and my perfect fresh tomato basil sauce.
Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 10 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large stock pain. Add the onion and salt and cook until very fragrant and soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, peppers, tomato paste and water. Whisk until paste is completely smooth, then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the tomatoes and simmer another 15-20 minutes until tomatoes have broken down and sauce has thickened slightly.
- Transfer to a blender (may have to do this in batches) or use an immersion blender and lightly puree; keeping some texture with a relatively smooth sauce.
- Return back to the pot and taste, adding more salt as needed. Serve– see below for tips on how to use this.