San Marzano Tomato Sauce {Family Recipe}
My family’s beloved San Marzano Tomato Sauce. This luscious red sauce is simmered for several hours to develop the richest taste. It’s filled with fresh herbs, authentic Italian flavors, and the most inviting aroma. Easily the best tomato sauce I’ve ever had!
From my family to yours.
This Italian tomato sauce (also known in Italian as “Pomodoro sauce”) is quite unique because it was the very first recipe my mom ever taught me how to make. It was the very beginning of my love for food. For years this sauce has brought my loud, bold, and very loving family together and has been a part of many memorable family dinners.
When you make this homemade pasta sauce you will find the results are luscious, rich, and developed in flavor, and the perfect sauce to compliment your favorite Italian dishes! Although tomato sauce is quite simple, using quality ingredients matters. And letting your sauce cook low and slow for hours will give you the most beautifully rich and savory sauce you’ve ever had.
The first steps for making this sauce… put on some Frank Sinatra, grab a glass of vino, and enjoy the sweet aroma of simmering tomatoes & garlic. ‘Cause, that’s amore!
Ingredients Needed
You’ll need just a handful of pantry items and fresh herbs to make this recipe happen. Here’s the full list: canned San Marzano plum tomatoes, garlic cloves, quality tomato paste, olive oil, salt & black pepper, and fresh herbs – basil, oregano, and thyme if desired.
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Why are San Marzano tomatoes the best?
San Marzano tomatoes first originated in Naples, Italy. They are not just a staple in my family’s recipes, but are considered to be the best tomatoes in the world to use in sauces!
These tomatoes are set apart from others because of their rich, sweet flavor and lower acidity. They are also known to have a thicker consistency compared to other canned plum tomatoes.
Take an extra step and use D.O.P.-certified tomatoes – usually visible on the front or the back of the can. This is a protective seal that guarantees authenticity.
Brands we like to use that are D.O.P. certified: if you’re looking for a quality-certified brand, we recommend Sclafani, Rega, and Pastene.
Brands we like to use that are quality, but not D.O.P.-certified: If you do not care for using a D.O.P.-certified brand of tomatoes, be sure to at least use a tomato that is a product of Italy! The brands we like are Cento and Dellalo.
How to Make San Marzano Tomato Sauce
- Saute garlic in olive oil: Saute minced garlic for 30 to 60 seconds on low – medium heat – constantly stirring. Using lots of garlic in this recipe will give your tomato sauce the foundation of its flavor.
- Add Tomatoes, paste, and salt & pepper – cook low and slow: The key to a good tomato sauce is cooking it for up to 4-6 hours. This allows the sauce to thicken, flavors to richen and develop, and acidity to balance.
- Stir in fresh herbs at the very end: Cooking herbs in the sauce for hours can actually result in a bitter flavor. For a fresh, vibrant herb flavor add them at the very end when the sauce is finished for best results.
Tips for Success
- Use quality San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes: to make a perfect tomato sauce you need San Marzano. These tomatoes give your sauce a thicker consistency and are sweeter, richer, and less acidic in flavor. I grew up with my mom always using Cento, but I also love using D.O.P-certified brands and preferably organic tomatoes. Be sure that whatever tomato you do use, is a product of Italy to ensure its top quality!
- Use Amore Sun-Dried Tomato Paste: Rather than using normal tomato paste as a thickener, my family loves to use this sun-dried tomato paste for a richer taste.
- The best herbs for tomato sauce – traditional Italian tomato sauce always calls for fresh basil or oregano – or a combination of both, such as this recipe! Sometimes you’ll see thyme thrown into red sauces too. And if you’d like a little heat, you can add some red pepper flakes too!
- Add a Parmesan cheese rind: When you purchase a block of parmesan cheese – save/freeze your cheese rind for recipes like this! It’s a unique ingredient that instantly adds flavor. The rind won’t melt (though it will get soft); it will just sit in your sauce or soup and infuse it with extra umami and savor. Add the rind during the simmering time of the sauce, then use a utensil to carefully remove it before serving.
- Achieve rich flavor by using lots of garlic! As a born and raised garlic lover, I encourage you not to shy away from the number of garlic cloves listed. So much flavor in red sauces comes from the aromatics (garlic, onions, etc.). We use lots of garlic in this sauce to create a complex flavor! It will not taste “garlic-y”- but wonderfully balanced and rich.
Our favorite hand-held blender
Make Your Sauce Smooth in Seconds
I love a sauce with texture – but if you prefer a smooth sauce consistency we love using this hand-held immersion blender to make this happen in seconds! It's much safer than transferring hot sauce to a blender and is the easiest tool to use. The blender is one of my moms favorite kitchen tools! It's great for creaming sauces, soups, and hot drinks.
How to Avoid an Acidic Sauce
Add a carrot to simmer in the sauce: this is something my mother always did and is very traditional in Italian sauces. The sweetness of the carrot releases its flavor and naturally absorbs any acidic flavors from the tomatoes. How to: remove the stem, peel the carrot skin off, and place the whole carrot into the sauce to simmer. Remove the carrot once the sauce is finished.
Use a stainless steel pot: whenever making tomato sauce, it’s important to choose the right pot. My top recommendations for sauce are stainless steel. Other pots such as non-stick or cast iron can cause the acid in the tomatoes to mix with the metal and result in an unpleasant metallic taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add meatballs to cook with the sauce? Of course! We love cooking our Italian meatballs with this sauce. If the meatballs are about 2 inches in size, after being browned in a pan or baked, you can add them to the sauce to cook for the last 60-30 minutes. If they’re much bigger, you can let them simmer for 2 hours in the sauce. Stir the sauce gently to prevent breaking the meatballs, and make sure you are using a large enough pot!
Can this sauce be made with fresh tomatoes? Yes! We love to make tomato sauce with fresh garden tomatoes. Use our fresh tomato sauce recipe for this process! This recipe will actually take less time to make, but the flavor is equally as delicious.
Can I make this in a slow cooker? Of course! I recommend first sauteing the garlic in a pan. Then add the garlic to a slow cooker with the rest of the sauce ingredients, and set it on LOW for 5 hours. Stir a few times throughout the cooking process. Add the herbs at the end.
Why does this recipe call for no onions? This was the way my mom taught me how to make tomato sauce, just with garlic as the aromatic. A lot of traditional tomato sauce recipes only call for garlic, so it’s not that uncommon to see onions not included. But we have tried it with onion and it’s delicious too! If you would like to add onion, dice it small and saute the onion (before the garlic) for about 3 minutes. Then add the garlic!
Do I need to chop the tomatoes before adding them to the sauce? Only if you want the sauce to be very smooth, with no texture/chunks of tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are so tender that they will naturally break down as they cook, especially in this recipe since it calls for a longer simmering time. So no, they do not need to be chopped before cooking!
Tips for Storing Leftovers & Freezing
Store & keep fresh: Let sauce cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container or glass jars. Chill in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
How to freeze: First, let the sauce cool to room temperature – then store in an airtight container or freezer-friendly ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Our Favorite Ways to Serve it Up
The best way to serve this tomato sauce is with your favorite Italian dishes! Some of our favorites are…
Lasagna! We love layering this sauce in our vegetable lasagna, spinach lasagna roll-ups, and Italian sausage lasagna! For a healthier take on lasagna, we also love making our zucchini lasagna or eggplant lasagna too.
Baked pasta! This sauce is always the perfect addition to our baked ziti or baked rigatoni! And we can’t forget our baked cauliflower ziti too.
Meatballs! Make my family’s Italian meatballs with this sauce, or try it with our vegetarian zucchini meatballs or eggplant meatballs – so yummy!
Eggplant & Chicken Parmesan! My mom has always made this sauce with her famous chicken parmesan. And I love to serve it with this classic eggplant parmesan!
Rollatini! We love making zucchini rollatini or eggplant rollatini with this sauce as well.
Pasta noodles! You can also keep it really simple, and serve this red sauce with your favorite Italian noodles such as penne, rigatoni, fusilli, spaghetti, or shells! And whatever you do serve this sauce with, don’t forget to add crusty bread on the side for dipping. 😉
I hope you love this homemade tomato sauce just as much as we do! It’s a staple for complimenting my favorite Italian recipes – especially around the holidays.
If you’re looking for a red sauce made with fresh tomatoes – you’ll love our Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe!
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San Marzano Tomato Sauce
A famous family recipe – San Marzano Tomato Sauce. A luscious red sauce simmered for several hours to develop the most rich and hearty tomato sauce. Fresh herbs, authentic Italian flavors, and the most inviting aroma. Easily the best tomato sauce I’ve ever had! From my family to yours.
Ingredients
- 8 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4-5 28oz cans San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes (with juices)
- 2-3 tbsp amore sun-dried tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp (each) salt & black pepper
- 3 Tbsp fresh basil (for dried basil – 1 Tbsp)
- 2 Tbsp fresh oregano (for dried oregano – 2 tsp)
Instructions
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Cook garlic: In a large stainless steel pot on LOW-MEDIUM heat sauté garlic in olive oil for 30-60 seconds. Stir constantly to keep garlic from burning.
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Add tomatoes and simmer: pour canned tomatoes with juices in with the garlic. Add tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Mix ingredients together, partially cover with lid – but not completely, and simmer on LOW heat for 3+ hours. Stir every so often to avoid burning. Note: if using a parmesan rind, add it in this step and let it simmer with sauce until finished. Remove and discard rind when ready to serve.
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For smooth sauce: when sauce is finished cooking, use a hand immersion-blender to puree. Note: If you prefer a chunkier/thicker sauce (like I do), you can skip this step as the San Marzanos naturally break down while cooking.
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Add herbs: when sauce is finished, mix in chopped fresh herbs. Season with additional salt & black pepper if needed and serve!
Recipe Video
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I plan on making this tomorrow. When do you put the rind in? Is it best to put in when it begins to simmer? Thanks!
Yes! Once you start simmering the sauce you can drop it in. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
This sauce is so delicious! It’s my new go-to! I make a big batch and freeze it in containers. My husband even said this was the best sauce he’s ever had.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I’m so so happy to hear that! 🙂
Best sauce recipe I’ve tried so far! So much flavor. I had never made sauce with whole tomatoes before (always used diced), but, these cook time on this recipe really allows them to cook down which is key. I added a splash of red wine and it was amazing ?
It is surprising how much the whole plum tomatoes break down while cooking. SO happy to hear you loved it 🙂
Can this sauce be frozen? Thanks.
I have it in my freezer as we speak. 🙂 Just let it cool to room temperature and store in a sealed container for freezing.
Have you ever done this with fresh tomatoes instead of canned? I am growing San Marzano tomatoes, but I know fresh & canned are two different things.
if we wanted a smoother sauce, would it be okay to grind the tomatoes before we cook and simmer them? doing it at the end when it’s hot creates a vacuum in my blender making it super difficult to remove the cap from the blender.
absolutely! You can totally do that before cooking the sauce.
I’m going to attempt this sauce tonight ! Any tips on storing ? Thanks!
I usually store it in glass container in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze in a sealed container. 🙂
Do you put in the dried herbs last like the fresh ones?
yes, all herbs go in at the end 🙂
I made this today. Simmered for 6 hours. Truly delicious. Thank you. I added more basil than you suggested but, hey, why not? It’s basil. The parmesan rind just melted into the sauce.
I couldn’t agree more! I could never put too much basil in an Italian recipe. 😉 So happy you enjoyed it!
I have searched and searched for a unique recipe to set my sauce out from the Italian family I married into and this is definitely it! Sun dried tomatoes and Parm rind are genius!
You made my day! I’m so very happy that you found this recipe. It’s close to my heart. Always brings me joy hearing people love it! <3
I have fresh San Marzano tomatoes. Recipe for fresh San Marzano tomatoes.
Just a quick question. San Marzano DOT approved tomatoes from Italy aren’t allowed to be peeled. So the ones that are are not authentic to Italy. Usually American or South America. I wasn’t sure if that mattered and if your family recipe was Italian or just American Italian. I just see the presence on San Marzan and only use them when they are basically just possibly higher end plum tomatoes for the US. DOT approved by the Italian government are specific to one area, highly scrutinized before they are even allowed to be canned. Sorry, not tying to sound strange, I’m just wondering if not authentic San peeled tomatoes are Better than DOT approved authentic San tomatoes with skin?
FFS who cares? It’s a recipe, make it or not.
So good! I cooked this tonight. My favorite spaghetti tomato sauce now. The family wanted seconds 👍. I put cooked meatballs in the sauce at the end. I don’t want to use store tomato jars anymore. San Marzano canned tomatoes are the best! I took your suggestion and added the Parm rind, it really helped give it that extra delicious flavor. Yumm!!
So so happy to hear it! Thanks for sharing, Dori! 🙂
Bethany, I couldn’t find the sun-dried tomato paste. I bought sun-dried tomatoes. Can I chop these up really fine and add to regular tomato paste, just to add the sun-dried flavor? Or would you just use regular tomato pastes?
Hi Mickey! I’ve never used whole sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe but you definitely could try! I would use regular tomato paste in replacement of the sun-dried tomato paste 🙂 Hope that helps!
Can I substitute strained tomatoes for can tomatoes.
I recommend using the juices because that helps with the base of the sauce.
This recipe was the best sauce we ever made
Thank you, Betty! So happy to hear that 🙂
I am very much looking forward to making this recipe. I love san marzano tomatoes! Do you think the flavor is better with fresh herbs or dried? Can you even tell a difference? If I’m planning to freeze the majority, do you think it’s better to do dried herbs instead of fresh? Thank you!
You can go either direction! Nothing really beats fresh herb flavor – but it’s completely up to you. I’ve used dried when I don’t have fresh herbs and it still tastes amazing 🙂
Was wondering if you drain the cans of tomatoes, or add the juice as well….
You’ll want to add the tomatoes and the juices 🙂
This sounds delicious! Do you think this recipe could be made using a slow cooker on low heat for 4-6 hours?
Absolutely! I’ve had some other readers use a slow cooker to make this recipe as well. 🙂
Made this wonderful sauce!!! Best ever will make again! Thank you for sharing
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hey, the sauce looks amazing, I just need some clarity, The measurements that you write down look different from the amount shown in the video above. i.e, in the video it shows 2 cans of tomatoes and it looks like a lot more than 2 tbls of paste, but it does look like 8 garlic cloves were included. I’m just a tad confused here. please help me understand. 🙂 much respect. -A fellow food lover
A very valid question! To clarify, I had to make a smaller batch for the video so I didnt use the full 5 cans (I used 3 but didn’t show it full in the video) – the video is to just show how to make it. Adjust measurements as needed 🙂 Sorry for the confusion!
Sounds delicious. Where can I find a more sun-dried tomato paste?
It should be available at your local grocery store! If not, regular tomato paste works just fine.
If I want to cook a pork roast in the sauce can I put it all in together so the roast falls apart?
Can’t wait to try. What about onions?? They seem to be in all other good sauce recipes?
It’s definitely common to add onions and you certainly can add them, but my family has never used them in sauce. 🙂
I always make this sauce & love it for just about anything! Pasta and pizza, I will add some brown sugar to cut any acidity or lemon
I’m so glad to hear! I’ve yet to try this recipe on pizza. 🙂
I want to make this sauce, if I make it with 2 or 3 cans do I just half rest of the ingredients? Thank you in advance!
You can keep the amount of olive oil and tomato paste. But garlic and herbs could be split in half 🙂
Bethany, it’s really awesome! This will quickly become a favorite in our house!
Do you have a meatball recipe and when do I add it to the sauce can’t wait to make ur sauce . Thank you!
If I want to add ground beef, should I add it in right away?
I would cook the sauce, then brown the beef in a separate pan and let cook with the sauce for the last 30 minutes.
This is almost identical to the one I make! There truly is nothing quite like it.
Found the recipe last week and finally taking the time to make it. The sauce is simmering now; two hours remaining. However,, it looks sooooo good that we’ve sampled it already!
I’m so happy to hear! There is nothing better than this sauce simmering and developing that rich flavor. Enjoy!!
I’m planning to can this recipe, so should I leave out the herbs at the end until I open the jar to use?
Nope, just add them when the sauce is finished cooking. Storing the sauce with the herbs is completely fine 🙂
I am hosting a party for 26 people, the recipe serves 8. Please advise.
Hi Steve, It depends on portion sizes – my recipe says it serves 8 but they are big portions each so it could squeeze to 10. I would say at least 12 28oz cans of tomatoes for 26 people. Double the amount of garlic, tomato paste, and the herbs. I also like to mention that you do not HAVE to use Cento brand – there are other brands of canned San Marzano tomatoes that are more affordable, especially when making a bigger serving. Hope this helps!!
Made this in crockpot and is amazing!!! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!
Yay! Thank you, Sherri 🙂 So happy you loved it!
How long did you cook in crockpot… and did you cook on low or high heat?
I’d recommend 3-5 hours on LOW.
its true i made the sauce with san marzano tomaoes and found it to be the most tamatoe sauce ever its worth the little extra cost
I agree! You can see and taste the difference when you don’t use San Marzano’s. Other brands are less expensive than Cento too. 🙂
So easy and so delicious! I will never by pre-made sauce again!
My wife make the red gravy. She starts her sauce at 0700 am and goes all day until 5:30pm. So good now my daughter sells it on her food truck with her meat ball sandwichs
Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try this! Just a quick question, if I use dried herbs should I add them earlier on in the recipe or would they still go in at the end?
Dried or fresh, I always add at the end to avoid a bitterness that sometimes happens when herbs are cooked the whole time. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Is this cannable?
yes!
I’m excited to try this sauce based on all the comments below. If I don’t want chunks of tomatoes in my sauce can I use crushed tomatoes instead? Or should I just mash the whole tomatoes?
I would recommend using the san marzano’s and then pureeing with a hand blender or just transferring the sauce to a blender. 🙂 I’ve had this sauce using crushed tomatoes and it just isn’t the same.
Delicous! The pic of it looks like it has meat in the sauce..?
I’m interested to try this! How much does this recipe make?
It’s about 12-14 cups of sauce. This is a big batch (5 cans) if I want to do a small batch I do 3 cans of tomatoes.
Hmm, above it says 8 servings, but here you say 12-14 cups. I was planning to use this recipe for your lasagna recipe, but want to make sure of the nutrition info. Help a girl out? 🙂
I have frozen San marzono tomatoes from our garden. How many for a batch like your recipe.
Hi Janice, you can use my fresh tomato sauce recipe for that! The recipe is the same. 🙂
I made a batch this past weekend and used some tonight for spaghetti. I added in ground beef and mushrooms. It was wonderful!!! My family loved it, there was barely any left in the bottom of the pot. I’m also hoping that it doesn’t give my husband heartburn. So far, so good! He hasn’t complained yet, in fact he went back for seconds, which he normally doesn’t do with red sauces. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Yay! Thank you, Kalley! So happy to hear this. The great thing about San Marzano’s is they’re lower in acidity so that should help people who struggle with heartburn. 🙂
Hi how long could I keep the sauce in an air tight jar for in the fridge?
4-5 days for fridge or you can freeze. 🙂
Hi
I’m in the process of making your sauce but in your blog you talk about using the rind but you don’t show it in the video and it’s not on your ingredient list, do you use it in your sauce or are you saying a nice little twist is to add the rind and cook it with your sauce?
Hi Cheryl! So the cheese rind is something I suggest as optional – just because I know not at lot of people may have parmesan cheese rinds lying around. 🙂 It’s an excellent way to elevate your sauce – but isn’t necessary!
Hi,
If I use dried thyme and oregano about how many teaspoons should I put?
Hi Chris, For fresh herbs I measure in tablespoons rather than tsp. So for dried herbs – 1 tsp of thyme, 2 tsp of oregano. Thanks for asking!
Im not really sure what a cheese rind is? Can u pour some parmesan cheese from a can in or where do u find the rind?
Sorry for the confusion Sandy. The cheese rind comes with a block of parmesan cheese, it is usually the end peace that wraps around the cheese when aging. You can freeze it and save it for soups and sauces like this one 🙂
Delicious! I made this for my grandma’s birthday and she loved it. San marzano are known for not causing heart burn as well. Do you think this would be a good base for Bolognese?
Thanks Matthew! So glad you liked it. 🙂 I didn’t know that about San Marzano’s so that’s great! And absolutely! I’ve used it many times for a Bolognese.
Sounds delicious, I am going to try it. Could I make this in my crockpot?
Absolutely! Just saute the garlic in a pan, then add it to the crockpot with the ingredients. Hope you enjoy it!
If I wanted to transfer to a blender to make a thinner sauce, do I transfer it before it starts cooking or after while the garlic is mixed in.
So you aren’t dealing with blending hot tomato sauce, it would be better to blend the tomatoes before you cook them in the pot. So after you saute your garlic you can add the blended tomatoes!
love this sauce – 🙂
Would love to make this recipe but would like to use the San marzanos from my garden. Is there a recipe for this using fresh tomatoes? Or do I just peel and cook down and then use this recipe?
I haven’t used fresh tomatoes. But I’d recommend cooking them with maybe 1-2 additional tbsp of tomato paste to really help them thicken. Make sure to let it cook for the 3-5 hours. Let me know if that works!
I made this recipe with fresh San Marzanos from my garden and it turned out terrific! Didn’t add the additional tomato paste and it was spectacular. Love this recipe!
so happy to hear it worked with fresh San Marzanos. Glad you loved the sauce as well 🙂
Alison, did you ever make this recipe using your San Marzano tomatoes from your garden? Im looking to do the same, but I’m interested in finding out how you did this.
Hi Alison, San Marzano tomatoes are only special when they grow in the San Marzano Valley in Italy. The unique flavour is a result of the volcanic ash, climate, and salty air. You may have purchased the variety of tomato seeds, but what you produce in your garden will be ordinary roma variety tomatoes. You really do need to purchase these. You may also be interested in knowing that San Marzano tomatoes are the most counterfeited food in the world. This means that you can only trust specific brands. In America I would recommend that you purchase these from Eatly (NYC, Chicago, etc) as they certainly will be selling the real thing.
Hello again Bethany-I felt the need to add a Blog-Blog about all the Confusion there seems to be regarding “San Marzano Tomatoes”.
“San Marzano” is just a Name for this wonderful Plant, and its Fruit…but really means little unless they carry those 3 Letters…D.O.P. on the Label. Gretchen Jonker is 100% correct, all the elements of this perfect storm must be present. I’ve been frustrated for years trying to find the sweet nectar of true Italian Marinara. The DOP Board also Certifies Parmesan Cheeses, Balsamic Vinegars, Olive Oils, etc…and it basically guarantees that what they say on the Label IS THE TRUTH…pretty rare these days! You think we could get them in Washington?…Nahhhh, not a chance!
Delicious!! Cooked for 4 hours and the flavor was amazing!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks, Gabby!
Could you use a slow cooker instead of stovetop?
Hi Cathy, I’ve never used a slow cooker for this recipe. But I don’t see why it couldn’t work. You would need to saute the garlic then add that to the slow cooker, but I believe you could use it in a slow cooker. Let me know if you try it!
I am cooking your recipe now. I intend on adding ground beef to it.
I did add a few hot pepper flakes and I grated a bit of fresh nutmeg.
Thank you for sharing.
Hope you enjoyed it!
I made your family’s sauce and it was wonderful! Everyone loved it. We used it on homemade pizzas, tortellini, Italian sausage. I’m going to make another batch and jar them. I’m even thinking what a nice Xmas present it would make with some spaghetti and a bottle of wine. Thank you for sharing it.
So glad to hear, Laura! Means so much to her you all enjoyed it. 🙂 And you’re right – It’s a great recipe to jar and give as a gift!!
This sauce looks amazing. Will have to try.
Let me know how you like it, Linda!
My question is about the Sans Marzano’s tomatoes. Is there a certain brand can name that the tomatoes come in? Like Centos? I’m gearing up for a small dinner party. Making sauce for spaghetti and I do t want to hear from my husband, “not like moms sauce” he hates runny sauce.
I enjoyed reading your recipe. Would to learn more. My question is I don’t feel 2 tablespoon s of olive oil is enough for all those tomatoes is enough. Help me to understand I’m always willing to mzke a better saue.
Hi Rose,
the 2 tbsp of olive oil is just to saute the garlic. So you don’t need a ton of olive oil for that 🙂
Recipe says 5 cans San Marzanos. Does this mean five 28 oz cans?
Yes! Sorry I didn’t add that detail. 28 oz cans! You can also do just 3 cans if you want to do a smaller batch. 🙂 hope you enjoy it!
great recipe…couldn’t find sun dried paste. so added sun dried to paste. Gravy came out great….made lasagna with sauce got several compliments. sauce tasted even better the next day
So glad it worked out for you! And I couldn’t agree more – it really is even better the next day.
I love San Marzano tomatoes and this recipe is perfect for them….an awesome, robust flavor is revealed via longer cooking time. Thanks for sharing recipe!
Thanks so much! That longer cooking time is key for sure ? glad you enjoyed it.
This is such a gorgeous sauce! Definitely pinning and will try.
So I’m a sauce neophyte. I filed the directions but it came out a little watery. What would you do to thicken it up? More tomato paste?
Hi jon! Simmering always naturally thickens the sauce. But if for some reason it doesn’t thicken, add more tomato pasta as needed. Hope this helps!
This was absolutely delicious!! Served with pasta. Will make again for sure!
so glad you enjoyed it! <3
I cannot wait to try this!