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This Fresh Tomato Sauce is simple, fresh, and deeply flavorful—and once you make it, you’ll never go back to store-bought. If you have ripe, juicy summer tomatoes like I do, this is the best way to use them. Whether you’re canning a batch or just using up what’s on your counter, this is the sauce you’ll want on repeat all summer long.

This sauce is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30-friendly, and freezes beautifully.

Tomato sauce stored in a smaller mason jar and labeled


Why You’ll Love This Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipe

  • It’s peak-summer perfect: Made with just a few ingredients, this sauce celebrates ripe, in-season tomatoes.
  • Big flavor, minimal effort: No complicated techniques here—just a little time and a lot of tomato goodness.
  • Freezer-friendly: Make a big batch now, and stash it away for cozy pastas, pizza nights, and soups all year long.
  • Customizable: Keep it classic or add aromatics such as fresh herbs, garlic, or onion to make it your own.
A white bowl full of colorful, ripe tomatoes and a smaller bowl of chopped onions, a small plate of spices, and two small condiment bowls with oil and garlic.

What Tomatoes Are Best for Sauce?

When it comes to fresh homemade tomato sauce, the variety matters less than the ripeness. You want tomatoes that are:

  • Ripe and in-season — This is key for that rich, sweet tomato flavor.
  • Paste tomatoes, like Roma or San Marzano, are traditional choices since they have fewer seeds and less water, making them ideal for a thicker sauce.
  • But honestly? Use what you’ve got. Any ripe tomatoes (even cherry tomatoes!) will work—just know juicier varieties may take a bit longer to cook down.
A stock pot full tomato sauce with a brown, wooden spoon, scooping the sauce.

Tools You’ll Need

You don’t need fancy equipment, but a few tools make things easier:

How to Make Fresh Tomato Sauce

This method keeps it simple and lets the tomatoes shine. Here’s what to do:

1: Blanch and Peel the Tomatoes
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  • Score the bottom of each tomato with a small “X” using a knife.
  • Drop tomatoes into the boiling water for 30-60 seconds, just until the skins start to peel back.
  • Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water.
  • Once cooled, slip the skins off.

Time-Saving Tip: You can skip peeling if you’re blending the sauce smooth later, but removing the skins gives the sauce a silkier texture.

2: Remove the Cores and Seeds
  • Cut the tomatoes in half and gently squeeze out the seeds (this doesn’t have to be perfect).
  • Chop the tomatoes roughly.
3: Cook the Sauce
  • Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pot.
  • Add tomatoes, a big pinch of salt, and any extras like garlic, basil, or onion if using.
  • Simmer over medium heat, stir occasionally, until thickened—usually 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Want a Smooth Sauce? Use an immersion blender right in the pot, or transfer in batches to a regular blender. A food mill will also give you a smooth texture while removing any lingering skins or seeds.

a glass bowl full of cooked tomatoes that are beginning to peel.
a blender with blended tomatoes looking in from the top.
A large pot of tomato sauce.
Tomato sauce stored in a mason jar on a ocunter top.

Optional Flavor Additions

Customize your sauce with any of the following:

  • Garlic cloves – mince and then sautée in the olive oil before adding tomatoes
  • Chopped onion – a favorite aromatic to add
  • Fresh basil or oregano – fresh hersb are a great addition when stireed into the sauce
    • Dried basil and dried oregano will also work
  • Crushed red pepper flakes for a kick
  • A drizzle of balsamic vinegar for added depth

How to Store Fresh Tomato Sauce

This sauce is super versatile and stores well:

  • Canning: If you’re experienced with safe canning practices, this sauce is a great one to preserve!
  • In the fridge: Let cool, then store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
  • In the freezer: Portion into mason jars, silicone trays, or freezer-safe bags. Leave some room at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 6 months.
A freezer safe gallon ziploc bag filled with tomato sauce and labeled tomato sauce.

FAQ’s

Can I skip peeling the tomatoes?

Yes! Especially if you’re blending the sauce smooth, it’s totally fine to leave the skins on. The texture just won’t be quite as silky.

What if I don’t have a food mill?

No problem. You can blend the sauce smooth with a regular or immersion blender—or just leave it chunky and rustic!

Do I need to add sugar?

If your tomatoes are super sweet and in-season, you probably don’t need it. But taste as you go—sometimes just a pinch balances the flavor beautifully.

Can I use frozen tomatoes?

Yep. If you froze whole summer tomatoes, you can thaw them and use them here. The skins will slip right off after defrosting.

Should you use butter?

Butter is best used with the noodles!

Can I use canned tomatoes?

Fresh tomatoes work best with this recipe!

The Bottom Line

There’s nothing quite like a sauce made from peak-season tomatoes. It’s fresh, flavorful, and makes the most of summer’s best produce. Whether you keep it simple or spice it up, this fresh tomato sauce is one you’ll want to make again and again. And it’ll have you feeling like you’re in the heart of Italy!

a cream bowl full of spaghetti noodles topped with the fresh tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and basil.

Other Tomato-Based Recipes:

Watch The Video Here:

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How To Make Fresh Tomato Sauce (with Summer Tomatoes!)

5 from 7 votes
This Fresh Tomato Sauce is simple, fresh, and deeply flavorful—and once you make it, you'll never go back to store-bought. If you’ve got ripe, juicy summer tomatoes, this is the best way to use them. Whether you're canning a batch or just using up what's on your counter, this is the sauce you’ll want on repeat all summer long.
Servings 5
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Rate RecipePin RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 10-11 pounds fresh heirloom tomatoes or any tomatoes of choice
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano more to taste
  • Optional: 1 4.5-ounce can tomato paste
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup lemon juice if canning!

Instructions

  • Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Working in batches, drop the tomatoes in the water for 1 minute. Carefully take tomatoes out and place in a large bowl. Let tomatoes cool. Once cool, carefully peel off skins.
  • Core the tomatoes and place in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, or pulse until desired consistency is reached if you want a chunkier sauce. Set aside.
  • In a large pot, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent.
  • Add in dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Pour in tomato puree and stir well.
  • Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for 2 hours, or until thickened and reduced. Add lemon juice if using. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
  • Take sauce off heat and cool down to room temperature. Pour into freezer friendly plastic containers and freezer!

Notes

Tomato sauce will last in the freezer for 4-6 months. *Feel free to can this tomato sauce instead of freezing it! If you do so, make sure to take out the extra-virgin olive oil from this recipe. Oil is known to higher the probability of potential strains of botulism when canning. Also, make sure to up the amount of lemon juice to 1/4 cup! The lemon juice will increase the acidity in this sauce to safe levels for canning. Here is a great go-to recipe when wanting to can your tomato sauce:
  • 10-11 pounds tomato, skinned and pureed
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt, more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper, more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil, more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, more to taste
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
Place all ingredients into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until thick. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed! Let cool. Pour into sterilized canning jars and twist on sterilized lids until very secure. Place jars in a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes. Let cool completely on the counter. Make sure that the lids have sealed completely. If the lid pops up when pressed, the canning process did not work properly. Store in your pantry for up to one year!
Course: sauce
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Paleo, whole30
Author: Lexi
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Comments

  2. 5 stars
    Hello! I used this recipe the other day for all the backyard maters that grew so bountifully this year in central texas. Thank you for keeping it simple & easy for people like me who do not cook! 🙂 Great recipe, and very yummy.

    Reply

  3. Made this today, not sure if the type of tomato I used was right. I used butter instead of olive oil. And I neglected to “core” the ‘maters… Wife harped on me that it is not tomato sauce but spagetti sauce because of the onions and garlice. Oh well.

    Reply

  4. When you say leave out the olive oil if canning, what should be substituted to state the onion, garlic, etc?

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Fantastic Recipe!! I made one addition: Honey! Honey smooths out that sharp tang that tomatoes can have. I probably had close to 25 lbs of tomatoes and ended up with about 8-10 quarts of sauce. Once it cools, I’ll freeze it in quart bags. I’m delighted to have found your recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it.

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    This recipe is excellent!! My husband and I just purchased a 25 pound box of tomatoes from our local farm stand on Eastern Long Island . So far we prepared this amazing homemade tomato sauce ( our first time making sauce from scratch) and salsa with chillis from the indian grocery store . Our youngest daughter helped peel and seed the tomatoes.

    Reply

  11. Thank you for sharing! Just read this and it was perfect timing – I have a bunch of tomatoes I just took out of the garden and need something to try 🙂

    Reply

  13. There is NOTHING as delicious as getting to enjoy some homemade tomato sauce in the dead of winter. I always make sure to make some this time of year and freeze it away for when I’m totally desperate! Beautiful photos!

    Reply

  15. I need to be part of your CSA – 10 lbs of tomatoes sounds amazing! I’ve never canned anything before – I don’t think I’m that brave! But the freezer version sounds amazing!

    Reply