This homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes turns humble tomatoes into the most flavorful pasta sauce you'll ever make.
Inspired by Marcella Hazan's famous butter-and-onion tomato sauce, I've adapted the method for using fresh tomatoes. Using just six ingredients and one pot, you'll create a restaurant-quality sauce that beats anything from a jar.
Why This Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce Works
The butter makes all the difference. While most recipes rely on olive oil, butter adds richness and helps meld the flavors in a way that creates that silky, restaurant-style finish. Combined with a parmesan rind (your secret umami weapon), this sauce develops complex flavors that taste like they've been simmering all day.
Perfect tomato blend: After testing Roma, beefsteak, and vine-ripened varieties, I've cracked the code on the ideal mix that gives you both bright flavor and the perfect consistency – no watery sauce here.
Serve it over your favorite pasta, as a dipping sauce or with Baked Flounder with Parmesan Crust for a seafood version of Chicken Parm!
Ingredients for homemade pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes:
Full ingredient list and measurements included in the printable recipe card below.
Step by Step Instructions: Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
Step 1: Sauté aromatics
Heat butter in large pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sliced garlic, cooking gently while preparing tomatoes.
Step 2: Prep fresh tomatoes
If you prefer skinless tomatoes, use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin on your large tomatoes. Alternately, you can cook the sauce first, then pass them through a food mill. If tomato skins don’t bother you, just skip the peeling and chop the tomatoes.
Step 3: Simmer sauce
Add tomatoes, salt, pepper flakes and parmesan rind to the pan and simmer slowly for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes by pressing them against the sides of the pot.
Step 4: Blend sauce (optional)
Leave the sauce as it is, with a creamy tomato base with tomato chunks. Use a food mill to pass everything through the sieve, for a very smooth sauce. Or just use an immersion blender to smooth the sauce to your preferred texture.
This is my favorite way to go! (Remember to remove the parmesan rind before blending.)
Just before serving with pasta, add a few tablespoons salted pasta water to the sauce. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
If adding basil, stir in shredded leaves with the pasta. Serve sauce with parmesan and your favorite pasta or gnocchi.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Inspired by Marcella Hazan's famous technique, this fresh tomato pasta sauce uses butter, onion, and slow simmering to create restaurant-quality flavor with just 6 ingredients. Perfect for summer tomatoes and freezes beautifully.
Ingredients
3 pounds of tomatoes, mixed (6-8 romas plus 3-4 vine ripened)
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 large garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Parmesan rind, plus grated, for serving
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, optional
Instructions
- Heat butter in large pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion and sliced garlic, cooking gently while preparing tomatoes.
- Chop tomatoes into rough pieces. (See notes for peeling options.)
- Add chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes and parmesan rind to the pan. Simmer slowly for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with a spoon.
- Remove parmesan rind. Use an immersion blender to blend sauce to your preferred texture. (See notes for other texture options.)
- Just before serving, stir in a few tablespoons of salted pasta water. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve over pasta with fresh basil and grated parmesan.
Notes
Best Fresh Tomatoes: My go-to combination is Roma and vine-ripened tomatoes (about 6-8 Romas plus 3-4 large vine-ripened) for the perfect balance. Romas provide body and fewer seeds, while vine-ripened add bright, sweet flavor. Use whatever fresh, ripe tomatoes look best at your market, but aim for 3 pounds.
Peeling Tomatoes: You don't have to peel your tomatoes. I've tested peeling, blanching, using a food mill, and using an immersion blender. The immersion blender is simplest and gives the rustic texture I love. If you don't have one, a food processor works just as well.
Onion: The recipe calls for a whole diced onion. Since the sauce gets blended, most of the onion melts into the sauce. If you prefer no onion pieces, cut the onion in half, cook it in the sauce, then remove before blending and serving.
Butter: Salted butter is my preference, but use what you have and adjust seasoning to taste.
Texture Options: Leave chunky, blend smooth with immersion blender (my favorite), or pass through a food mill for ultra-smooth texture. Remove parmesan rind before blending.
Storage: Store in refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage. Thaw in refrigerator overnight or defrost in microwave.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Easy Recipes
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
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