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 regular tomato paste as a thickener, my family loves to use this sun-dried tomato paste for a richer taste. If you do not have this available to you, no problem, swap it for regular tomato paste!
- 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 (or use regular 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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Absolutely perfect sauce! Thanks so much for sharing.
I haven’t made this, yet, but I will this week. I love San Marzano canned tomatoes and crushed tomatoes, too.
My comment pertains to the ingredients and your comment.
I live in a very small town. Access to a large supermarket is an hour away. Too often, people who share these great recipes assume we all live in cities. Sun-Dried tomato paste is not available in our county. My hope is that someday everyone who has a recipe website will realize that those of us in small communities with limited available products enjoy trying these new recipes. (We do have canned San Marzano tomato products (tomatoes and crushed tomatoes) on the shelf.
For this Sauce recipe, I will use the only sun-dried tomatoes in my pantry.
Please think about those of us in very small towns who enjoy cooking, but may not have easy access to all the ingredients included in your recipes.
Hi Sharon,
I completely understand that not everyone has these ingredients available everywhere. That’s why I always leave other ingredient swaps in every recipe post I share – including this one. If you do not have access to sun-dried tomato paste then you can use regular tomato paste instead. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Could you please share your favorite manicotti recipe?
“WHERE’S THE F*CKIN MANIGOT?
Sopranos? 😉
Hi Phil! I do not have a manicotti recipe – but I will certainly develop one since you asked. 🙂 I love manicottI!
This turned out fantastic! I’ve tried a few different red pasta sauce recipes and none of them came out very good, but this one we are keeping as a go to! Tons of flavor, super easy to toss together, and there are leftovers for our next pasta night! We couldn’t find sun-dried tomato paste so we just used regular but it’s fantastic!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Lindsey! And even without the sun-dried tomato paste it is still delicious – I make it a lot that way. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
Tried this tonight as written. Served with meatballs. Perfect. Yummy. A keeper. Thank you!
Thank you for posting this recipe! I used it to make my spinach and goat cheese lasagna and served to guest at a football Sunday gathering. It was a hit. I’ll use it again for sure followed the recipe as written and wouldn’t do it any other way!
Delish! I’m making it fir the second time.
Thanks for the recipe. http://www.fooddoz.com
I love this sauce! And it’s so easy, back to the basics with limited ingredients. I love it!!
Thank you so much, Nanette! I really appreciate it 🙂
Thank you for the recipe. I finally have a recipe that explains when and where to use the rind I have been saving for ions. My question is how big should the rind be. I had to cut it in smaller pieces when I grated my cheese.
You’re so welcome, Kelly! I’m so glad you found this recipe to try. I use a small to medium-sized rind for sauce. For other recipes such as my pasta Fagioli, I will use a larger-sized rind because I want more of a parmesan flavor. But I think for this sauce, you want the rind to be an accent flavor. So smaller is best, but it’s not a huge deal either way! 🙂 Hope that helps!
My pasta sauce came out very dark. Was this because I used SAN MARZANO CANNED TOMATOES? I read that they are a richer tomato.
Hi Margaret, every tomato is different. It could be the brand or variety of tomatoes the brand used! If It tastes good I’m sure it’s fine 🙂
Can you can this recipe? If I added the right amount of lemon juice to it, would it work/ be safe? I want to make and give out as gifts
Hi Nikki, I’ve never personally canned this recipe but it should work completely fine if you take proper steps to preserve it!
Fantastic recipe
Wow! Best red Italian sauce I ever cooked up. The sun-dried tomato paste really makes a difference abd adds depth to the sauce. Decided to sautee two medium sized sweet onions and used home grown garlic and basil. This is a keeper for sure. Thank you so much for sharing!
I made this recipe exactly how you said. It came out absolutely wonderful. Had fresh organic basil and oregano and even bought a thing of Parmesan so I could cut the rind off. I ate the carrots after the sauce was done and it’s just amazing the flavor they add; such a good idea. Used an entire bulb of garlic. I usually buy Rao’s tomato and basil sauce bc it’s been the best to me. This sauce is right there or better. I’m going with better bc I made it. No citric acid or calcium chloride either. Just straight real ingredients.
Thank you so much, Frederick! I always love hearing that people love this sauce. I equally love Rao’s, but homemade sauce is just as delicious when made right. Thanks for sharing your kind words! 🙂
Looks very good next time i make sauce it’s your recipe Thanks
I love this recipe and make it all the time. I like to dice some onion and add it before the garlic and some spinach with the tomatoes. The peeled carrot brings it to another level as well.
Thanks so much, Gabe! So glad you love the recipe 🙂
Thank you, Bethany, for your generosity in sharing this recipe and your infinite patience in the comments 😉 My mom would start her sauce early on Sunday mornings and it would simmer all day until we ate late afternoon. That is, indeed, the greatest ‘secret’ to a decent sauce. And we were lucky to live in New York where the finest ingredients could be found. We always used whole canned tomatoes and they break down beautifully, no help needed. She used to splash some water in each can to get every drop of tomato into the pot, and then used a little more paste. We also loved when she’d add bracciole or braised pork bones. Gosh I’m salivating as I write this. I’m on hour two of smelling your recipe simmer. I’m trying it without the onions we always added to see how I like it without. I added some crushed red pepper along with black pepper and will likely add a little fresh thyme because I happen to have it. I have recently discovered thyme and tomatoes as a wonderful pairing. I also usually add a tiny bit of rosemary(crushed). This is the first time I’m waiting to add the spices at the end and I’m very interested to see how that is! Thanks again.
Hi Raina! That is so lovely to hear. I love to hear when people have made their sauce a similar way! And onion is always welcome! We just never made it with onion, only lots of garlic. Would love to hear how you enjoy this sauce! Thanks so much for sharing.
Raina,
It was the longest 3 hours of my life waiting to add the herbs to this incredibly smelling sauce. Lol
I make almost the exact same recipe. I use an instant pot on slow cook high setting.
I also brown sausage in a cast iron pan, set it aside. Saute a small diced onion, in the sausage grease. Add the onion to the sauce before blending. Add the sausage after blending. Add meatball (browned home made or frozen) a ew hours before serving.
Store unused sauce in the instant pot , pot, coverwith a glass lid, or saran wrap in the refri. To reheat put the pot back in the instant pot and reheat.
No more fuss & only one pot to clean when you run out of sauce.
I think I’ve been looking for this recipe for years. I’ll be trying it this weekend.i will let you know how it works. Gratzie. Also, other brands of San marzano or not?
Cento is great, but you can use any canned tomato that is a product of Italy or DOP certified (should say on the can). Hope you enjoy it!
Came out fantastic, a worthy recipe to pass down
Thanks so much, Kris!!
I grew San Marzano tomatoes in our garden this summer. I ran them through the sauce master fresh from the garden and frozen the resulting sauce/juice. Could I use that to make this sauce. Do I simply use the same number ounces of my sauce/juice that you had of canned San Marzano?
Hi Hope, yes that should work perfectly fine! I would get the measurement as close as you can to the tomato can. I’m sure it’ll taste even more delicious using fresh tomatoes!
No onions? Why?
My mom never made it with onions, just personal preference. But we have tried this sauce with onions and it’s delicious!
Would you ever consider adding a couple of anchovies to the olive oil at the start of the recipe? Seems to me they’d break down in the oil and add a punch of umami to the sauce
Hi Cindy, I’ve never tried it, but if you were to try it, I recommend anchovy paste – it might work better. Hope you enjoy the sauce!
This is my second time making this sauce, the first was absolutely AMAZING! This time I started with onions as well as garlic, I’m adding carrots as suggested, and I added a few bay leaves just because. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!
Oh, and at the risk of over-doodling it, I also added just a bit of Worcestershire sauce
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for sharing, Brian! 🙂
Wow this sauce is terrific. Love the depth of flavor. Family loved it.
Hi. I like to cook my meatballs in my sauce. I see that your sauce is nice and thick. Will that be a problem putting them in, or should I wait a half an hour or so?
Hi John! I would recommend adding the meatballs in for the last 1-2 hours 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Is this made with (2) 28 oz. cans of ‘matoes or (4)-(5) cans? The video only showed 2 so I wanted to be sure thank you!
Hi Marina, the video cut out any of the other cans, I believe I used three in the video because the pot was smaller. The recipes calls for 4-5 cans – whichever you want! It works for both. 🙂 Hope that helps!
I have heard it is better to cook and reduce red sauce in the oven since the indirect heating will prevent it from burning. Thoughts? And if so, at what temperature and for how long would you recommend cooking this sauce?
I’m only halfway through the minimum 4 hours on the sauce, but I gave it a quick taste anyways. I could not believe the incredible taste, even though the San Marzanos haven’t fully broken down yet. I can’t wait for dinner!
I’ll be using this sauce for stuffed shells!
Thanks so much for sharing, Brian! I’m so happy to hear it. 🙂
This recipe is 100% authentic and reminds me of Italy. Even my Italian friends (from Italy in the last 5 years) love this recipe and they say it reminds them of home.
Hi – You mentioned using a stainless steel pot, I have a large le creuset pot and I was wondering if that would be OK to use?
I’ve canned a bushel or two of this sauce with fresh tomatoes and no oregano for about 20 years. When I run out of my sauce I use San Mariano’s in the recipe. It’s delicious and sweet.
The Best. I do add some onion. Only because I like onion not a lot. Hands down the best. Just make sure you hit the imported San marzano perfect recipe.
I’m excited to make this recipe! Do you think it would taste delicious if I make homemade meatballs to add to this sauce recipe?
This is my new, go to sauce! I make a lot at a time (with or without meat) and freeze the extra in ziplock bags. Very handy as needed. Thank you!
I love to hear it! Thank you so much, Deb!
I messed up and put all herbs in the beginning. If it comes out bitter, any suggestions on how to fix 🙁
Hi Stephanie, no problem! It really shouldn’t come out bitter. It’s just a precautionary step I take because sometimes it does. You’ll have to let me know how the results were! I hope you liked it. 🙂
Sauce flavor was amazing! Brought out the flavor of the peppers and fennel 🙂. Thank you!!
This sauce is great! How long would you say to water bath can this for to preserve in pantry?
Also, is any citic acid or anything needed to water bath can, to preserve?
QUESTION (RE: Marinara sauce): Instead of the stainless steel pot on the stove, could a slow cooker be used?
A slow cooker should work just fine!