Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes: Simple and Healthy
This healthy spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes is a simple, authentic Italian recipe made from scratch. Enjoy the vibrant, rich flavors of fresh tomatoes and basil in just over an hour. Perfect for pasta, pizza, or meal prep, this easy tomato sauce is as wholesome as it is delicious.
Equipment
- Box grater
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 pounds ripe tomatoes halved crosswise
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 small garlic cloves smashed
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 sprig fresh basil
Instructions
- Squeeze the seeds out of each halved tomato and discard them. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the tomatoes, discarding the skins. Transfer the pulp to a medium bowl — you should have about 4 cups.
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and crushed red pepper, stirring frequently until the garlic just starts to sizzle, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato pulp, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and the fresh basil sprig. Turn up the heat to medium-high, bringing the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 55 minutes to 1 hour. The sauce will reduce by half and thicken beautifully.
- Remove the basil sprig and taste the sauce, adjusting the seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, or store your sauce for later use.