• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kelly Neil logo

  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Summer
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Kelly Neil » Recipes » Winter

    Simple Tomato Sauce (small-batch)

    Published: Jan 5, 2021 · Modified: Jun 23, 2022 by Kelly Neil · 1 Comment

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Print
    A quick and easy homemade tomato sauce recipe! Fairly hands-off, it can be ready to eat in 45 minutes. Let it sit longer to develop deeper, richer flavour.
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 45 mins
    Total Time: 55 mins
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A tall jar of homemade tomato sauce on a wood board with a spoon and two garlic cloves nearby. this recipe!

    This is one of those recipes where I was like, “Should I even bother sharing this?” In the end I decided yes, I should share it, because it’s just so darn easy and tastes great. There are three homemade tomato sauce recipes I tend to rotate through, however, this one, without a doubt, appears most often on our kitchen table.

    A versatile sauce, I use this recipe for pasta (like this Italian sausage pasta bake), as a pizza base, a dip for snacks like mozza sticks or garlic bread, and as a topping for chicken or eggplant parm. All you really have to do is chop two cloves of garlic and open a can of crushed tomatoes. The rest of the time is spent waiting.

    This homemade tomato sauce cooks for 45 minutes, after which time you can go ahead and serve it. That being said, after the sauce has cooked, I prefer to turn the heat off of the burner, and let it sit in the pot for about 4 hours. I find this extra cooling time brings out a deeper, richer, darker flavour that’s lacking at first. I hope you enjoy this super simple recipe as much as my family does!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step-By-Step Instructions
    • Notes & Tips
    • Substitutions
    • Printable Recipe Card
    Close up of a pot of simple homemade tomato sauce.

    Ingredients

    Ingredients to make homemade tomato sauce.

    Step-By-Step Instructions

    Heat the olive oil in a cast iron or heavy bottomed pot over medium to low heat.

    A hand pouring olive oil into a green enamelled cast iron pot.

    While the oil is heating, chop the garlic.

    A small wood cutting board with chopped garlic, garlic skins, and a knife on top.

    Add the garlic to the olive oil and cook until fragrant and lightly golden, about two to three minutes. The oil should sizzle, however, you don’t want the garlic to turn brown too quickly. If this begins to happen reduce the heat slightly. You basically just want to infuse the olive oil with garlic flavour.

    When the garlic begins to turn golden, add the chilli flakes and continue to cook for one minute.

    Chopped garlic, chilli flakes, and olive oil in the bottom of a pot.
    Garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes being stirred with a rubber spatula in the bottom of a pot.
    Lightly cooked garlic and chilli flakes in olive oil inside the bottom of a pot.

    Open the can of crushed tomatoes and add its contents to the pot.

    A hand pouring crushed tomatoes from a silver can into a pot.
    A pot of uncooked homemade tomato sauce.

    Give the sauce a good stir to combine the olive oil, garlic, and chillis with the crushed tomatoes.

    Place the lid on the pot and leave it slightly ajar, to allow steam to escape (the lid simply helps reduce splattering on your stove top). When you hear the sauce begin to sputter, set the timer for 45 minutes. Check the sauce, stirring occasionally, to ensure it isn’t burning on the bottom of the pot. If this happens, reduce the heat slightly (I usually set mine around number two on my burner dial).

    Once the 45 minutes is over, turn off the heat. You can either serve the homemade tomato sauce immediately or let it sit in the pot for three to four hours to develop deeper darker flavour. Store in the fridge, inside a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, for up to one week.

    A hand stirring tomato sauce in a pot with a rubber spatula.

    Notes & Tips

    This recipe doubles well.

    It doesn’t really matter what brand of crushed tomatoes you use, especially if you let the sauce sit for four hours after cooking. I’ve had great luck with both fancy Italian brands and generic grocery store brands.

    Increase the amount of garlic and/or chilli flakes to suit your taste. With a young child, I go easy on both as it sits better in her system, and she doesn’t tolerate much heat yet.

    Store homemade tomato sauce in a glass jar (I absolutely love Weck Jars) or container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to three months.

    Substitutions

    You can use whole or diced canned tomatoes if you don’t have crushed. I always have crushed tomatoes in my pantry because then I don’t have to a) bother puréeing my homemade tomato sauce, or b) wash my immersion stick blender. If using whole or diced tomatoes, follow the recipe in its entirety and purée once cool.

    Feel free to add any fresh or dried herbs you like. A handful of fresh chopped basil leaves stirred in would be fantastic!

    A hand ladling tomato sauce into a glass jar with the pot of cooked sauce nearby.

    Recipes To Make With Homemade Tomato Sauce

    Ricotta Gnudi Delicate, pillowy dumplings similar to their cousin gnocchi, but made with ricotta cheese instead of cooked potato.

    Air Fryer Pizza Rolls A super crispy, fast, and fun snack perfect for game day.

    Restaurant-Style Chicken Parm Make this classic comfort food at home, better than any restaurant!

    Pull-Apart Garlic Bread A simple recipe using basic bread dough.

    Printable Recipe Card

    A tall jar of homemade tomato sauce on a wood board with a spoon and two garlic cloves nearby.

    Simple Homemade Tomato Sauce

    Author: Kelly Neil
    A quick and easy homemade tomato sauce recipe! Fairly hands-off, it can be ready to eat in 45 minutes. Let it sit longer to develop deeper, richer flavour.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Comments
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 55 mins
    Course Vegan
    Cuisine European / Canadian
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 65 kcal

    Equipment

    • large cast iron or other heavy-bottomed pot
    • measuring spoons
    • sharp knife
    • cutting board
    • rubber spatula or wooden spoon
    • can opener

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • ⅛ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
    • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, canned
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 pinch black pepper, ground

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the olive oil in a cast iron or heavy-bottomed pot over medium to low heat.
    • While the oil is heating, chop the garlic.
    • Add the garlic to the olive oil and cook until fragrant and lightly golden, about two to three minutes. The oil should sizzle, however, you don’t want the garlic to turn brown too quickly. If this begins to happen reduce the heat slightly. You basically just want to infuse the olive oil with garlic flavour.
    • When the garlic begins to turn golden, add the chilli flakes and continue to cook for one minute.
    • Open the can of crushed tomatoes and add its contents to the pot. Give the sauce a good stir to combine the olive oil, garlic, and chillis with the crushed  tomatoes. Place the lid on the pot and leave it slightly ajar, to allow steam to escape (the lid simply helps reduce splattering on your stove top). When you hear the sauce begin to sputter, set the timer for 45 minutes.
    • Check the sauce, stirring occasionally, to ensure it isn’t burning on the bottom of the pot. If this happens, reduce the heat slightly (I usually set mine around number two on my burner dial).
    • Once the 45 minutes is over, turn off the heat. Add the salt and a couple pinches of ground black pepper. Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. You can either serve the homemade tomato sauce immediately, or let it sit in the pot for three to four hours to develop deeper darker flavour. Store in the fridge, inside a glass or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, for up to one week.

    Notes

    This recipe doubles well.
    It doesn’t really matter what brand of crushed tomatoes you use, especially if you let the sauce sit for four hours after cooking. I’ve had great luck with both fancy Italian brands and generic grocery store brands.
    Increase the amount of garlic and/or chilli flakes to suit your taste. With a young child, I go easy on both as it sits better in her system, and she doesn’t tolerate much heat yet.
    Store homemade tomato sauce in a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to three months.

    SUBSTITUTIONS

    You can use whole or diced canned tomatoes if you don’t have crushed. I always have crushed tomatoes in my pantry because then I don’t have to a) bother puréeing my homemade tomato sauce, or b) wash my immersion stick blender. If using whole or diced tomatoes, follow the recipe in its entirety and purée once cool.
    Feel free to add any fresh or dried herbs you like. A handful of fresh chopped basil leaves stirred in would be fantastic!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 113gCalories: 65kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 272mgPotassium: 393mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 297IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or tag #kellyneil!
    « Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread Cookies
    Sausage Goulash »
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email
    • Print

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there! 👋🏻 I'm Kelly, the photographer and voice behind kellyneil.com. This is where you'll find my favorite baking recipes and easy family meals.
    More about me →

    Summer Recipes

    • Pesto Mayo
    • Mango Pico De Gallo
    • Shredded Chicken Salad
    • Rocky Road Ice Cream
    • Cherry Clafoutis
    • Homemade Basil Pesto

    Popular Now

    • Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder
    • Nova Scotia Blueberry Grunt
    • Small-Batch Cinnamon Rolls
    • Homemade Baked Beans With Molasses
    • Gluten-Free Rhubarb Crisp
    • Raspberry Rhubarb Jam (small-batch)
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Kelly Neil