This tomato sauce recipe with fresh tomatoes is perfect with pasta and makes a great base for pizza too!
There is nothing quite like the taste of a tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes. It has a bright, intense flavor – and unlike commercially made tomato sauce – you can tailor-make it to your exact specifications and preferences.
Making fresh tomato sauce might seem like a lot of trouble to go to when it’s so easy to get hold of the store-bought variety. But the good news is that it freezes well, so you can make it ahead in big batches and you’ll always have some on hand when needed.
The best tomatoes for making sauce
Roma: These are a great choice, and the most popular. They don’t have many seeds, plus they have a low water content and a ‘meaty’ texture. Plus, of course, they taste fantastic.
San Marzano: These are a type of long, thin plum tomato, with a balanced flavor and a small cavity for the seeds that’s easy to remove.
Viva Italia: Great for soups, ketchup, sauces and more, these deep red tomatoes are full of fabulous flavor.
Amish Paste: These are similar to Roma tomatoes, but sweeter
Big Mama: A huge plum-shaped tomato that produces sweet, thick homemade sauces
Tangerine Mama: Just like its name suggests, this one has a lovely bright hue which it keeps even after cooking!
Ways to use fresh tomato sauce
In our recipe we suggest pairing your homemade tomato sauce with fresh pasta – but there are so many other ways you can use it!
Why not try:
- Using it as the liquid in which to steam fresh shellfish like clams and mussels (thin with a little water if necessary)
- Spreading a layer of the sauce in your grilled cheese sandwich prior to cooking
- Using it as the poaching medium for fish or eggs
- Using it as pizza sauce
Top tip
If you haven’t been able to get hold of a sweet type of tomato to use in your homemade sauce – or your tomatoes are not fully ripe – don’t be afraid to add a pinch of sugar! Whilst experts disagree about whether this is a good or a bad thing to do, we think it can help save the day when your sauce is a little too acidic.
Tomato Sauce Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 pounds Fresh Tomato ripe and unrefrigerated (preferably plum)
- 1/4 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
- 1 tablespoon Flat-leaf Parsley
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Garlic or more if desired
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 pinch of Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 pound Dry Spaghetti or spaghettini
- Grated Parmesan Cheese for serving
Instructions
- Chop the fresh tomatoes and the herbs finely.
- Heat the olive oil over a medium heat and add the chopped garlic.
- Stir for a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, seasonings and herbs.
- When the mixture starts to bubble, lower the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until the mixture thickens (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
- Whilst the tomato sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
- Add the spaghetti and cook – according to the directions on the packaging – until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and toss with the fresh tomato sauce – you may prefer to blitz the tomato sauce briefly in a food processor first, for smoother results.