Veena Azmanov

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Homemade Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes in 20 mins

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Quick 20 mins Homemade Fresh Tomato Sauce (using fresh tomatoes)

With fresh tomatoes in abundance, why not make a homemade tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes. It’s fresh, natural, wholesome and most delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe makes fresh tomato sauce in less than 20 minutes and here’s a little trick I often use to get that nice bright red color in my tomato sauce.

An image optimized for social sharing for this homemade tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes with a little trick on how to get a deep bright red color.
Sphagetti sauce or homemade tomato sauce, made with fresh seasonal tomatoes in 20 mins

The best way to make a good tomato sauce is to use good Italian tomatoes, they are sweet and have a beautiful red color which makes a big difference to the sauce. Now we are not in Italy!! So it means we probably have to use canned Italian tomatoes.

Now I do use canned tomatoes when I have to but when fresh is an option!! Of course, I want to use fresh!! I do get absolutely delicious fresh tomatoes here. I make my homemade tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes and you will see I still manage to get a rich red color and sweetness to my sauce. Want to know the little secret? It’s in the recipe below. The caramelize sugar!! You must try it.

An image optimized for social sharing for this homemade tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes with a little trick on how to get a deep bright red color.
Sphagetti sauce or homemade tomato sauce, made with fresh seasonal tomatoes in 20 mins

One Fresh tomato sauce as a base

Do you prefer chunky tomato sauce or smooth tomato sauce?

Honestly? They are both absolutely delicious! My kids tend to favor the smooth sauce more than the chunky so we always blend it to a smooth sauce. I love a nice chunky tomato sauce especially with a few added olives to it.

This is often my go-to for many many pasta dishes. Pizzas, mushrooms, bakes etc.

  • If you see my recipe for Penne Lasagna – yes, I’ve used this as well.
  • For my pizza – I thicken the sauce a little more and spread over the pizza dough. Add toppings and bake. Don’t forget to read my Secrets to delicious homemade Pizza. 
  • For a mushroom sauce – Saute mushroom slices in one tablespoon of olive oil, add a pinch of salt so the mushrooms will release the liquid. Once the liquid has evaporated add in the tomato sauce and cook for five minutes. Serve with pasta.
  • Meat sauce – saute the ground meat in a tablespoon of oil until brown. Add the tomato sauce and cook on low for an hour until thick and delicious.
  • Lasagna – Layer this fresh tomato sauce with ricotta or bechamel for a vegetarian lasagna.
An image optimized for social sharing for this homemade tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes with a little trick on how to get a deep bright red color.
Sphagetti sauce or homemade tomato sauce, made with fresh seasonal tomatoes in 20 mins

How to get a deep red color in homemade tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes? (Save/Pin)

One of the challenges with fresh tomatoes is that they don’t always have a bright red color. However, No matter what the color they do taste amazing and make a great fresh tomato sauce. Here’s a little trick I use to make sure no matter what the color of my fresh tomatoes – the sauce is always deep red not yellow, orange or pale red.

Caramelizing the sugar – The main purpose of the brown sugar here is to caramelize it so it adds a touch of brown to the red. You know what happens to red when you add a touch of brown? It deepens the red. We are using the same principle here. Just adding a dash of brown to the red which is why we want to make sure we just caramelize it not burn it.

I use this trick to deepen my red fondant in cake decorating. One day I realized this should work with my pasta sauce too. Right? Guess what it does. Now, you can get a deep red color for your fresh tomato sauce every single time.

Making homemade tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes is not difficult but often getting that nice bright red color is a challenge. With my simple easy trick you will make beautiful bright red tomato sauce every single time. 
Sphagetti sauce or homemade tomato sauce, made with fresh seasonal tomatoes in 20 mins

Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)

  • Tomatoes – I love picking red ripe but still firm tomatoes. They cook down beautifully. You can even roast the tomatoes in the oven at 160 C for an hour to get a nice roasted/smoky flavor for the sauce. If you like cherry tomatoes you must try my recipe – Cherry Tomato Olive and Basil Pasta 
  • Garlic – I think you absolutely need garlic and its’ just a small amount but adds so much flavor. If you like roasted garlic, save a few for your tomato sauce. It adds a lovely sweet garlicky flavor.
  • Bay leaves – adds an earthy flavor but if you don’t fancy you can just leave it out.
  • Thyme and Oregano – I do love fresh herbs but I don’t always have these fresh on hand but if you do have fresh? by all means, fresh is the way to go.
  • Brown Sugar – The main purpose of the brown sugar here is to caramelize it so it adds a touch of brown to the red. You know what happens to red when you add a touch of brown? It’s deeps the red. We are using the same principle here. Just adding a dash of brown to the red so make sure just caramelize not burn it.

Useful Tips and Tools

  • Use a heavy bottom Sauce Pan to prevent sticking
  • I like to use my Wood Spoon for stirring or
  • you can also use a heat resistant Spatula
  • I like to use my Hand Blenderfor pulsing the sauce. If you use a regular blender it’s best to cool the sauce a bit to prevent accidents.
An image optimized for social sharing for this homemade tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes with a little trick on how to get a deep bright red color.
Sphagetti sauce or homemade tomato sauce, made with fresh seasonal tomatoes in 20 mins

How to Make A Quick Homemade Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes aka Fresh Tomato Sauce (save/Pin)

Prepare and saute veggies

  • Chop tomatoes roughly into small pieces.
  • Slice the garlic thin.
  • Cut onions fine.
  • Add oil and garlic into a large pot or Dutch oven.
  • With the heat on low let the garlic infuse into the oil for a minute or so making sure not to brown or burn it.
  • Once the garlic is nice and fragrant. Add in the dried herbs.
  • Followed by the diced onions, bay leaves and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

for the beautiful deep red color

  • Gently move the onions on one side of the pan keeping the center near the heat clear.
  • Add in the brown sugar. Let it caramelize slowly so it browns not burns.  This will add a little brown color that will intensify the color of our sauce.
  • Now mix in the onions again and continue to cook.
  • Next, add in the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.
  • Continue to cook on medium-high for 5 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slow Simmer

  • Cover the pan, lower the heat to a simmer and let simmer gently for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes you should have a thick, dark tomato sauce.
  • Add in your fresh basil leaves.
  • You can leave the sauce chunky or use a hand blender to blend it to a smooth paste.

Frequently asked questions?

How long with this fresh tomato sauce keep?

This sauce will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can portion it and freeze it a ziplock bags for about 3 to 4 months.

Is this tomato sauce the same as marinara sauce?

Both are tomato sauce. However, marinara sauce is best made with crushed and strained San Marzano or plum tomatoes. Since I’m using regular seasonal tomatoes I prefer to call this a fresh tomato sauce.

Is this the same as pasta sauce?

The base is the same however, a pasta sauce is usually simmered over low heat until thicker. The slow cooking makes the tomatoes sweeter, richer and more deeper in flavor.

Can I use this sauce over spaghetti?

Absolutely, you can make a wonderful vegetarian spaghetti pasta with this sauce.

Can I use this sauce over my pizza?

Yes, but you will need to cook the sauce a littler longer so it thickens. A runny sauce over pizza can be a messy affair.

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An image optimized for social sharing for this homemade tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes with a little trick on how to get a deep bright red color.
Homemade, Tomato Sauce Recipe using Fresh tomatoes in just 20 minutes
An image optimized for social sharing for this homemade tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes with a little trick on how to get a deep bright red color.

Quick Homemade Tomato Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

Author: Veena Azmanov
4.8 from 35 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Calories: 167kcal
$5
Adjust Servings Here: 4 servings

Description

With fresh tomatoes in abundance, why not make a homemade tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes. It’s fresh, natural, wholesome and most delicious. This simple, easy and effortless recipe makes fresh tomato sauce in less than 20 minutes and here’s a little trick I often use to get that nice bright red color in my tomato sauce.

Equipment /Tools

Ingredients

  • 6 cups Tomatoes chopped
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 cloves Garlic sliced
  • 1 cup Red onion chopped finely
  • 2 tbsp Brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp Tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp Dried thyme leaves
  • 4 tbsp Basil fresh chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
  • 4 Bay leaves large
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
Metric – US customary
ADJUST SERVINGS HERE – 4 servings

Conversions – Switch between Metric & US for other measurement options

Instructions

Prepare veggies

  • Chop tomatoes roughly into small pieces.
  • Slice the garlic thin.
  • Cut onions fine.

Saute veggies

  • Add oil and garlic into a large pot or Dutch oven.
  • With the heat on low let the garlic infuse into the oil for a minute or so making sure not to brown or burn it. 
  • Once the garlic is nice and fragrant. Add in the dried herbs.
  • Followed by the diced onions, bay leaves and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Beautiful deep red color

  • Gently move the onions on one side of the pan keeping the center near the heat clear.
  • Add in the brown sugar. Let it caramelize slowly so it browns not burns.  This will add a little brown color that will intensify the color of our sauce.
  • Now mix in the onions again and continue to cook.
  • Next, add in the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.
  • Continue to cook on medium-high for 5 minutes.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slow simmer

  • Cover the pan, lower the heat to a simmer and let simmer gently for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes you should have a thick, dark tomato sauce. 
  • Add in your fresh basil leaves.
  • You can leave the sauce chunky or use a hand blender to blend it to a smooth paste.

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Nutrition Information
Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 1299mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1417IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Keywords – basic, basic recipe, cooking, Pasta, sauce, tomato
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it was.Mention @veenaazmanov or tag me on Instagram #veenaazmanov

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About Veena Azmanov

Veena Azmanov is a professional Cake Artist and Food Enthusiast. The Founder, Editor, Creator and Recipe Developer on this blog. Follow her cake and food journey on this blog as she explores new and classic recipes with a twist.

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Comments

  2. Diane Willis

    Excellent sauce. Used my fresh Roma tomatoes and the taste and sauce also using my fresh onions and basil sent this sauce over the edge. I have tons of tomatoes so working on my second batch and will probably be doing it again another 2 times to end up with 4 batches. I used my food Saver and froze flat for stacking. I look forward to walking to the freezer this fall and winter for sure.

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Wow, Diane. So lucky you have so many fresh homegrown tomatoes. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. So happy you are enjoying this recipe. It sure is our family favorite. Have a great day

      Reply

  3. Fawn

    I have no clue how but all your recipes work like magic for me. My family loves this sauce. I now use it as a base for all my pasta recipes. That browning sugar.. genius.

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Thank you, Fawn. So happy you enjoy my recipes and your family loves this sauce. Thank you for taking the time to write this feedback. Love hearing back from those who try my recipe. Have a great day.

      Reply

  6. Shanie

    I can’t believe how talented you are – Been following your cake page all this while, now I’m a fan of your food too. Love the trick you have with the brown sugar in this one.

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Thank you, Shanie. I am so happy to hear that you had success with this recipe and enjoy it so much. And happy you trying my food recipes along with cake decorating. Thanks for coming back to write this comment. Always appreciate the feedback, especially good ones like this make my day.

      Reply

  7. Marietta

    I always make fresh tomato sauce but it never has that deep color. Thanks for the trick I used it this week and it worked. The sauce was so deep in color.

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Thank you, Marietta. So happy to hear you had success with my recipe and found this trick useful. Definitely works very well. Thanks for the lovely comment. Appreciate you coming back to write it. Have a wonderful day.

      Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Thank you, Dorothy. So happy to hear you had success with my recipe and everyone enjoyed it so much. Thanks for the lovely comment. Appreciate you coming back to write it. Have a wonderful day.

      Reply

  11. Bella

    Love this recipe and the flavor is just perfect. I love how simple and easy it is. My family loves it. Thank you Veena

    Reply

  12. Madain

    You have the best recipes on your blog. They always work. Thank you so much. Love this recipe it’s so tasty

    Reply

  14. Philip

    Made this recipe last week and the kids enjoyed it. Was happy to use fresh tomatoes not canned. Love the caramelizing sugar hack. Thanks for another amazing recipe Veena

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Thank you so much, Philip. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Yes, we love using fresh tomatoes as well. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Have a great day.

      Reply

  15. Zandy

    Make this recipe a couple of times and it’s always a winner. I used it last week on pasta as well as pizza. We love it. So glad I don’t have to buy canned tomatoes anymore. This gives a nice color too

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Thank you Zandy, So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Yes, I use it on my pizza too. Kids love it. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback. Have a great day.

      Reply

  16. Mario

    Hi!
    The simmering time of 15 minutes isn’t it too short?
    I learned from another recipe it takes 2hrs for a batch of 10 pounds of tomatoes

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      There are many different versions of tomato sauces Mario. You can make a concentrated recipe too if you want but for everyday cooking this one amazing. Very fresh and beautifully light.

      Reply

  17. Eileen Kelly

    One of my favorite things about creating recipes is the variety. Im=haven=mine, but I really love your recipe. Using fresh tomatoes is the best and the flavors are amazing. Love everything about this fresh tomato sauce

    Reply

  18. Vatch

    I did not know you could make perfect tomato sauce with just fresh tomatoes. We loved this recipe. Love your trick to getting that deep red. I will be using this recipe more often now. Thanks

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Thank you Vatch, So happy to hear you had success with this recipe. Sounds delicious! I love using fresh whenever possible. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback, appreciate it very much. Always a great feeling to read such success and positive comments. Thank you.

      Reply

  19. Jessie Yung

    The sauce was delicious and the seasonings spot on.! I appreciate how simple it was to make. I found that four cups of tomatoes cooked down didn’t yield enough sauce (we must be generous in our servings), so I added a can of crushed tomatoes, more seasonings and simmered again. Next time I will be sure to double or triple the tomatoes so it’s fresh from start to finish.

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      Thank you Jessie – You can definitely double or triple the recipe. I do make small batched to serve only 4 people. For us the becomes right as we are not too generous with our tomato sauce. Glad you hear you loved the taste. Thanks for the feedback.

      Reply

  20. Soniya

    Nothing beats homemade sauce .. specially in summers!! I have a veggie patch and have lots of Tomato plants.. can’t wait to make my own sauce at home.. pinning you recipe for later!

    Reply

  21. Swathi

    Fresh sauce always best, love that color which is lacking the store bought one. I think this will great for home made mixed veggie pasta or even some curries. I think options are endless.

    Reply

  22. karyn

    Thank you for the little tip about the colour!! the sauce looks beautiful. I’ll definitely try the brown sugar the next time I make pasta sauce. Your photos are really good too

    Reply

  23. Molly Kumar

    This is such a gorgeous looking tomato sauce that I can literally eat few spoons just like that 😉 Nothing compares to homemade sauces/jams and this would be perfect to make a huge batch and store for later use. Love the pictures.

    Reply

  26. Kylee from Kylee Cooks

    Fresh sauce is the BEST kind! I love making it from scratch. The tip about the brown sugar is a good one, I often use it to combat acidity (when I can’t find the good tomatoes, it helps!). Your recipe looks GREAT

    Reply

  27. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

    I love a good tomato sauce — it’s the basis of so many good recipes. Your sauce recipe sounds wonderful, Veena! I like how you deepen the red, very clever! I haven’t had breakfast yet but you’re making me hungry for something Italian — our sauce is frozen right now but I am craving it. We’ll have to try your recipe next time we make sauce. (Thank God, you don’t call it gravy!!!!!)

    Reply

  28. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy

    OK….I love the fall harvest of tomatoes. I always slow roast them and put them in the freezer for use over the winter. This sauce sounds so delicious and would be perfect on pasta, and so many other recipes. Printed and will try when the harvest is ready.

    Reply

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    Reply

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