My son decided to try his hand at gardening this year. While I usually maintain a flower and herb garden, he wanted vegetables. Instead of picking out “normal” vegetables, he went for the exotic breeds. We’ve had a delicate French squash that’s not sold in any grocery store, a new cultivar of cantaloupe, and giant watermelons. Imagine having 83 pounds of watermelon to deal with at once!
But, my favorite vegetable is the tomatoes; those fresh sun-warmed bits of goodness, dripping with juice. We’ve enjoyed them in thick, hearty slices on grilled hamburgers, tomatoes marinated in fresh basil and herbs, and cubed into salads. Using tomatoes in small doses was no problem. Then, we had a bumper crop of tomatoes. Staring at an entire basket overflowing with tomatoes, I wondered what to do with them. Soon I was chopping them up and using them to make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes. I dumped and I poured until I came up with a combination I, along with my entire family, enjoy.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce With Fresh Tomatoes
This sauce is great because it can be frozen and reheated when needed. It makes a large batch, the base is vegetarian, and it can be made gluten-free with one simple adaptation. I don’t bother peeling the tomatoes because I don’t believe in creating extra work for myself, but if you preferred them peeled, feel free to do so.
Printable Recipe:
- 20 medium and large tomatoes (a mixture of both), cut into quarters
- ¾ to 1 cup sugar (depending on taste)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons salt (depending on taste)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons (dried) Italian Seasoning
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cornstarch (depending on how thick you like your sauce)
- ¼ cup of water
- 1 pound hamburger meat OR Italian sausage OR a mixture of both, crumbled, cooked, and drained
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in the butter until light brown, stirring occasionally. This should take around five minutes.
- Place the tomatoes into a food processor or blender. Puree for 20 seconds or until tomatoes are liquid, but the mixture still has some chunks.
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, add the tomatoes, sugar, salt, Italian seasoning, and onion mixture. Stir until blended.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then turn the mixture down to low. Allow to simmer, uncovered, twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together until it is blended.
- Pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce mixture. Stir until blended.
- Simmer for 20 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the hamburger meat and allow it to simmer five minutes longer.
Cooking Tips
*To make this dish vegetarian, use olive oil instead of butter when sauteing the garlic and onion.
*To make this dish gluten-free, use cornstarch or gluten-free flour instead of the all-purpose flour.
*When using cornstarch, always add a small amount of water and make the mixture into a thin liquid before adding to your sauce. Otherwise, it will make lumps that are impossible to get out.
*When using flour, it’s best to make a roux. This doesn’t have to be the traditional Cajun roux that takes 30 minutes of hand stirring. Just mix a little flour and olive oil, cook over medium heat for approximately five minutes (stirring all the time, unfortunately) and add to your sauce.
*This is a thinner sauce. If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix 1/3 cup cornstarch with water to make a liquid and then add to the saucepan.
*Freezing Instructions: Pour the mixture into several airtight two-cup plastic containers and freeze. To serve, place the container in the fridge and allow it to thaw. Heat and serve. The frozen spaghetti sauce will keep its flavor for four to six months.
I hope you enjoy this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes as much as my family does. What is your favorite recipe to make with fresh tomatoes?
I often make my own spaghetti sauce but always stock up some store-bought sauce for last-minute meals. This is the perfect summer recipe!
I have never tried to make homemade spaghetti sauce. This looks delicious! We planted a garden this year – and have tons of tomatoes starting to grow. I may need to try making some
I never tried making homemade spaghetti sauce before, but it sounds so easy to make. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
I always want to know what to do with the fresh tomatoes that I can get. This is right up my alley.
Oh it looks delicious!! I’ve only made sauce from tomatoes once! haha. I would love to give it a go again.
My mom used to make amazing spaghetti sauce from scratch. I can’t stand the taste of the jarred sauce, but I’ve never tried making my own. This looks like a great recipe and it is awesome that your son is growing vegetables!
I always prefer homemade spaghetti sauce. I have a favorite Filipino-style spaghetti sauce, but I would like to try your recipe too. Looks delish!
I preferred to make a spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes for our pasta instead of buying it from the market. Yes, it’s time consuming but it’s more delicious compared to the one that we bought from the market.
I can tell that this is super good just by the looks of it. The fresher ingredient you use, the better tasting it will be. I love this so much.
I love using fresh, local veggies in the summer. This sounds like a delicious recipe. I really love tomatoes and it would be fun to try to make my own sauce.
I make my own sauce but I haven’t tried using whole tomatoes yet. I need to try this it looks delicious.
I love the idea of making homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes. It’s a great way to use up those tomatoes during harvest time and the texture is perfect. I’m going to give your recipe a try soon!
I love homemade spaghetti sauce! It is probably one of my favorite ways to eat spaghetti. I am definitely going to try this one.
We have pasta a TON in this house. I will be trying this sauce for sure. It sounds and looks incredible.
there is just something more yummy and delicious about a homemade sauce with fresh tomatoes- my MIL and FIL do this and i can tell a difference for sure! YUM!
I’ve missed having fresh from the garden tomatoes. My parents always had a huge garden when I was growing up and the tomatoes were always so good. I’m going to find some fresh tomatoes and make your spaghetti sauce. It looks so delicious.
That sauce on pasta is making me so hungry. It seems so rich and flavorful and those fresh tomatoes are a great way to make it.