Tomato sauce. Red sauce. Pomodoro. Call it whatever you like, but this classic Italian tomato sauce is a staple in both Italian and Italian-American cooking. It’s rich, flavorful, and incredibly simple to make. The key? Quality ingredients and a slow-simmered approach.
This homemade tomato sauce recipe is perfect for spaghetti, rigatoni, or even as a base for other Italian dishes. Whether you call it tomato sugo, pomodoro sauce, or gravy, this stovetop recipe brings out deep, rich flavors with minimal effort.
The one major tip I have for making a good tomato sauce is using enough olive oil.
Why You’ll Love This Simple Tomato Sauce for Pasta
- Minimal ingredients, maximum flavor – made with just tomatoes, olive oil, onion, and garlic.
- Easy stovetop tomato sauce recipe – no special equipment required.
- Versatile – great for pasta, pizza, or as a base for your next meal.
- Traditional Italian tomato sugo recipe – inspired by authentic Italian cooking.
- Freezer-friendly – learn the best way to store homemade tomato sauce below!
Ingredients for the Best Homemade Tomato Sauce
The beauty of this simple pomodoro sauce for spaghetti is in its simplicity. Here’s what you need:
- 1/4 cup olive oil – The classic base used to sauté the onion and garlic.
- 1/2 onion (white or yellow), finely diced – Our main aromatic for the sauce. Gives it lots of flavor and brings some sweetness to the final sauce.
- 2 cloves garlic – Totally optional, but very delicious.
- 28 oz tomato puree, passata or canned whole tomatoes – The base for our tomato sauce. Use a good quality canned tomato.
- Salt, to taste – Enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.
- A pinch of sugar (only if needed) – Balances the acidity. If you have great tomatoes, you won’t need the sugar, but it can help make a super acid sauce taste better.
Best Tomatoes for Homemade Tomato Sauce
For a classic Italian tomato sauce, I love the tomatoes from Bianco de Napoli, San Merican and Mutti. I am generally using one of those varieties of canned tomatoes and always have some on stock.
If none of those are available, look for the following on the label:
- San Marzano Tomatoes – The gold standard for sugo di pomodoro. San Marzano tomatoes are a variety of plum tomato from Italy. They have great flavor, and make an excellent sauce.
- Roma Tomatoes – Also a great option for a tomato sauce. Roma tomatoes have lots of pulp, so they make a wonderfully thick sauce.
- Canned whole Tomatoes – I prefer to get whole canned tomatoes whenever I can. They tend to be very high quality, and are super versatile depending on what you’re making. You can crush them or blend them depending on the texture you’re going for.
How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce from Scratch
- Sauté the Aromatics
Heat a generous bit of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook until translucent (about 10 minutes). If using garlic, add it now and cook for 1 minute. - Simmer the Tomatoes
Pour in the tomato puree and another pinch of salt. Stir well. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. - Taste and Adjust
After 20 minutes, check the seasoning. If the sauce is too acidic, add a small pinch of sugar. Let it cook for another 10 minutes until it deepens in color. - Serve
Toss this traditional pomodoro sauce for pasta with spaghetti, drizzle with olive oil, and top with Parmesan or Pecorino and fresh basil.
Tips for the Best Slow-Simmered Tomato Sauce
Use enough olive oil
This is my #1 tip for the best tomato sauce. Use enough olive oil. It brings out the tomato’s natural richness and emulsifies into the sauce to create that great consistency. Tomatoes have lots of fat soluble flavor compound, and to bring them all out, you need to add fat to the sauce. I promise the sauce won’t be greasy.
Don’t rush the simmering process
You want the sauce to reduce, the natural sugars to caramelize and the raw flavor of the tomatoes to cook off. It takes some time, be patient.
Blend for a smooth sauce
I love using blended tomatoes for this, or a pre-blended jar of tomato passata (purée) for this. But, if you like a chunkier tomato sauce, you can simply crush up those tomatoes before sautéing.
Want a thicker sauce?
Cook it for longer. Keep it at a low simmer, uncovered and stir occasionally. Cook it until it reaches the consistency you like. I do a version of this sauce and cook it for 45 minutes (or more) to use as the topping on Philly Tomato Pie. If you want it thick, keep on cooking!
Best Pasta Shapes for Pomodoro Sauce
This classic tomato sugo goes well with just about any shape of pasta you like. But in case you need a little inspo, here are a few of my favorites:
- Spaghetti – for a simple spaghetti al pomodoro. It’s classic and for a good reason!
- Rigatoni – Those big, ribbed tubes holds up to the sauce’s richness.
- Ditalini (tubettini) – Brings me back to being a kid. A big bowlful of those short little tubes, tossed with red suace and covered in parmesan is so comforting.
How to Store & Freeze Homemade Tomato Sauce
Refrigerator:
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer:
- Let the sauce cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or a plastic bags. Freeze the bag flat, so you have a sheet of frozen sauce. It makes storage and thawing much easier.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw overnight in the fridge (if you have the forethought) and reheat on the stove.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between tomato sugo and pomodoro sauce?
They’re essentiall the same. Sugo is a general term for sauce. Pomodoro means tomato, so Sugo di Pomodoro translates to Tomato Sauce. And, you guessed it, pomodoro sauce is tomato sauce. It’s all the same.
Can I make pomodoro sauce with fresh tomatoes?
Absolutely! I would recommend making sure you have excellent fresh tomatoes, and remove the excess liquid and seeds before cooking. You can also remove the skin if you like. I make this sauce with fresh tomatoes when they’re available in summer. You usually won’t need to cook it for as long, typically it will be done after 20 minutes simmering, the final sauce will be thinner and the flavor will still taste like a fresh tomato. So good!
More Italian Red Sauce Recipes You’ll Love
Baked Rigatoni – The perfect baked rigatoni with ricotta cheese and a quick meat sauce. It’s an easy weeknight meal that tastes like it took you all weekend.
Eggplant Parmigiana – Thin, pan fried eggplant is layered with crispy sage and fresh mozzarella.
Sausage Red Sauce Rigatoni – A simple, two ingredient pasta sauce that will be your new go-to!
Sausage and Beans – Simple sausage and beans simmered in a tomato sauce. Super easy and incredibly delicious.
Bacon Amatriciana – The classic Italian Amatriciana sauce get’s an American twist with bacon and lots of freshly ground black pepper.
Did you make this recipe?
This easy pomodoro sauce is a kitchen staple you’ll turn to again and again. Whether you’re making a simple spaghetti al pomodoro or a slow-simmered tomato sauce for Sunday dinner, this recipe delivers big Italian flavors with minimal effort.
Did you try this Tomato Sauce recipe? Leave a comment and review below with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see!
Classic Italian Tomato Sauce (Pomodoro Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1/2 onion white or yellow, fine dice
- 2 cloves garlic optional
- 28 oz tomato puree
- salt
- sugar just a pinch, only if needed
Instructions
- To start, get your saucepan over medium heat and add in your oil and onion and season with some salt. Let those onions sweat till they’re translucent and smell slightly sweet. Maybe 5 or so minutes.
- Next, add in your garlic. I only like a hint of garlic, if any, sometimes I make this with no garlic at all. If you want a stronger hit of garlic you can crush it, or if you want even more garlicky flavor, finely mince it. Totally up to you, just add it in now and let it cook till it’s aromatic, maybe a minute.
- Then, add in your tomato puree, some additional salt to season and then let it simmer, uncovered, on low to medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally so you don’t burn the bottom. After 20 minutes check your sauce for seasoning and add in some more salt if you need it or a small pinch of sugar if it’s still overly acidic. Then let it cook for maybe another 10 minutes.
- The sauce should have reduced a bit by now and taken on a brick red color rather than that bright red, raw tomato color. I would recommend tossing this with some pasta, topping with a good drizzle of olive oil and some cheese. Basil would probably be nice too. Eat up!
Notes
Did You Make This Recipe?
Leave a comment with your thoughts or share your version on Instagram by tagging @TheMostHungry. I’d love to see how you made it your own!
3 thoughts on Classic Italian Tomato Sauce (Pomodoro Sauce)
I’m likin this gravy. It’s so simple even I can make it ????
OMG! Self quarantine with this sauce, makes you forget you are in self quarantined.
Delicious! service with some sautéed spinach and crust bread. Heavenly!
Mmmm that sounds delish!