Homemade pasta sauce doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or expensive. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make a flavorful, wholesome sauce that beats store-bought every time.
Each summer, I end up with tons of volunteer tomatoes in my garden, and instead of feeling overwhelmed, I’ve learned to be grateful for the abundant blessings. One of the best ways I use them is by making my own pasta sauce—it’s healthy, budget-friendly, and so satisfying.
Why Make Your Own Pasta Sauce?
One of the biggest perks of homemade pasta sauce is that it’s naturally lower in sugar and unnecessary additives. Many store-bought sauces are loaded with sugar, oils, and preservatives.
By making your own, you can:
- Control the ingredients
- Cut back on added sugars
- Adjust thickness and flavor to your liking
- Enjoy a fresh, homemade taste
It even converted my “butter noodles only” kid into a “make it super saucy, Mom!” spaghetti lover. That alone makes it worth it!
What Tomatoes Work Best?
You can use:
- Fresh tomatoes – Roma varieties are great for thicker sauce, but juicy varieties or even cherries work too (just cook down longer).
- Canned tomatoes or sauce – Perfect in a pinch.
- Homemade canned tomato sauce – If you’ve preserved your summer harvest, this is the easiest option.
Tip: The juicier the tomato, the longer you’ll need to cook it down to thicken it up, or go with a thin sauce if you have no patience like me!
Step-by-Step: How to Make Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- About 6 pounds of fresh tomatoes or 6 cans (14.5 oz each) tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup sugar (optional but recommended)
- 1 pouch of Mrs. Wages® Pasta Sauce Mix
Equipment
- 5–6 quart non-reactive kettle like stainless steel; avoid aluminum.
- KitchenAid® attachment for processing tomatoes. Blender, food mill work too.
Directions
- Prepare the Tomatoes
- Option 1: Scald tomatoes in boiling water for 3 minutes, peel and core. (Messy and time consuming!)
- Option 2: Place whole tomatoes with seeds, peels, and stems in a blender. (We didn’t like the taste and texture.)
- Option 3 (my favorite): Use a KitchenAid® strainer attachment to easily separate seeds/skins from pulp. (Life-changing!) See how HERE.
- Cook the Sauce
- Combine tomato purée, sugar, and Mrs. Wages® Pasta Sauce Mix in your pot.
- Whisk well to remove clumps.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer longer for a thicker, richer sauce.
- Enjoy or Store
- Serve right away, refrigerate for up to 1 week, freeze for up to 6 months, or can for up to 18 months.
How to Can Pasta Sauce
- Make sure jars, sauce, and canner are all at the same temperature (hot sauce, in hot jars, with hot canner, cold with cold).
- Ladle sauce into clean mason jars, leaving ½-inch headspace.
- Wipe rims, add lids and bands finger-tight.
- Process in a hot water bath canner for 40 minutes.
- Let jars rest for 5 minutes, then carefully remove.
- Place on a towel, undisturbed, for 24 hours for proper sealing.
- Any jars that don’t seal should be refrigerated and used within a week, or frozen.
How to Use Pasta Sauce
I use 1 quart of sauce per 1 pound of browned hamburger and ~1 pound of pasta (uncooked weight) to feed my family of five. Sometimes there are leftovers, sometimes not!
Want to make it restaurant-level? Serve over fresh homemade noodles—no fancy Italian restaurant required.
That's it! Jump into my homesteading community on Facebook for more recipe, gardening, and homestead life sharing.
👉 Do you grow tomatoes too? What’s your favorite way to use them—sauces, salsa, or something else? Share in the comments!
Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe Card
Yield: About 3 quarts
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes (plus more for thicker sauce)
Storage: 1 week in fridge, 6 months frozen, 18 months canned
Cook time: 25 minutes (plus more for thicker sauce)
Storage: 1 week in fridge, 6 months frozen, 18 months canned
Ingredients
- 6 lbs fresh tomatoes (or 6 cans 14.5 oz tomato sauce/diced)
- ¼ cup sugar (optional)
- 1 pouch Mrs. Wages® Pasta Sauce Mix
Instructions
- Prepare tomatoes (peel/cook down, blend, or process with strainer).
- Combine tomato purée, sugar, and pasta sauce mix in stockpot. Whisk to remove clumps.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes or until desired thickness.
- Serve immediately, refrigerate, freeze, or can.
Some links may be affiliate links. See full disclosure here.
0 Comments