How to Make Tomato Sauce from Scratch

Co-authored by Linda McNally

Last Updated: September 28, 2022

Tomato sauce from scratch means making the sauce using fresh ingredients, including the tomatoes. That may seem difficult, but once you know how to prepare the tomatoes, making the sauce isn't that difficult. That means you can impress your family and friends with this tasty, homemade sauce whenever the mood strikes.

Ingredients

2 pounds (907 g) ripe tomatoes
Water
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon (4 g) sugar
Dash red wine vinegar
3 stems fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Skinning and Chopping the Tomatoes

1
Boil a large pot of water, and create an ice water bath in a bowl. Fill a large stockpot halfway full with water, and bring it to a boil on your stove. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, place cold water in a large bowl until it’s halfway full and add a couple of handfuls of ice to make an ice water bath for the tomatoes.^{[1]
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2
Place the tomatoes in the boiling water. Once the water has come to a boil, place 2 pounds (907 g) of ripe tomatoes in the pot. Add the tomatoes one at a time, though, to prevent splashing. Leave the tomatoes in the water for approximately 45 seconds to a minute, or until their skins begin to split.^{[2]
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- Any kind of red tomatoes will work for the sauce, but roma tomatoes are a good option. You can also do a combination of several types of tomatoes.
- Use a pair of tongs to drop the tomatoes into the boiling water so you don’t burn yourself.
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3
Place the tomatoes in an ice water bath. When the tomatoes have sat in the boiling water for approximately 45 seconds, use your tongs to remove them from the pot and drop them into the ice water bath. Let them sit until their skins begin to crack and peel away from the fruit.^{[3]
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- Depending on how large your ice water bath is, you may need to boil and bathe the tomatoes in small batches so you don’t overcrowd them.
4
Peel off the tomato skins and chop. After the tomatoes’ skin begins to crack, remove them from the ice water and use your fingers to gently peel away the skin. Use a sharp knife to roughly chop the tomatoes, cutting away any hard pieces.^{[4]
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- While you can throw away the tomato skin, you may want to save it to make your own tomato paste.
5
Squeeze the excess water and seeds from the tomatoes. Place a large bowl on your work surface, and gently squeeze the tomatoes over it to remove any excess water and seeds. Next, place the tomatoes in a strainer over the bowl and press again to remove any seeds that you might have missed.^{[5]
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- You don’t have to remove all of the seeds, but try to get rid of as many as you can.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Sauteing the Onion and Garlic

1
Heat the oil in a pan. Place 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-low, and allow the oil to heat until it starts to shimmer, which should take approximately 3 to 5 minutes.^{[6]
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- You can use whatever type of olive oil you prefer, but extra virgin will provide the best flavor for the sauce.
2
Add the onion to the pan, and cook until translucent. When the olive oil is heated, mix 1 medium onion that’s been finely chopped into the pan. Let the onion cook on medium-low until it softens and becomes translucent, which should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes.^{[7]
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- Stir the onion periodically to ensure that it cooks evenly. You don’t want it to brown or color at all.
3
Mix in the garlic and saute. Once the onion is softened and translucent, add 2 to 3 cloves of crushed garlic to the pan. Mix it with the onion, and allow the mixture to cook for another 2 minutes.^{[8]
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- You can add the garlic according to your tastes. Add 3 cloves or more if you like a strong, garlic flavor. Limit it to 2 cloves if you prefer a milder taste.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Adding the Tomatoes

1
Stir in the tomatoes. When the onion and garlic have cooked for a couple of minutes, mix the chopped tomatoes into the pan. Use a wooden spoon to break the tomatoes further as you stir them into the onions and garlic.^{[9]
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2
Add the sugar, vinegar, and basil stems, and season to taste. After the tomatoes are mixed with the onion and garlic, mix in 1 teaspoon (4 g) of sugar, a dash of red wine vinegar, and 3 stems from fresh basil, putting the leaves aside for use later. Add salt and pepper to taste as well, and stir until all of the ingredients are well combined.^{[10]
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- If you don’t want as a sharp a taste in the sauce, you can substitute red wine for the red wine vinegar.
3
Bring the mixture to a simmer. Once the ingredients are fully combined, turn the heat on the pan up to medium. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, which should take approximately 3 to 5 minutes.^{[11]
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Finishing Off the Sauce

1
Simmer the sauce until it thickens. When the sauce has come to a full simmer, lower the heat to medium-low. Let the sauce cook until it becomes thick, which should take approximately 45 minutes. Be sure to stir the sauce occasionally as it simmers to ensure that it cooks evenly.^{[12]
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- Smearing your sauce for longer evaporate water and helps develop flavors.

1
- If you prefer a thinner sauce, simmer it for longer. The longer it cooks, the thinner it will becomes.
- If you want a smoother sauce, you can run it through a blender or use an immersion blender in the pan after it’s simmered.
2
Mix in the basil leaves, and taste for seasoning. After the sauce has thickened, roughly tear the basil leaves and mix them into the pan. Give the sauce a taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.^{[13]
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- If you want a spicy tomato sauce, commonly known as arrabiata sauce, mix in a pinch or two of crushed red pepper with the basil.^{[14]
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3
Add extra virgin olive oil into the sauce before serving. Just before you’re ready to serve the tomato sauce, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil into the sauce. Mix gently, so the oil doesn’t just pool on the top of the sauce.^{[15]
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- You can omit the oil, but if you’re going to add it, make sure to use extra virgin olive oil.