Tomato sauce: good for pasta, pizza, and everything in between. It's something that was always cooking in my kitchen growing up, and one of the foods I missed most when I left for college. If there was a period of time growing up that we would have tomato sauce multiple days in a row (i.e. eggplant parm one day and pasta the next), my mom would make extra sauce and freeze what she didn't use. In short, our kitchen always smelled heavenly. 

Although I haven't exactly found out how to replicate the same flavors in my mom's special recipe, I've found that the best remedy for a good tomato sauce is time. You'll know your sauce is done when you can smell the herbs, garlic, and tomato infusion coming from the stovetop. If you try to rush it, you won't get the same depth of flavor. 

I used fresh thyme and oregano from the garden for this recipe. You can also add basil, parsley, and rosemary! Be sure to taste as you go; spices can become overwhelming very quickly. You should also be cognizant of how much salt you add to your tomato sauce; it's often dependent on what you're eating the tomato sauce with. Salt is a critical part of this dish because it brings out so many flavors, but it can just as quickly overpower other elements. I used this sauce recipe for my vegan eggplant parm, so I toned down the saltiness of the sauce. In a dish with less salty elements, like plain pasta, I would add a little more salt to the sauce. 

Homemade Tomato Sauce with Fresh Garden Herbs

  • Prep Time:10 mins
  • Cook Time:30 mins
  • Total Time:40 mins
  • Servings:4
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 24 oz. canned tomato puree
  • 15 oz. canned fire roasted tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced.
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
  • 2-3 sprigs chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • 1 tsp. olive oil or avocado oil for sautéing
  • Salt to taste
Sara Klimek

  • Step 1

    Cook onion and garlic with oil medium-high heat until fragrant.

    Sara Klimek

  • Step 2

    Add both cans of tomatoes to saucepan with onions and garlic. Stir in tomato paste and spices. Let simmer on medium-low heat for at least thirty minutes.

    Sara Klimek