An easy Italian tomato sauce made from scratch using only four ingredients in about 10 minutes. This versatile sauce is ideal for pasta, pizza, or for dipping char-grilled ciabatta. It’s intensely flavorful and very simple to make.
There are countless variations of Italian tomato sauce: some use fresh tomatoes and long simmering, others add chilli for a spicy arrabbiata or pancetta for extra richness. This version is intentionally quick and uses a handful of quality ingredients to deliver great taste in minimal time. A short, focused simmer caramelises the tomato sugars, producing a deep, concentrated flavour without hours on the stove.
Using high-quality canned tomatoes is essential for success with this recipe. The quick cooking only works for a relatively small batch (this recipe serves about four with pasta). Larger quantities will need more cooking time to reach the same depth of flavour.
What tomatoes to use?
Quality matters. For this quick sauce I recommend good canned chopped tomatoes (polpa) packed in thick tomato juice rather than water. Brands I regularly use and recommend are Cirio and Mutti, which give a rich, concentrated tomato flavour at a reasonable price.
How To Make Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce – Step By Step
Sauté the garlic – never add garlic to an already hot pan or it can burn quickly. Add the olive oil and the chopped or crushed garlic to a cold or cool pan, then warm gently and sauté for about 50–60 seconds until fragrant (do not brown).
Add the tomatoes – pour in the canned tomatoes and rinse the can with 1–2 tablespoons of water to capture every bit of tomato. Add a pinch of salt and simmer over medium heat for 8–10 minutes. If the tomatoes are chunky and you prefer a smoother sauce, crush them with a potato masher while simmering.
Finish the sauce – once the sauce has reduced slightly, remove from the heat and stir in a handful of fresh basil or parsley depending on how you plan to serve it. If you’d like to include dried oregano, add it earlier with the garlic so it has time to bloom in the oil.
Tips for making this Italian Tomato Sauce
- If serving with pasta – reserve a little of the pasta cooking water and stir a splash into the sauce just before adding the pasta. The starchy water helps emulsify the sauce and improves coating and flavour.
- Check seasoning – taste the sauce after simmering and add salt gradually as needed. It’s easier to add salt than to remove it.
- Use as a base – this sauce is a great starting point for many tomato-based dishes. Add fennel seeds, chilli flakes (pepperoncino), fresh chilli, rosemary, pancetta, or other herbs and spices to vary the flavour.
You can substitute peeled plum tomatoes or passata (tomato purée), but choose a high-quality brand such as Mutti or Cirio for the best results.
Yes. Once cooled, transfer the sauce to a suitable container or freezer bag and freeze for later use.
If you try this Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments. Follow the blog’s social channels to see more recipes and updates.
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Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce
By Emily
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 15 oz good quality canned chopped tomatoes, (400g)
- 1 handful fresh basil, optional
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt
Instructions
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Finely chop or crush the garlic and add it to a skillet with 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.
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Add the canned tomatoes, then rinse the can with 1–2 tablespoons of water and pour that into the pan. If the tomatoes are very chunky and you prefer a smoother texture, crush them with a potato masher.
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Season with a pinch of salt and simmer over medium heat for 8–10 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly. Turn off the heat and stir in a handful of freshly chopped basil if using.
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If serving with pasta, reserve a little pasta water and add a splash to the sauce to emulsify, then toss the pasta in the sauce until well coated. This recipe is enough for about 400g (14oz) of pasta to serve four.
Video
Notes
- Buying tomatoes – the tomato quality is the most important element. Use tomatoes packed in thick tomato juice, not water. Cirio and Mutti are reliable choices.
- Storage – The sauce freezes well. Allow to cool, then store in a freezer-safe container or bag.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I use extra virgin olive oil unless otherwise stated.
- For canned tomatoes I typically choose Cirio or Mutti for consistent flavour.
- All vegetables are listed as medium unless noted.
- Recipes are tested using a fan (convection) oven where applicable.
- Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be treated as an approximation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
More Authentic Italian Recipes You Might Like;
- Anchovy pizza with capers (Pizza Napoli)
- Pasta with puttanesca sauce
- Classic Caprese salad
- Spinach and ricotta cannelloni
- Classic beef lasagne