This San Marzano sauce is rich, robust, and ridiculously delicious! This chunky, hearty marinara is made with authentic Italian seasonings, roasted garlic, and San Marzano-style tomatoes.
If you are looking for meaty Italian spaghetti sauce recipes, check out our baked pasta with sausage or meatballs in cast iron skillet.
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Why We Love This Pasta Sauce Recipe
- With a large skillet, you can make a ton at once!
And since this homemade tomato sauce freezes well, it’s great for meal prep. - San Marzano sauce is a quick and easy weeknight dish.
This is the one if you’re looking for Italian spaghetti sauce recipes that perfectly complement fresh pasta. It’s simple and delicious! - It’s a great vegetarian or vegan option!
It’s among our favorite meatless Italian sauces, along with our cheesy bechamel sauce, green pesto, and Alfredo recipes.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Tomatoes – We always use San Marzanos (see the section below for more info), but other plum tomatoes such as Roma tomatoes can still build a tremendous marinara.
- Olive Oil – The best, most high-quality extra virgin olive oil comes in a dark bottle that prevents deterioration by way of light. This one is a go-to brand in our kitchen!
- Garlic – Fresh cloves slowly sizzling in olive oil sets the foundation for an aromatic, authentic Italian red sauce. Mincing will save you some mashing later on — and don’t hesitate to throw in a couple more cloves!
- Red Pepper Flakes – Just a pinch adds just a touch of heat. Like things spicier? Add a little more!
- Oregano – Dried or fresh, make sure you have some form of oregano in your San Marzano tomato sauce!
What are San Marzano Tomatoes?
They are long, bright red tomatoes that you might almost mistake for a tiny bell pepper or chile!
But that characteristic appearance makes them unmistakable, and they’re unmistakably perfect for a homemade Italian spaghetti sauce recipe!
They’re great for sauces for a few reasons: they have very few seeds, a thick and meaty flesh, and low moisture content.
All of this together makes for a vibrant, full-bodied, flavorful tomato. So while they’re pricier than other varieties, the flavor and quality are unbeatable!
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Tips for Making Italian Spaghetti Sauce Recipes
- Simmer slowly for a less acidic sauce.
Luckily, San Marzano tomato sauce is already less acidic than sauces made with other tomatoes. The slow simmering method makes this particular marinara sauce less acidic — that harsh acidity mellows out as the seasonings become more pronounced.
For a creamy Italian dinner without tomatoes, we have a recipe for fettuccine alfredo with shrimp that’s amazing!
- San Marzano sauce isn’t just for pasta!
While it will certainly make any average spaghetti, lasagna, or other pasta something special, you can also use it as a pizza topping or alongside sourdough or French bread as a marinara for dipping!
Basically, any way you’d serve a red pasta sauce is a perfect use case!
- Go the extra mile with fresh herbs.
Dried herbs give you the essence of the seasoning, but fresh herbs offer a more vivid, pronounced, and nuanced flavor. They are also more aromatic.
Additionally, while we use basil as a simple garnish, it can also be cooked along with the oregano for an even fresher, more herbaceous flavor.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
If you use fresh herbs, add them in the last 10 minutes or so of cooking so as not to simmer away the flavor.
- Simmer the tomatoes before crushing.
To help the tomatoes come to a better consistency, allow the sauce to thicken for a few minutes before crushing them with the potato masher.
When the tomatoes are a little softer from simmering, they are easier to get to a consistent size.
Recipe FAQs
Some are, and some aren’t. Pay attention to the label to ensure your preferred brand has “CERTIFIED” somewhere on the can.
The Cento brand we always use is DOP certified, for example — you can see it in the picture above!
An authentic Italian spaghetti sauce recipe is very simple.
Tomatoes, a few iconic Italian spices, and olive oil for smoothness build a rich, robust marinara with a great match of heat, acidity, and sweetness.
We use peeled, canned tomatoes or peel them for San Marzano tomato sauce.
This is because we are not blending, pureeing, or using an immersion blender for the marinara — it is simply mashed while it simmers. As a result, using whole tomatoes with peels will greatly alter the texture.
This Italian tomato sauce should be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
For either storing method, let it cool completely before transferring it to a completely airtight container. We tend to use mason jars for homemade sauces — and holding onto old marinara jars is perfect for this!
Frozen or refrigerated, it can be slowly reheated on the stovetop.
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San Marzano Sauce
Equipment
- skillet
- large bowl
- potato masher
Ingredients
- 28 ounces whole San Marzano tomatoes or any plum tomato like Roma
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 7 garlic cloves peeled and slivered
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh basil leaves chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pour tomatoes into a large bowl and crush, using your hands or a potato masher. *Note: They may not crush all the way down at first, and that's okay. After they have simmered for 5-10 minutes, they will soften.Pour 1 cup of water into the can (to get all of the tomato juice left in the can) and set that aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering and hot, add the garlic.
- As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle (about 30 seconds), add the tomatoes and the reserved tomato water. Stir in the red pepper flakes and oregano. Taste the sauce, then season it with salt and pepper as desired.
- Simmer tomato sauce until it is rich and has thickened, about 15 minutes. After 5-10 minutes, use a potato masher to crush the tomatoes futher. This helps to create a smoother consistency.Before removing the pan from the heat, be sure to taste the sauce and add more salt and/or pepper, if needed. Garnish with chopped fresh basil before serving, if desired.
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Jackie says
Best tomato-based sauce I’ve ever had! I wanted something different to go with my baked ziti, I tried this out and could have just eaten it without the pasta! Even spooned some on some sourdough, it is that good! Thank you for sharing!!
Paula says
This quick pasta sauce made the perfect weeknight meal after practice last night. It tasted amazing and what a breeze to make.
Charah says
Great recipe, my family loves it. Thanks for sharing
Andrea says
This is homemade sauce has great flavors and is so simple to make. It’s perfect for a comfort meal on a busy weeknight.
Holly says
This sauce was so delicious. I used it to make meatball sub sandwiches for a party I had last weekend and everyone raved!