Quick Tomato Sauce Recipe – Fresh, Easy & Ready in 20 Minutes

Making a great tomato sauce shouldn't take hours.

Canned tomatoes you find at the grocery store are picked at the peak of ripeness and consistently taste better than the flavorless supermarket tomatoes you see most times of the year. But the problem is they contain the preservative citric acid, which messes up the delicate balance between sweetness and acidity found in fresh tomatoes. If you want to use canned tomatoes to make a sauce, you have to add back some sweetness.

Salt and sugar are a prominent place to start, but any more than ⅓ teaspoon is too much. You can use onions. Yes, onions has sweet flavors in it and when you cook long enough, their flavor changes from pungent to sweet. Onions contain long chains of fructose molecules, and as the onions break down, these chains. This allows the natural flavored sugars in the onions to develop.

Cooking ketchup by yourself is not that easy. Opening a jar, but it's not the only challenge. Take it a few times, you will want to commit to it for good.

WHY Quick FRESH TOMATO SAUCE​ WORKS:

I want to pick the right crushed canned tomatoes so that I can make quick sauce. Quick tip is that Brands that list tomatoes, rather than tomato purée, as the first ingredient will have a fresher flavor. I usually use Muir Glen crushed tomatoes.

You can Grate or Chop:

Grated onion browns faster than chopped onion. Use the large holes of a box grater to grate a peeled onion. A medium onion works well, as it gives you enough grated onion while leaving a good-sized piece to hold. This keeps your fingers and knuckles safe.

Use Butter:

When crafting delicious tomato sauce, we take a delightful twist by starting with butter to sauté onions! This simple choice enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes while adding wonderful depth and richness to the dish. Unlike high-quality olive oil, which doesn't fully shine in this role, butter promotes beautiful browning and elevates the overall flavor profile. It’s a surefire way to create a mouthwatering sauce that you’ll love!

10 Minutes Simmering:

For the best flavor in your sauce, keep it simmering for no more than 10 minutes! This short cook time allows the wonderful taste of crushed tomatoes to shine through while achieving the perfect thickness. Enjoy the deliciousness you create in just a flash!

Ingredients For Quick Easy Tomato Sauce:

Makes about 3 cups of sauce, enough for 1 pound of pasta

• Unsalted butter - 2 tbsp
• Grated onion - ¼ cup
• Salt and pepper
• Dried oregano - ¼ tsp
• Minced garlic, 2 cloves
• Crushed tomatoes - 1 can
• Sugar - ½ tsp
• Coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves - 2 tbsp
• Extra-virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp

Instructions For Quick Tomato Sauce With Fresh Tomatoes:

First step is to melt butter in a small or medium size saucepan over medium heat.

Add onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and oregano; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes well and sugar; increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Lower heat to medium-low level and simmer until thickened slightly, for about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Variations For Quick Sauce From Fresh Tomatoes:

Quick Spicy Tomato Sauce

Add one teaspoon red pepper flakes with garlic.

Quick Creamy Tomato Sauce

Add ¼ cup heavy cream to finished sauce and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Quick Zesty Tomato Sauce

Add nine minced anchovy fillets with garlic. Add ¼ cup pitted and chopped olives and three tablespoons rinsed capers with basil.

Recipe Details:

Timeline

• 5 minutes to prep ingredients
• 5 minutes to cook onion and garlic
• 10 minutes to cook tomatoes and finish sauce

Essential Tools

• Box grater for grating onion
• Can opener
• Medium saucepan
• Chef’s knife

Substitutions & Variations

• Don't worry if you don't have crushed tomatoes on hand! A 28-ounce can of whole or diced tomatoes works perfectly. Just blend them with their juice in a food processor until smooth. Exciting news: you can easily double this recipe in a large saucepan! Just keep in mind that the simmering time might be a bit longer. Happy cooking!

Find more quick and healthy recipes in our Main Dishes section.

You would love to try the Foodvlove Shrimp Spring Roll recipe with tomato sauce

Tomato Sauce recipe

Yield: 5

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Rich, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make! This classic tomato sauce is perfect for pasta, pizza, or any dish that needs a fresh burst of Italian flavor. Made with ripe tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and herbs — it’s a pantry staple you’ll want to make again and again.

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Ingredients

• Unsalted butter - 2 tbsp
• Grated onion - ¼ cup
• Salt and pepper
• Dried oregano - ¼ tsp
• Minced garlic, 2 cloves
• Crushed tomatoes - 1 can
• Sugar - ½ tsp
• Coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves - 2 tbsp
• Extra-virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp

Instructions

First step is to melt butter in a small or medium size saucepan over medium heat.

Add onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and oregano; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in tomatoes well and sugar; increase heat to high and bring to simmer.

Lower heat to medium-low level and simmer until thickened slightly, for about 10 minutes.

Off heat, stir in basil and oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 83Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 108mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g

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