Homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes is a perfect way to highlight summer tomatoes and preserve them for use throughout the year! This fresh tomato sauce is made with simple and fresh ingredients and is an easy and simple recipe.
Alternatively, instead of a food mill, can use a blender, immersion blender, or food processor
Ingredients
2 ¼poundsmixed red and yellow cherry tomatoescut in half, about 3 pints
3poundslarge heirloom tomatoes with mixed colorssliced, about 2-3 large tomatoes
1small sweet onionsliced
2garlic clovesminced
fresh basilabout 8 large leaves torn in half; optionally a few more set aside for garnish.
⅓cupextra virgin olive oil
1tablespoonbalsamic vinegar
1 ½teaspoonssalt
20grinds of freshly cracked black pepperabout 2 pinches
a couple pinches of white granulated sugaroptional
Parmesan cheeseoptional
1poundpastaspaghetti or your favorite shape
Instructions
Prep vegetables, and place all the ingredients except salt, pepper, and sugar in a large bowl. Mix to distribute the ingredients. Cover and let marinate for 4-24 hours in the refrigerator.
Place marinated vegetables in a large pot, and add salt and pepper. Heat on medium high until tomatoes start to boil. Reduce heat to a slow boil, and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cook until sauce reduces some, and the ingredients look just cooked. Let cool slightly.
In the meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of water until very al dente, meaning a couple minutes away from being cooked. Drain pasta and put back in the pot.
Run the sauce through a food mill using the smallest holes. Toss the skins and whatever else can’t pass through the food mill. Alternatively, put the sauce in a blender, and run until the sauce is almost smooth but still has a little texture.
Taste the sauce and adjust as needed for salt and pepper. If your tomatoes aren't sweet, add a couple pinches of sugar to take away the tartness.
Put about ¾’s of the sauce over the pasta, and stir to coat. If you like your pasta saucier, add the remaining sauce. Keep in mind that some of the sauce will absorb into the pasta, which makes it more flavorful. Cook the pasta and sauce together for a couple minutes until the sauce heats and the pasta finishes cooking. Don't overcook the pasta - make sure the pasta is al dente, which means the pasta is cooked through with nothing raw in the center, but it retains a small bite or chew to it. Serve immediately.
Optional garnishes included grated Parmesan cheese and julienned fresh basil leaves.
Notes
This recipe is best when made with in season tomatoes.
Use a combination of different tomatoes like Roma, plum, heirloom, cherry, or San Marzano.
How to store: Store homemade fresh tomato sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
How to freeze: Store in the freezer in airtight freezer containers or mason jars with straight sides for up to one year. If the mason jar has a taper at the top of the jar, the sauce can break the glass as the liquid expands as it freezes. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
How to reheat: Reheat in the microwave or stovetop in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed throughout.