I used to hate making my own homemade spaghetti sauce. It always ended up tasting kind of metallic or watery, basically like warmed-up canned tomatoes. I gave up for a while and just bought the jarred stuff. But then I was at a friend’s house, and her sauce was incredible. I finally asked her what the deal was, and her secret was embarrassingly simple: just let it cook. For way longer than I ever thought. That tip, plus a few other tweaks, led me to this recipe. It’s the only one I use now.
The Stuff You’ll Need For My Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Okay, here’s the shopping list. Don’t skip the San Marzano tomatoes. I know they cost a little more, but they’re less acidic and have this deep flavor that other canned tomatoes just don’t have. It was a total game-changer for me.
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped up
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 (28-ounce) cans of San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- A pinch (or two) of red pepper flakes. I use about 1/2 teaspoon.
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Salt and black pepper
- Some fresh basil for the end
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sweating the Onions
Get your biggest pot and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Throw in your chopped onions and let them cook until they get soft and see-through. This takes a solid 5-7 minutes. Now, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Give it a stir for maybe a minute, just until you can smell the garlic. Don’t walk away, it burns fast.
Step 2: Toasting the Tomato Paste
Spoon in the entire can of tomato paste. You’ll want to stir it around and let it cook for a couple of minutes until it gets a little darker and rust-colored. This part is super important—it cooks off that raw tomato taste and builds a much richer base.
Step 3: Simmer, Simmer, Simmer
Now, dump in the two cans of tomatoes. Use your spoon to break up any big pieces. Add the oregano, dried basil, sugar, and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir it all up and let it start bubbling. As soon as it does, knock the heat down to the lowest setting your stove has, cover the pot, and walk away. Set a timer for at least an hour, but if you can leave it for two, even better. The sauce just keeps getting deeper and richer. Just pop back in to stir it every 20-30 minutes.
Step 4: Thickening it Up
If you take the lid off and the sauce seems thin, just leave the lid off and let it keep simmering for another 20 minutes or so. The extra water will evaporate and it’ll thicken up on its own without you having to add anything weird to it.
Step 5: Finishing it Off
Turn off the heat. Chop up your fresh basil and stir it in right at the end. That little bit of fresh herb flavor makes a huge difference.
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Okay, So Why Is This THE Sauce?
This is the sauce that’s always bubbling on my stove on a lazy Sunday. The house starts to smell incredible, and it just feels ridiculously cozy. It makes enough to feed a crowd, or you can have leftovers for days, which is a lifesaver. We obviously use it on spaghetti, but I’ve also used it for lasagna and as a dipping sauce when I make mozzarella sticks. What do you usually serve with your spaghetti? We’re always in a garlic bread rut and I’d love some new ideas.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
A rich, thick, and deeply flavorful homemade sauce. Simmered low and slow to get that perfect, authentic taste. So easy and so good.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (28-ounce) cans San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and black pepper
- A handful of fresh basil
Instructions
Step 1
Get a big pot heat up the olive oil. Toss in the onions and cook them till they're soft. Now add the garlic and red pepper flakes just for a minute until you can smell it.
Step 2
Stir in all the tomato paste. Let it cook for a couple minutes it gets darker and tastes richer this way. Then pour in the canned tomatoes.
Step 3
Add the dried herbs sugar salt and pepper. Give it a stir. Once it starts to bubble turn the heat way down low cover it and just let it simmer for at least an hour. Longer is better.
Step 4
If the sauce is too thin for you just take the lid off for the last 20 minutes of cooking. It'll thicken up perfectly on its own.
Step 5
Turn off the heat. Chop up the fresh basil and stir it in right at the end. Done.