This from-scratch tomato sauce has become a staple in our home. Seasoned with fresh basil and sweet, juicy whole tomatoes, it brings any dish to the next level.

Recently we hosted some friends for dinner. I knew I wanted an easy meal so I could enjoy socializing, but I also love to make food from scratch. So, I decided to throw together a quick large-batch tomato sauce to have for dinner but also to have on hand for easy weeknight meals! 

We hosted our friends on Friday, and I made chicken parmesan with this homemade sauce and homemade sourdough breadcrumbs. It was amazing, and having prepped the sauce the day before made my life so much easier. With a little one running around, it can be a challenge to make dinner on a normal night, much less for company! 

Even better, we still have 2 full quarts of sauce left! This recipe makes 4 quarts in total, and it is totally worth the long, slow cook time. However, if you need to prep this in a hurry, you could absolutely cook it in your instant pot, or even toss it in a slow cooker in the morning or before bed and have it ready when you need it. 

First things first, you will need some high-quality tomatoes. I absolutely love these whole tomatoes from Jovial, they are so sweet and the jars are great for reusing to store spices in. You could use crushed or diced tomatoes as well, just make sure the only ingredient is tomatoes! Fresh tomatoes would even be better since we will blend the sauce at the end of the cooking time. 

Personally, I believe you can never have enough garlic or onion. So, you will need two large yellow onions and one full head of garlic. I find the taste of freshly peeled garlic to be optimal, but you can use pre-diced if needed. To save time, you can peel and crush each garlic clove rather than dice them. 

Carrots add the perfect touch of sweetness to balance the sauce without adding processed sweeteners. The color of the sauce also benefits from the carrot addition. This is my secret ingredient!

Fresh-picked basil and yellow mustard powder add depth to the sauce that just isn’t found in store-bought products. I definitely recommend taking the time and effort to find these things, but, in a pinch, you can substitute dried basil and omit the mustard powder. 

Tomato Sauce Recipe

I find it extremely helpful to chop all of the ingredients prior to cooking anything! This keeps me from burning anything, and also helps me clean up more efficiently. I also recommend having a bowl on the counter in which to dispose of any veggie scraps. These can be composted or saved in the freezer to be used for vegetable stock at a later date. 

Chop all of the veggies. Dice the onions into ½-inch pieces. Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Cut off the ends of the carrots and cut them into ¼-inch rounds. 

Heat a heavy-bottomed 8+ quart stock pot on the stove at medium heat. 

Sautee the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil until translucent and fragrant. 

Add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring, making sure not to scorch them. 

Next, add the crushed garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant. Take care not to brown the garlic. 

Add in the jars of tomatoes. Fill each jar with water and add to the pot as well. 

Stir and bring to a low boil. Reduce to a simmer. 

Add the spices, mustard, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and bay leaves. 

Cook for 30 minutes, then add the fresh chopped basil. 

Allow the sauce to simmer for 3 hours, occasionally stirring. You do not need to babysit the sauce! This is a low-maintenance project, y’all. 

Take the sauce off of the heat and remove the bay leaves.

Using either an immersion blender or a standard blender, blend the sauce, eliminating any chunks. 

If you are using a standard blender, be sure to wait to put the sauce into the plastic carafe until it has cooled sufficiently! We don’t want to melt anything here or ruin the sauce. 

Return the sauce to the stock pot, and bring it back to a simmer. 

Once the sauce has returned to a simmer, add the tomato paste, stirring thoroughly. I like to combine some of the hot sauce with the tomato paste in a separate bowl to avoid any clumps, then stir into the sauce. 

Allow to simmer for 30 more minutes, then taste for seasoning and add more if needed. 

Take off the burner and allow it to cool. If using immediately, toss with pasta or another dish. If you wish to store them, separate them into quart jars. Do not add the hot sauce to cool jars, or you risk shattering the jars. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can freeze the sauce for up to three months. Be sure to leave adequate space for the sauce to expand as it freezes, so the jar doesn’t shatter. Thaw at room temperature or in water. 

That’s it! With just a few hours of being around the house, you are able to make several meals’ worth of homemade tomato sauce. This is the perfect project to bulk prep for the month if you have a smaller family, and will elevate all of your last-minute pasta dishes! Pasta and red sauce are a staple in this home, and after trying this amazing homemade marinara sauce, we’re never going back to pre-made! 

Give this large-batch marinara sauce a try and let us know what you think in the comments below! Tag me in your photos over on Instagram @makeshifthomestead and share your dinner inspiration with us. 

Let me know if you have any questions!

Talk to y’all next time.