Best 5 Homemade Italian Sauce Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

Are you ready to embark on a culinary journey, transforming simple, everyday ingredients into a mouthwatering homemade Italian sauce? Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting to explore the art of crafting delicious meals, this article is your guide to creating a flavorful and versatile sauce that will elevate any pasta dish. Discover the secrets of selecting the finest tomatoes, the art of balancing herbs and spices, and the techniques for achieving the perfect consistency. Get ready to impress your family and friends with an unforgettable Italian sauce that's made with love and the freshest ingredients.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

HOMEMADE ITALIAN RED SAUCE



Homemade Italian Red Sauce image

You will love my Italian-style sauce. You can add meatballs to this sauce; it comes out really good.

Provided by Ignazia Vella

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes     Sauce Recipes     Pasta Sauce Recipes     Tomato

Time 2h20m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 10

½ cup olive oil
1 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
2 (32 ounce) cans crushed diced tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can tomato paste
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white sugar
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

  • Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low. Add water, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, baking soda, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Stir mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is thickened, about 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 149.4 calories, Carbohydrate 13.9 g, Fat 9.2 g, Fiber 3 g, Protein 3.1 g, SaturatedFat 1.3 g, Sodium 643.9 mg, Sugar 9.2 g

HOMEMADE ITALIAN SAUCE



Homemade Italian Sauce image

Sauce like mom used to make. Serve over your favorite pasta. Classic red sauce with onion, mushrooms and garlic.

Provided by BARBLUVSFOOD

Categories     Side Dish     Sauces and Condiments Recipes     Sauce Recipes     Pasta Sauce Recipes     Tomato

Time 1h50m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 (16 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
8 ounces tomato paste
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves

Steps:

  • In a blender chop the whole tomatoes with juice and garlic until chunky. In a medium size pot, heat oil on medium high heat. Put onion and mushroom in and saute for about 5 minutes.
  • Place in pot the blended tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped green peppers, oregano and basil. Bring to boil, then lower to medium low, cover and stir periodically. Cook and reduce about 1 to 2 hours or to your liking.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 253.9 calories, Carbohydrate 36.4 g, Fat 11.7 g, Fiber 9.8 g, Protein 8.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.7 g, Sodium 755.3 mg, Sugar 13.9 g

HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND RED WINE



Homemade Tomato Sauce With Italian Sausage and Red Wine image

I used Mario Batali's recipe for basic tomato sauce and added the flavors I love. That means crumbled italian sausage and red wine (my favorite italian flavors). I love the taste of this sauce because it uses thyme as the main flavor. It seems that others like it too, as I am always having to give the recipe out. I especially like to use it in my lasagna. Hope you enjoy!

Provided by aHardDaysNight

Categories     Sauces

Time 1h5m

Yield 6 cups, 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, diced small
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 medium carrot, finely grated
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
1 cup red wine (I use Cabernet Sauvignon)
salt (optional)

Steps:

  • Saute 1 lb. sweet italian sausage until light pink, almost done.
  • Add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook on medium until soft and golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is soft.
  • Add the red wine and cook for one minute.
  • Add the canned tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring often.
  • Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until consistensy is thick.
  • Season with salt if desired (I usually don't need to) and serve.
  • You can substitute 1 tablespoon dried thyme for the fresh thyme.
  • Try adding 2 cups of grated fresh zucchini at the same time as the tomatoes for a fresh summer sauce.
  • Try adding one pound of fresh sliced mushrooms at the same time as the carrots.

HOMEMADE ITALIAN SAUCE



Homemade Italian Sauce image

Flavored with garlic, basil and Italian seasoning, this versatile sauce from our Test Kitchen staff will give Italian flair to all kinds of appetizing entrees. In fact, our home economists came up with the following two dishes that spotlight the zesty mixture.

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 45m

Yield 5-1/2 cups.

Number Of Ingredients 9

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (29 ounces) tomato puree
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Steps:

  • In a large saucepan, saute garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until sauce reaches desired thickness. Use in Deep-Dish Sausage Pizza, Tomato Artichoke Chicken or any recipe that calls for pizza sauce. Sauce may be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Nutrition Facts :

HOMEMADE ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE AND MEATBALLS



Homemade Italian Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs image

All good things come to those who wait and this spaghetti and meatballs recipe is proof of that. Simmer the sauce for so long really brings out the robust tomato and garlic flavors. Sprinkling Parmesan cheese at the end brings another depth of cheesy flavor. The tender meatballs soak up all the yummy sauce while cooking. Serve...

Provided by Julia Ferguson

Categories     Beef

Time 7h

Number Of Ingredients 24

SPAGHETTI SAUCE
olive oil (enough to just cover the bottom of the pan)
3-5 clove garlic, peeled
3-4 can(s) tomato paste (6 oz each)
2-3 can(s) tomato sauce (28 oz each)
1-2 can(s) tomato puree (28 oz each)
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 - 1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1-2 bay leaves
salt, to taste (the Parmesan cheese at the end will add to the saltiness as well)
1 pinch sugar
1-2 large handful of Parmesan cheese, at the end
MEATBALLS
2-3 lb ground sirloin
1-2 lb ground chuck
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
1/2 - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
1-2 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1-2 handful of Italian bread crumbs
1-2 handfuls of Parmesan cheese
2-3 eggs (depends on the moisture content of the meat)

Steps:

  • 1. This makes a lot of sauce, so you will need a very large soup pot with a good weight to it.
  • 2. Cover the bottom of the pan with olive oil (you want just enough to barely cover the bottom of the pan) begin to warm the oil gently.
  • 3. Place peeled garlic cloves in oil, on low heat cook cloves until just starting to lightly blister. Do not let the garlic brown or burn. Remove garlic.
  • 4. Add tomato paste, one can at a time, thoroughly incorporating the olive oil into the tomato paste each time. I find this is easier to do with a wire whisk.
  • 5. Add tomato puree mixing thoroughly. Add tomato sauce and mix well.
  • 6. At this point, some water can be added, as the sauce will be cooking for at least 6 hours and will thicken as it cooks. I wouldn't add more than 2 of the paste cans full of water. Mix well.
  • 7. Add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, bay leaves, and salt. Additional cloves of garlic can be added. depends on how garlicky you want the sauce.
  • 8. Cover pan with lid cocked and simmer on low for at least 6 hours. Stirring occasionally, to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom. While the sauce is getting hot, mix together the meatballs, see below.
  • 9. My mother used veal in her meatballs. The price of veal is so expensive I have started using ground sirloin and ground chuck. The rule of thumb here is to use 2 parts lean veal or sirloin to 1 part ground chuck.
  • 10. Mix together, ground sirloin (or veal), ground chuck, finely diced onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, ground black pepper, parsley, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and eggs.
  • 11. Using a spoon (I like to use my large cookie scoop), take a good amount of meat mixture and roll in the palm of your hand, forming a ball. The meatballs should hold together and be about the size of a golfball. I like to get a plateful of meatballs made then drop them into the hot sauce. Then go back and make another plateful to be dropped in the sauce. Repeat until all meatballs have been added to the sauce. Gently, so as not to break up meatballs, push and stir the sauce to get the meatballs down into the sauce.
  • 12. Cover with lid cocked, so steam can escape and thicken the sauce. Simmer on low on the stovetop. After about 1/2 hour check the meatballs and stir carefully, making sure the meatballs do not stick. The sauce and meatballs should cook for at least 6 hours or longer if you like. About 1 hr before serving add a pinch of sugar and stir well, being careful not to break up the meatballs. Add the Parmesan cheese. Mom never stirred the cheese into the sauce, she just let it melt into the sauce. Be careful after adding the sugar and cheese, as they could cause the sauce to stick on the bottom. Remove bay leaves before serving.
  • 13. Serve sauce and meatballs over hot cooked pasta and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top.

Tips:

  • Use ripe, fresh tomatoes. This will give your sauce the best flavor.
  • Choose the right type of tomatoes. For a sweeter sauce, use Roma tomatoes. For a more acidic sauce, use San Marzano tomatoes.
  • Roast your tomatoes. Roasting tomatoes intensifies their flavor and makes them easier to peel.
  • Use a good quality olive oil. This will also help to enhance the flavor of your sauce.
  • Sauté your onions and garlic in the olive oil until they are soft and translucent. This will help to build flavor and prevent the garlic from burning.
  • Add your tomatoes and cook them until they are soft and broken down. This may take 30 minutes or more.
  • Season your sauce with salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices to taste. Common additions include basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
  • Simmer your sauce for at least 30 minutes. This will help to develop the flavors and thicken the sauce.
  • Serve your sauce over pasta, chicken, or vegetables. It can also be used as a pizza sauce.

Conclusion:

Making homemade Italian sauce is a great way to add flavor to your meals. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a delicious sauce that will impress your family and friends. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal, give this recipe a try.

Related Topics