Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes 

Article by Kelly Vaughan

Whether you have an abundance of fresh tomatoes from the farmers’ market or your own garden, here’s how to put them to use. Our best homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes features a technique that processes them with minimal fuss (for other methods, check out Food Network’s One-Pot Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce and NutriBullet® Fresh Tomato Sauce). Instead of following the traditional technique of blanching and peeling the tomatoes, you’ll halve and roast them in the oven at high heat. Doing so concentrates their sweetness and makes the skins easy to remove. The shortcut works just as well if you’re using underripe or out-of-season tomatoes too. Fresh garlic cloves and herb sprigs infuse the tomatoes with soft, earthy notes that help to round everything out.

How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes: Tips from the Test Kitchen

Preheat the oven. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 500 degrees F.

Roast the tomatoes directly on the baking sheet. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with high-quality olive oil and sprinkle on crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Roasting the tomatoes directly on the sheet tray (versus on foil or parchment paper) concentrates their juices and encourages caramelization, which deepens flavor and brings out their natural sweetness.

Position the tomatoes skin-side up. The tomatoes roast skin side up and the skins blister and loosen as they cook, making it super easy to lift off once cooled. Roast until the skins are very dark and wrinkled.

Roast the aromatics on top of the tomatoes. The aromatics, including crushed garlic cloves, fresh basil and thyme roast right alongside the tomatoes, so by the time everything comes out of the oven, the garlic is soft and mellow and the herbs have infused the pan with flavor.

Make the sauce by hand or in a food processor. Pull off the tomato skins (they'll slip off easily) and discard. Place the tomatoes and squeezed garlic in a large bowl. For a very rustic sauce, use your hands or a potato masher to crush the tomatoes and garlic together into a chunky sauce. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can pulse the sauce in a food processor or puree with an immersion blender, working in batches as needed, until it reaches your desired consistency. Blending the tomatoes also breaks down the garlic and incorporates it into the sauce so that you taste it in every bite.

How to Store Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

This homemade spaghetti sauce recipe with fresh tomatoes is enough for about two pounds of pasta. Once cool, transfer the sauce to airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. If you want to save it for even longer, transfer the cooled sauce to ziptop freezer bags, stack, and freeze until ready to use.

How to Serve Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

There are so many ways to serve this fresh tomato sauce including traditional recipes and unexpected dishes alike.

Air Fryer Pizza Bagels. The whole family will love snacking on these quick and easy pizza bagels, which are topped with prepared tomato sauce, two kinds of cheese and dried herbs.

Meatball Subs. From casual dinners at home to game day bites, this recipe for hearty meatball subs calls for two big jars of marinara sauce—the perfect excuse to sub in your homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.

Easy Lasagna. There’s no reason to overcomplicate lasagna, especially when you’re starting with a delicious homemade tomato sauce.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes FAQs

Do You Have to Peel Tomatoes When Making Tomato Sauce?

Yes, one way or another, you have to remove tomato skins when making fresh tomato sauce. That’s because doing so leads to a smoother texture, particularly if you prefer a silky blended sauce. Typically, recipes call for you to remove the skins before roasting, but our method cuts down on that labor through a neat trick that allows them to simply slip right off.

Can You Double this Recipe?

This recipe makes about 5 cups of sauce and is easily doubled if you find yourself with an abundance of summer tomatoes that you don’t know what to do with. If you make it in bulk, transfer your sauce portions to zip-top bags for easy stacking and quick defrosting when needed.