Easy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
With a few simple, fresh ingredients, this easy tomato basil pasta sauce is perfect for keeping on hand for busy nights when you want something quick yet satisfying.
Recipe Mood: Pasta Night
Indulgence Level: Low
Effort Level: Easy
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Why use store-bought marinara sauce when you can make your own? Not only is this easy tomato basil pasta sauce simple to make, but it also tastes much better than the ones found on supermarket shelves. The same goes for this homemade pizza sauce.
Many of those bottles of marinara are too sweet, and the superior ones cost more than anyone should spend on what is essentially pureed tomatoes enhanced with spices. That brings me to my next reason for making your own sauce: affordability.
And a fourth reason? You can double the amount and freeze portions of it to have on hand when you want to make something quick and easy for dinner.
I’ve created various variations of marinara sauce over the years, adapting them from how my mother—and her mother—made it. Nowadays, I usually prepare it by crushing garlic cloves and pressing them into the olive oil to infuse, then removing them. I think it flavors the tomatoes better than if I mince and add them directly to the sauce.
I also include some yellow onion to sweeten the tomatoes, which always seem to contain some level of bitterness no matter what brand I use—and I’ve used quite a few. If the onion—and ribbons of fresh basil—don’t sweeten it enough, I’ll add a pinch of sugar for good measure.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Simple, clean ingredients: Made with staples like olive oil, onions, crushed tomatoes, garlic, and basil, this sauce is made with fresh ingredients and no preservatives.
Slow-simmered flavor: This marinara develops deep, robust flavor from simmering tomatoes over low heat—bringing out their natural sweetness and complexity.
Versatile: This sauce isn’t just for pasta—it’s perfect for eggplant Parmesan, meatballs, or as a dipping sauce.
Key Ingredients
- Canned Whole Tomatoes: Whole tomatoes retain their flavor better than crushed tomatoes.
- Yellow Onion: A bit of onion helps sweeten the tomatoes.
- Granulated Sugar: This is a must if your tomato sauce needs to be sweetened.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to Make This Recipe
- Purée tomatoes: Blend the canned whole tomatoes using an immersion blender, food processor, or traditional blender until smooth.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a medium pot. Add minced onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Crush garlic cloves into the oil, stirring until they turn golden, then remove.
- Add tomatoes & season: Carefully pour in the puréed tomatoes. Stir in salt, pepper, and torn basil.
- Simmer: Simmer the sauce on low for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Taste & adjust: Taste for salt. If the tomatoes are bitter, add a pinch of sugar.
Pro Tips
Use an immersion blender: This is the best tool for breaking down whole tomatoes and requires the least amount of cleanup. Alternatively, you can also pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor.
Variations & Substitutions
-Garnish the sauce with some fresh minced parsley along with the fresh basil.
-Sprinkle some red pepper flakes into the sauce for heat.
-Add a splash of wine (Add it early so that the alcohol can cook off.)
Recipe FAQs
Simmering gives the flavors time to develop and mellow. Even a simple sauce benefits from the slow cook—it lessens the acidity of the tomatoes and deepens the overall flavor.
Partly cover the pot with a lid. This allows the sauce to reduce and thicken, concentrating the flavors as it simmers.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: You can freeze this sauce for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Reheat on the stove on low heat or in the microwave. If removing the sauce from the freezer, defrost it in the refrigerator first.
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Easy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup yellow onion peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- Ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon fresh basil torn
Instructions
- Puree the canned whole tomatoes using an immersion blender, food processor, or traditional blender.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot on medium-low heat. Add the minced onion and crushed garlic, stirring the onion periodically and cooking it until it becomes soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, press the garlic cloves into the olive oil to release their flavor (It's OK if they break.) Remove them once they gain some color.
- Pour the pureed tomatoes into the pot. You may want to lower the heat or temporarily remove the pot from the heat so the tomatoes don't splatter. Add the salt, ground black pepper, and basil.
- Reduce the heat to low and partly cover the pot with a lid. Simmer the sauce gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once it's been simmering for a bit and is hot, taste for salt and add more if needed. If the tomatoes taste bitter, add a pinch of granulated sugar. Serve on top of your favorite pasta. Enjoy!