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This vegetarian spaghetti sauce is so simple, so quick and SO GOOD. And the best part is that it only takes 45 minutes from start to finish! So grab a glass of wine and meet me in the kitchen tonight – we’re making dinner!
How to make homemade spaghetti sauce:
Heat olive oil in a large pot and saute onions for a few minutes. Then add garlic, oregano, thyme and garlic powder. Cook for another minute, then deglaze with red wine for the most flavorful sauce base EVER.
Then you’ll stir in San Marzano tomatoes and tomato puree.
Add fresh basil and a pinch of sugar. Stir to combine. Next, either use your hands or a scissors to chop up the San Marzano tomatoes into bite sized pieces.
Simmer for 30-60 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with your favorite noodles and garnish with fresh burrata cheese, chopped parsley and red pepper flakes for a little kick.
Why you’re going to love this recipe:
- It’s simple. Just like too many cooks in the kitchen, too many ingredients in a recipe can muddle the flavors and overpower the main ingredient – the tomatoes! Simplicity is key in this sauce.
- It doesn’t take all day to make. Sure you could simmer your sauce all afternoon if you have time, but most people don’t. 30 minutes of simmering is that sweet spot that will give you that cooked all day flavor without actually cooking the sauce all day.
Tips for making the very best homemade spaghetti sauce:
- Use fire roasted San Marzano tomatoes for added flavor boost. Regular San Marzano tomatoes are great too, but I really love the extra dimension that the fire roasted tomatoes give.
- Add sugar at your discretion. Everyone likes a different level of sweetness or acidity in their spaghetti sauce. Start with half a teaspoon and work your way up little by little until you reach your desired taste.
- Don’t be afraid of salt. Similar to the sugar mentioned above, everyone likes a different level of saltiness in their meals. A good rule of thumb is that you should just be able to barely taste the salt when you take a bite of the sauce. The reason why many people love the dishes at their favorite restaurants in because trained chefs add much more salt than those who are cooking at home usually add. Salt = flavor. So use it!
Other pasta favorites you’ll love:
- 30 Minute Baked Ravioli
- One Pot Garlic & Lemon Rigatoni
- One Pot Sausage, Spinach & Tomato Rigatoni
- Creamy Tuscan Tomato Tortellini Soup
- One Pot Smoked Gouda & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
The Very Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
A simple and delicious 45 Minute spaghetti sauce your family will love!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 cups 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6–8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup merlot (or any dry red wine)
- (2) 28 oz. cans fire roasted whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 28 oz. can tomato puree
- 1/3 cup chopped basil
- 1–2 tablespoons sugar
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in the same large pot over medium heat.
- Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes.
- Then add garlic along with oregano, thyme and garlic powder and cook for another minute.
- Pour in red wine and deglaze, making sure to scrape all the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add tomatoes, tomato puree, basil and sugar and stir to combine. Use a kitchen sheers to cut the San Marzano tomatoes into bite size pieces.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a low simmer.
- Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30-60 minutes. Check seasonings and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with your favorite noodles, creamy burrata and a glass of dry red wine.
Notes
Use fire roasted San Marzano tomatoes for a little added flavor boost. Regular San Marzano tomatoes are great too, but I really love the extra dimension that the first roasted tomatoes give.
Add sugar at your discretion. Everyone likes a different level of sweetness or acidity in their spaghetti sauce. Start with half a teaspoon and work your way up little by little until you reach your desired taste.
Don’t be afraid of salt. Similar to the sugar mentioned above, everyone likes a different level of saltiness in their meals. A good rule of thumb is that you should just be able to barely taste the salt when you take a bite of the sauce. The reason why many people love the dishes at their favorite restaurants in because trained chefs add much more salt than those who are cooking at home usually add. Salt = flavor. So use it!
Keywords: red sauce, pasta sauce
This post was originally published in October of 2017. It was updated in March of 2019 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions and tips for making the very best spaghetti sauce every single time!
Midwest Foodie
This is my favorite spaghetti sauce recipe of all time! Quick, simple and delicious!
★★★★★
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes
If it is your favourite spaghetti sauce, I must try it soon! Yum!
Midwest Foodie
Please do – let me know how it turns out!