San Marzano Tomato Sauce

5 from 1 vote

This San Marzano tomato sauce is perfect for pasta, risottos, meatball subs - you name it! The sauce is bright and ideal to make ahead and keep in the fridge or freezer. San Marzano tomatoes are the star ingredient in this recipe - and yes, they make all the difference in this sauce! Alongside basil, onions and garlic, this recipe will definitely be a staple in your kitchen.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Pasta, Sauces, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Homemade Sauce, Pasta Sauce, San Marzano, San Marzano Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Tomato Soup

Servings: servings

Calories: 51kcal

Author: Mari Betancourt

Equipment

Food Mill (optional)
Stainless Steel Pot

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion cut in half
4 garlic cloves minced
2 ¼ oz tomato paste or half a tube
84 oz San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes 3 cans
3 rinds Parmigiano Reggiano rinds
3 ounces fresh basil about 2 ½ cups
28 ounces water use one empty can of tomatoes to measure; see note below
1 ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

On medium heat, heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot and sauté the garlic and onion for a couple of minutes, just until fragrant making sure it doesn't burn. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a few minutes until the paste turns a darker shade of red.
(Optional) Puree/grind canned San Marzano tomatoes in a food mill (with a medium disc) for smooth tomatoes that result in a velvety, smooth tomato sauce.
Add the canned San Marzano tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano rinds and basil to the pot. Add water to your tomato cans and swish it in the can to use up all the leftover tomato in the can and add back to the pot - you want about a whole can's worth of water (about 28 ounces) in your sauce. Stir to combine, cover the pot and lower the temperature to low-medium low so the sauce can simmer.
Stir the sauce every 20-30 minutes, making sure the Parmigiano Reggiano rinds don't get stuck to the bottom of the pot. If you did not pass your tomatoes through the food mill, you can squeeze the whole tomatoes against the side of the pot using a wooden spoon (this is not necessary but will help them burst a bit quicker). After an hour and a half has passed, remove the lid from the pot and keep simmering for another hour and a half, still stirring every 20-30 minutes.
After simmering for three hours, the sauce should be reduced and have a slightly thicker consistency than when you started. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. See note below regarding onions + garlic and sauce consistency. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature before storing or freezing.

Notes

The onions and garlic debate. In lots of traditional tomato sauce recipes, the onions and garlic are used to flavor the sauce and then removed once the sauce is done cooking. I personally like to leave both in the sauce but feel free to remove if you prefer it that way!
Sauce consistency. If you like a smoother sauce or if you don't want to remove the basil, onion or garlic from your finished sauce, carefully use a blender (wait for sauce to cool a bit) or an immersion blender to blend all of the ingredients together.
To store: Once cooled to room temperature, store the sauce in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.
To freeze: This sauce can be frozen for up to 6-9 months. Pour the sauce in a zip-top freezer-safe bag, close well and store horizontally on top of a baking sheet in the freezer. The baking sheet helps in case there are any leaks. Once the sauce is frozen, feel free to remove the baking sheet from the freezer. This is my preferred method so that I can simply break off a piece of the sauce from the bag to reheat once I'm ready instead of defrosting the whole bag. Alternatively, you can store the sauce in a freezer-safe container instead of a freezer-safe, zip-top bag.
To reheat from frozen: Thaw in the fridge overnight or, if needed right away, reheat the San Marzano tomato sauce on the stovetop or for short bursts in the microwave.

Nutrition

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