San Marzano Tomato Sauce
This San Marzano tomato sauce is a family recipe using only the best quality ingredients.
Excellent tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil make a rich and luscious sauce in only 30 minutes. This sauce is simple and basic but the flavors will blow you away!
San Marzano tomato sauce has a special place in my heart. This recipe was taught to me by my late cousin Claudio many years ago. Since then it has been a staple in my family. Whether it’s quick weeknight meals or a lazy Sunday supper, I turn to this recipe time and time again!
The San Marzano tomato is a variety of plum tomatoes that grows well in warm climates. But it’s only the tomatoes grown in the volcanic soils near Mount Vesuvius in the Campania region of Italy. These are certified in the same way as French Champagne or Parmigiano Reggiano. So unless you’re in Italy, you won’t find them fresh at your local market. But instead, look for the certified, canned tomatoes labeled “Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese- Nocerino DOP”.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick – If you don’t have time to make my dad’s authentic Bolognese sauce, this is the pasta sauce for you! It doesn’t have to be simmered for hours to achieve the best flavors. In fact, in 30 minutes it’s thick, tasty, and an ideal pasta sauce without using any tomato paste. The reason is because this recipe uses canned San Marzano tomatoes.
- Sweeter -San Marzano tomatoes are a premium product and you pay a little more for the quality. The tomatoes are very red and sweet with fewer seeds and less acidity plus the juice they are canned in is thick and luscious. When you have a recipe where the tomatoes are the star, like this San Marzano tomato sauce, this is the best choice.
- Convenient – This recipe uses canned San Marzano tomatoes. Remember to look for the certification on the label.
- Flavor – You’ll love the smooth, sweet flavors of this pasta sauce recipe. This San Marzano tomato sauce isn’t overwhelmed by garlic or herbs. Once you’ve made it and seen how easy and tasty it is, you’ll never go back to store-bought tomato sauce!
- Versatility – What’s so wonderful about a basic sauce like San Marzano tomato sauce is that it’s excellent with pasta but it can also be used as a base for many other dishes. Or used as a dip for bread, crackers, or sandwiches like mozzarella in carrozza. This recipe is so versatile and easy, make a double batch and freeze half for later!
This type of sauce is often referred to as marinara sauce. However, in Italy, it’s simply a tomato sauce or “sugo di pomodoro”. Italian Marinara is a tomato based sauce mixed with seafood. But a “marinara pizza” is topped with just tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, and garlic. It can be confusing!
What is so special about San Marzano tomatoes?
San Marzano tomatoes look different even compared to Roma tomatoes. They are thinner and more pointy. Fewer seeds mean that they are sweeter. Plus the “walls” of the San Marzano tomato are thicker which results in a less watery tomato sauce.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
If you want your tomato sauce to taste great, then you must use great tasting ingredients. If the ingredients don’t taste delicious on their own, then they certainly won’t taste great when cooked
The ingredients for this recipe will be very familiar if you have made Italian tomato sauce before. This recipe relies on just a few ingredients so everything needs to be of the very best quality particularly canned San Marzano tomatoes.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Choose an oil you like the taste of because it will influence the final result. Olive oil, like all oils, has a shelf life. For extra virgin olive oil, it’s usually 12-18 months from bottling. Old oil can taste bitter and will spoil the recipe so use fresh oil.
- Garlic Cloves – Plump, juicy garlic is a sign that it’s fresh which is the best to use.
- Onion – You’ll just need a small onion or half a large onion. The onion is a flavoring but we want the tomatoes to shine in this sauce.
- Canned San Marzano Tomatoes – Check the label to ensure you’re getting the real deal.
- Salt – Seasoning any food really brings out the flavors. Over salting is not good but under salting results in bland tasting food. You can start with half the quantity but then taste and adjust to bring out the sweet flavors of this San Marzano sauce.
- Basil – Fresh basil is the way to go in this recipe. Dried basil has very little taste so please don’t use it.
Instructions
Before you begin, have all ingredients at hand and ready. Prepare the garlic by placing the cloves on a board and with the flat side of a knife press the cloves to slightly crush them. You’ll be able to remove the skins but the clove will still be intact but cracked.
Firstly, chop the onion very finely. This must be done properly because large onion pieces in the smooth sauce aren’t good. Alternatively, mince the onion.
In a cold skillet, add the extra virgin olive oil and the cracked garlic. Place the skillet over medium heat, allowing the garlic to simmer and become pale gold then remove the garlic and discard. Never let the garlic become dark or burnt. If this happens, it’s best to start again.
Add the very finely chopped onion and cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes stirring regularly. The onion will soften but shouldn’t color beyond golden. Monitor cooking the onion closely and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Add the pureed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer gently uncovered for 20 minutes until slightly thickened. In the last 5 minutes stir in chopped basil.
The technique for making this San Marzano tomato sauce may not be one you’ve used before. Initially, the garlic gives up all its flavors to the oil. Once the garlic has done its job, it’s discarded. Yes, that’s right. This sauce is delicately flavored with garlic but doesn’t contain garlic.
Hint: The canned tomatoes should be pureed using a stick blender or a small food processor. You can also pass the tomatoes through a sieve. If you prefer, crush the tomatoes with your hands, chop them or just crush with the back of the spoon as they cook for a coarse sauce. Always use whole tomatoes for this sauce – the quality is much better than canned crushed tomatoes.
Substitutions
- San Marzano Tomatoes – If you absolutely can’t find canned San Marzano tomatoes, Italian canned Roma tomatoes can be substituted. Use a reputable brand, produced in Italy, and check the ingredients are just whole peeled tomatoes and tomato juice. Some brands may also contain salt which is fine but no other additives.
- Basil – Add or substitute other fresh herbs for the basil. Fresh oregano, parsley, or thyme would be the best choice.
Variations
While I urge you to keep this homemade tomato sauce simple, there are a few variations that work well.
- Extra complexity – A little dry white wine can be added with the tomatoes – just a ¼ cup is enough.
- Hearty – Together with the tomatoes, simmer a Parmesan rind in the sauce to make a hearty tomato sauce. Remember to remove and throw away the rind before serving the sauce.
- Spicy – A pinch of red pepper flakes or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper isn’t authentic but adds a bit of spice if that is what you enjoy.
Storage
This sauce can be successfully made in advance. Allow it to cool completely then pour into a sealed container and store in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
San Marzano Tomato sauce can also be frozen. Cool the sauce then pour into an airtight container, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Top Tips
- The best thing you can do is use canned San Marzano tomatoes. It does make a difference. San Marzano tomatoes are sweeter with a better tomato taste. Plus whole, peeled tomatoes are superior in quality.
- Be sure to chop the onion very finely or if your knife skills aren’t the best, mince or grate the onion. Remember to follow the recipe and only use half or a small onion.
- For a mild garlic flavor, cook the garlic cloves in the oil until just golden then remove and discard the cloves. This flavors the oil without an intense garlic hit. This is the key to San Marzano tomato sauce because it allows the beautiful, intense tomato flavor to shine through!
- Please season the sauce well. Tasting is the only way to know if you have enough salt. You may think you can add it at the table but the salt always tastes “raw” when you do that – it really needs to be cooked into the sauce.
- Finally, you don’t need to simmer this sauce for hours. The brightness and fresh tomato sauce flavor of this recipe is what make it the best!
FAQ
Both Roma and San Marzano make good tomato sauce. However, San Marzano tomatoes make better tomato sauce. There are fewer seeds and San Marzano tomatoes are sweeter.
Look for the DOP designation on the can so that you know you’re getting the real deal. The label should read “Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese- Nocerino DOP” or “San Marzano Tomatoes from Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP”. This indicates the exact region in Italy where they are grown. The can will also have the DOP
No, I don’t remove the seeds when using San Marzano tomatoes. If you are substituting canned Roma tomatoes, removing the seeds is a good idea. You can do this by crushing the tomatoes and pressing through a fine mesh sieve.
Serving Suggestions
The most natural way to serve San Marzano tomato sauce is with pasta. This sauce is particularly good with homemade pasta like cavatelli, tonnarelli and garganelli. All you need is a good showering of parmesan cheese to make the ultimate meal!
Why not top these Italian chicken cutlets with a spoonful of sauce and mozzarella cheese for a tasty and quick chicken parmigiana? Or it becomes a fabulous focaccia topping when combined with cheese and basil.
These are just a few suggestions for how to use San Marzano tomato sauce. I’m sure you’ll think of heaps more!
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San Marzano Tomato Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion or ½ large onion
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 28 oz (800 grams) canned San Marzano tomatoes See note 1
- 1 teaspoon salt more or less according to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Use a stick blender or food processor to puree the tomatoes. You can also press them through a fine sieve. Set aside.
- Place garlic cloves on a board and with the flat side of a knife press the cloves to slightly crush them. Remove the skins. Set aside.
- Chop the onion very finely or alternatively mince the onion. Set aside.
- In a cold skillet, add extra virgin olive oil and cracked, peeled garlic.
- Place the skillet over medium heat, allowing the garlic to simmer and become pale gold stirring regularly. Don’t let the garlic burn! Remove the garlic and discard.
- Add the very finely chopped or minced onion to the garlic flavored oil and cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly. Allow the onion to soften but not color beyond golden. Check the cooking of the onion closely and adjust the temperature if you need to.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. At this stage don't add any water – you can always add some later if needed.
- Reduce to low heat and simmer gently uncovered for 20 minutes until slightly thickened. In the last 5 minutes stir in chopped basil. Taste for salt and adjust as desired.
- Delicious stirred through al dente pasta and topped with parmesan cheese!
Notes
- Even though you will be pureeing the tomatoes, always use whole tomatoes for this sauce – the quality is much better than canned crushed tomatoes.
- Use canned San Marzano tomatoes.
- Chop the onion very finely or mince it.
- Flavor the oil with garlic by cooking the garlic cloves in the oil until just golden then remove and discard the cloves.
- Season well and taste to check.
- Don’t simmer for too long. Keep the sauce bright and fresh.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
All I have to say is this sauce is delious.
That’s all that has to be said, Rita! Thank you!
An extremely easy sauce for any occasion. Excellent flavor because of the simple ingredients. I like the fact that it is a simple sauce much the way the grandparents made it not Americanized with unnecessary ingredients. We make a double batch, freeze it and have it whenever a quick and tasty meal is needed.
I’m happy to hear that you love this sauce, Ron. Yes, it is exactly as my cousin Claudio taught me and it’s perfect as is.
Appetizing and very pleasant presentation.
Glad you liked it, Vien!
This sauce is the best. I added artichokes and olives and it was really good. Marcellina I have learned so much from your recipes. Thank you and have a Happy New Year.
Thank you, Raymond! Happy New Year to you!
Our friend grows these tomatoes. I prepared this recipe yesterday using only 6 tomatoes. It’s just my wife and I. I have another friend who brings us fresh pressed olive oil from California. I followed your recipe and added three pieces of Italian sausage to the mix. I must say that the result was the most delicious sauce I have ever tasted. This is saying something because my grandmother grew up in a Italian neighborhood in Hoboken NJ and prepared one hell of pot of spaghetti.
Thank you for your feedback, John! The addition of Italian sausage would be great. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Incredible recipe. Fooled ’em again. They think I’m a chef.
Don’t let them know that simplicity is the key, Bob!
Excellent sauce and easy. Way better and less expensive than jarred sauce or the sauce prepared at most restaurants. Served with Marcellina’s Italian chicken cutlets ala parmigiana.
Thank you Raymond! Yes, this tomato sauce is perfect on my chicken cutlets with a sprinkle of cheese.
I have been making my mother-in-law’s sauce for years, and everyone enjoys it. But I’ve never used San Marzano tomatoes, although I’ve heard how amazing they are so many times. I always thought “Do tomatoes that cost this much really make a difference?” Well, they did! This simple sauce was light, fresh, and delicious. The fresh basil was the crowning touch. My daughters preferred it as well. My late husband probably would turn over in his grave and wouldn’t love it…but it’s not Mama’s cooking! I served it over cavatelli with freshly grated Pecorino Romano. Now I’m inspired to make my own pasta to go with it. The only problem is I wish I had made more….and as it was, I doubled the recipe. This is
my new go-to!
Sue, it’s fantastic to hear that you and your daughters enjoyed this version of sauce. As you probably read, this is my late cousin Claudio’s sauce and we loved it when he made it for us many years ago and love it to this day. Yes, absolutely make your own pasta – you’ll love that too!
I really like your recipe but have not yet used it. Reason? We decided to grow our own Marzano tomatoes this year (which is a whole lot different than growing USA version tomatoes). We got a bumper crop on all three of our plants! So my question is, do you have a recipe made from fresh Marzanos?
We learned a lot about growing these special plants, after a slow start in our shorter-than-normal spring/summer/fall. The Marzanos require a different level of fertilizer/pH levels than most domestic tomatoes, and they like a lot of calcium. Once we crushed egg shells and adjusted our nutrient levels, the plants took off like a covey of quail, and now we are looking for a way to cook and preserve our crop for a winter of great Italian sauce.
Hope to hear from you soon…the Marzanos are picked and need to be used.
Best regards and thanks for the great recipe,
ThinkFresh in Central Oregon
Ron, that is so interesting to know about the difference in growing San Marzano tomatoes! We will definitely use your tips when growing them next year which we plan to do. We haven’t grown San Marzano tomatoes in our garden as yet. However I do make this sauce with my fresh Roma tomatoes. Sometimes, I’m lazy and just add them chopped (without peeling) into olive oil and garlic or as in this recipe olive oil and softened onion. Other times I will go to the trouble of peeling before using. Just simmer until the sauce has reduced a little and the tomatoes have softened.
Also, if the garden has produced well (as in your case!), I make tomato puree by simmering chopped tomatoes until they have broken down and softened. If a lot of water rises to the top, I’ll pour or scoop that off. Then pass the tomatoes through a food mill/mouli to separate the skin and seeds. It can be canned or frozen at this stage though often I return it to the pan to reduce further over the heat. I like to salt it before canning or freezing but that’s up to you. Also a fresh basil leaf is good added to each bottle.
This is the sauce that I made from very young with my parents. We preserved all the tomato puree we needed for the year. It was always sweet and tasty. I’m sure yours will be too! Don’t hestiate to contact me if you need any other information. Take care, Marcellina
The sauce was simple to prepare but I wished I hadn’t added the full tsp of salt. I had to add brown sugar to make it edible. I’ll do it right next time. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed it! I’ve noted on the recipe to add salt according your taste. Thanks!
This is such a simple, yet tasty, tomato sauce. And San Marzano tomatoes are my favorite so this was perfect- highly recommend this sauce!
Oh this sauce was so good, just like my nonnas. Brings back so many memories. Great recipe.
easy tomato sauce base for any recipe. thanks for this homemade goodness
I love a good tomato/pasta sauce that is easy to cook! This is so good with just an addition of chili flakes if I want it spicy.
Thank you for sharing your family recipe! It’s so delish
Marcellina, thanks so much for the heads up about San Marzano tomatoes, I’ve been wanting a good recipe for a Marinara sauce. Family recipes are the best. Take care, Pauline
Pauline, so true, family recipes are wonderful! All the best xx
Best ever. Simple, elegant.
Yes this is a Marinara sauce, but the true Italian sauce from southern Italy is with Neck bones, meatballs, peperoni pieces, braciolo, ect.
Yes, E Nick Lepore, I know that sauce but this is a purely a tomato sauce – a recipe from my dear cousin from Northern Italy though it is made in the south as well. The meat sauce is very nice though xx