This authentic Italian Pasta Sauce recipe is filled with fresh herbs and Italian tomatoes. The addition of carrots gives the sauce the perfect amount of sweetness without needing sugar. This tomato sauce recipe goes great with your favorite type of pasta and is perfect for Sunday dinners.
If someone asks me what my favorite meal is, I would 1000% say pasta, especially with tomato sauce. It is just the best, most comforting meal in my opinion. I also think it is the perfect homemade meal to serve to any and everyone.
This recipe has a special place in my heart. Growing up, we would visit my Nonna in England and I would always look forward to her making pasta sauce. It was and is the best ever. Nothing can replace watching her make this recipe and then enjoying it together, but every time I make it I think of her and am so lucky that I have this recipe to recreate. I truly hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Simple ingredients. This tomato sauce recipe is made with simple ingredients that combine into the most delicious sauce.
- Flavorful. While simple, this sauce is super flavorful and comforting and will be your go-to pasta sauce recipe. If you prefer a meat sauce, try creamy Italian sausage pasta.
- The sauce is a great base for other recipes, including my Simple Turkey Spaghetti and Béchamel Sauce Lasagna. You can even use leftovers on Air Fried Pizza Bagels!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oil and butter- I like to use both unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil when making this recipe. If you need this recipe to be vegan, substitute vegan butter or omit it altogether.
- Mirepoix- this is a combination of onion, celery and carrots. The carrots add sweetness to the sauce without needing to add sugar.
- Red wine- I recommend using Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or a Chianti. You can make this recipe without wine if you wish.
- Crushed tomatoes- crushed tomatoes work great in this recipe. However, you can also use a can of whole peeled tomatoes or even use a combination of both. I always recommend real San Marzano Italian peeled tomatoes.
- Herbs- you will need fresh basil and fresh thyme. Dried herbs will work in a pinch!
See the recipe card below for quantities and remaining ingredients.
Instructions
Step 1: Sauté the mirepoix in olive oil and butter until everything is slightly softened. Add the salt and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant.
Step 2: Deglaze the pan with red wine and let it cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Pour in the can of tomatoes and the remaining ingredients.
Step 4: Simmer on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 5: Use an immersion blender to smooth out the sauce slightly and blend the veggies into the sauce.
Step 6: Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
My favorite way to sweeten sauce is to use carrots which add a natural sweetness. However, if for some reason you don't want to use carrots, you can add a tiny bit of sugar.
Yes! This sauce can be made a few days before you plan on eating it. It will stay in the fridge for about 5 days and can also be frozen.
No, this recipe hasn't been tested for canning so I don't recommend it.
Marinara sauce is typically made with just a few simple ingredients such as onion, garlic and tomato. It is simmered for a shorter amount of time than tomato sauce.
Top Tips
- Most tomato sauce recipes call for oil but I recommend adding butter as well. Butter adds a creamy flavor to the sauce.
- Make sure you use high-quality ingredients, especially tomatoes. Better ingredients equal a better-tasting sauce.
- Make sure your sauce has some popping bubbles when simmering.
- Simmer for at least 45 minutes to help the sauce develop more flavor.
- This sauce will last in the fridge for about 5 days. Make sure you allow the sauce to cool completely before putting it in the fridge. Store in an airtight container. Check out my top tips for storing spaghetti.
- Freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container or storage bag for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the fridge then reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
Serving
Italian pasta sauce can be served with different varieties of pasta, including penne, spaghetti, rigatoni, angel hair and fettuccine. It can also be used in other dishes such as chicken parmesan, lasagna and pizza.
You can serve the sauce as is over pasta or you can add meatballs, sausage or grilled chicken. Don't forget some freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese on top! If you prefer a meat sauce, try my short rib bolognese instead.
Serve this with Steak Caesar Salad, Italian Roasted Vegetables or Air Fryer Green Beans for a delicious and healthy meal!
Try Chicken Piccata Pasta next!
Similar Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating & comment below to let me know how it came out. Thanks for visiting!
🍳Recipe
Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or vegan butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled & diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup fresh basil, torn
- 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions
- Heat olive oil & butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the diced onion, carrots & celery and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add in 1 teaspoon of salt and the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Pour in the red wine and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. Next, add in the can of crushed tomatoes, more salt, black pepper to taste, basil and thyme.
- Cover the pot, bring it to a slight boil, turn down the heat to low & simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Turn off the heat, allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes, then blend with an immersion or a traditional blender until smooth.
Video
Notes
- Most tomato sauce recipes call for oil but I recommend adding butter as well. Butter adds a creamy flavor to the sauce.
- Make sure you use high-quality ingredients, especially tomatoes. Better ingredients equal a better-tasting sauce.
- Adjust the recipe for your taste buds by reducing the amount of carrots or celery and/or adding more tomatoes.
- Make sure your sauce has some popping bubbles when simmering.
- Simmer for at least 45 minutes to help the sauce develop more flavor.
- This sauce will last in the fridge for about 5 days. Make sure you allow the sauce to cool completely before putting it in the fridge. Store in an airtight container. Check out my top tips for storing spaghetti.
- Freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container or storage bag for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the fridge then reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Jim Trout says
Wow! Excellent depth of flavor! But my sauce was more orange than red 🙂 Next time I'll either drop to 1 carrot or add more tomatoes. When we were in Italy this year, we visited Tuscany. The owner of the farmhouse where we stayed gave us a cooking class. Her old family recipe was similar to this one, except I think it only had one carrot. It also didn't use butter, but I do like the texture it contributes.
Sarah Hill says
Hi Jim, really happy to hear you enjoyed the sauce! Definitely adjust it next time to suit your tastes. One carrot should still give it that sweetness but it will be more red. My mom sometimes makes this with an extra can of tomatoes so you can do that also!
Brooklyn Hill says
This is amazing, so good! My family loved it too. So easy to make too
Sarah Hill says
Hi Brooklyn, so glad both and your family enjoyed the sauce!
Sue Peterson says
LOVE this sauce. Making it now with the addition of a friends Moms recipe for meatballs - so I on the menu here this evening we have Marrisa's, your Nonna's sauce, with Large Marge's Meatballs. (never met Marge, she was called large Marge because she was TINY : )
Morgan says
Reading this recipe is making me so hungry! I love from scratch sauce and haven’t made my own version in a while. This is inspiring and looks so delicious!
Sarah Holt says
Thanks so much Morgan 🙂