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Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Author:

Vincenzo Prosperi

Updated:

14th May, 2025

60 Comments

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How to Make Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Tomato basil pasta sauce is what we are famous for, and in this recipe, I’m going to share all the secrets to this simple, thick, luscious recipe, that will take you right to my Nonna’s house for Sunday lunch. Get your kitchens ready to be infused with the aromas of fresh tomato and basil and plan a special meal to hero this finger-licking sauce, because once you try it, I can bet you will never spend money on artificial store-bought sauce, ever again. This tomato basil pasta sauce is completely homemade, preservative free and I think it’s so good, you could even be tempted to drink it!

Watch my Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce video recipe:

How to Make Best Italian Tomato PASTA SAUCE RECIPE

pasta sauce recipe

Vincenzo’s Top Tip To Make Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Important to UNCOVER 

It is important to let the sauce simmer without the lid so that the sauce does not become watery and by uncovering it, the steam will leave the pot and allow the sauce to thicken even more.

tomato basil pasta sauce recipe

Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

Print Recipe
4.87 from 22 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 2 hours hrs
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Sharp knife
  • Chopping-board
  • Hand blender
  • Medium – large size pot
  • wooden spoon

Ingredients

  • Extra virgin olive oil, EVOO
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Carrot
  • 75-100 grams Fresh basil leaves, 2.6 – 3.5oz
  • 2.5 kg Homemade passata, 10.42 cups. Store bought or Peeled/chopped Italian tomatoes
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Instructions

  • Tomato basil pasta sauce is made with a “Soffrito” which is a blend of fresh ingredients used at the very beginning of the recipe.
  • To make the soffrito, chop up 1 carrot, 100g onion and 1 celery stalk (including the leaves!).
  • Add all of these ingredients into the base of a hand blender with 100ml of extra virgin olive oil, until it becomes beautiful and creamy, like a puree. This will form a flavoursome base for your tomato basil pasta sauce.
  • Next, turn the stove on to a very gentle heat and place the pot on top. Add 3-4 tablespoons of EVOO and pour in the soffrito mix.
  • Gently stir the soffrito so it covers the base of the pot, cover it with a lid and leave it to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • If you are using chopped or peeled tomatoes, blend them up so they become a beautiful thick passata. If you are using homemade or store bought passata to make your tomato basil pasta sauce, then you can skip this step!
  • After ten minutes, the soffrito will start to darken in colour. Stir it using a wooden spoon (making sure it is not burning) and then leave it to simmer for at least another 5 minutes.
  • When the soffrito is ready, mix through the tomato passata and stir very well using a wooden spoon.
  • Sprinkle 10g/2.2 teaspoons of rock salt and some black pepper and mix through.
  • Now, just cover the tomato basil pasta sauce with a lid and leave it to simmer slowly for 1-1.5hr, remembering to stir it every now and then.
  • After 1hr, remove the lid and leave it for another 30-45min, simmering it without the lid.
  • The finishing touch for this perfect homemade tomato and basil sauce is adding fresh basil at the very end. You can cut this up small or large depending on your preference – just make sure you don’t cut it with a knife! Add it with your hands before mixing through and leave this to infuse while the sauce is still hot – but the stove is now off.
  • E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!

Video

Author: Vincenzo’s Plate

How to serve the Sauce

Tomato basil pasta sauce is a versatile and flavourful addition to any meal. You can use it in countless ways to elevate the taste of your dishes. You can pair any pasta of your choice with this thick and luscious sauce.

In addition, this recipe achieves a perfect balance between the freshness of basil and the tanginess of tomatoes.. It can also be spread on a pizza base. With toppings of your favourite vegetables and cheese for a delicious and easy homemade pizza. Additionally, if you’re in the mood for something more substantial, you can also use this sauce to smother your chicken cacciatore or any other meat of your choice.

With this recipe, you’ll have a sauce that is easy to make and perfect for any occasion.

 

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Recipe Rating




60 responses

  1. Steve
    September 3, 2025

    5 stars
    Love the combination of authentic recipes with the importance of ingredients along with utilizing tools like blender/mini chopper to help improve or elevate with modern cooking/prep methods. Always keeping an emphasis on “di Casa” without compromising taste/ingredients.

    Bravo!!

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate
      September 3, 2025

      Grazie mille Steve! 🙏 So happy you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply
  2. Mike
    October 2, 2025

    4 stars
    Thank you for your recipe. One thank you and a suggestion though.
    I am adding my basil too early in the cooking, I have been wondering why it seems slightly bitter. Thank you.

    As to the sauce turning orange. My Nonna would complain bitterly about my sauce if I used a hand blender! The hand blender is mixing air into the sauce, causing the tomatoes to oxidize and thus turn orange. She always used a potato masher and her sauce (and now mine) are always bright red.

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate
      October 2, 2025

      Ciao Mike! Grazie mille for your comment and for sharing your Nonna’s method! I love how every family has their own special way of making sauce.

      Reply
  3. Guy Cesario
    October 18, 2025

    5 stars
    An easy, and absolutely delicious recipe. I’ve made this recipe several times and it is now my go to recipe for marinara. Using a good quality Passats (homemade if you have it) is essential for a good result.

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate
      October 20, 2025

      Ciao Guy! You’re absolutely right, using a good quality passata (or homemade) makes all the difference. I’m so glad this recipe has become your go-to marinara!

      Reply
      1. Kathleen van Voorn
        October 22, 2025

        5 stars
        What measurement of canned tomatoes are used since I ‘m not using passata?
        Looking forward to your response. My first time seeing your site.

        Reply
        1. Vincenzo’s Plate
          October 23, 2025

          I’m so happy you found my site and want to try this recipe! 🍅 If you’re using canned tomatoes instead of passata, you’ll need about 2.5 kg (around 5½ pounds) of good-quality peeled or chopped Italian tomatoes, that’s roughly three standard 800g cans. Let me know how your sauce turns out, I’m sure you’ll love it!

          Reply
  4. Craig
    January 5, 2026

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! I’ve done it with store bought passata and can tomatoes. Delicious both immediately and reheated! Thanks!

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate
      January 5, 2026

      Grazie my friend! You’re absolutely right, it often tastes even better the next day. Thanks for giving it a try and for taking the time to share your experience.

      Reply
  5. Ahmed Ramadan
    January 10, 2026

    4 stars
    Thank you for this great recipe! I made it yesterday.
    My question is about garlic, when making pasta do we add a few garlic cloves and put the sauce on them?

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate
      January 12, 2026

      Ciao Ahmed! For this tomato basil sauce, I don’t add garlic. The flavour is built from the soffritto, good tomatoes, and fresh basil, keeping it clean and balanced, just like Nonna used to make it.
      Of course, if you love garlic, you can add a lightly crushed clove to the olive oil at the beginning and remove it before adding the tomatoes. Just keep it gentle so it doesn’t overpower the sauce.

      Reply
  6. Graham
    January 17, 2026

    5 stars
    This is a VERY good recipe. I hadn’t realised how important it is to cook it down (i.e. lose a lot of the water). I kind of overdid it a bit (took the dog for a walk while simmering) and it was quite dry (but not burned) when I got back. An extra splash of pasta water and it was excellent! My kids loved it!

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate
      January 19, 2026

      Ciao Graham! You did exactly the right thing though, a splash of pasta water brings this sauce straight back to life. So happy to hear your kids loved it too, that’s the real seal of approval. Thanks so much for cooking along!

      Reply
  7. Christopher Kensington
    March 15, 2026

    Vincenzo, your tomato sauce recipe is very interesting.

    I have made Marcella Hazan’s classic tomato sauce recipe many times, and we enjoy it very much.

    Just for the sake of asking another very experienced chef, I am curious as to your opinion of Marcella’s recipe?

    Kindest regards.

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate
      March 16, 2026

      Ciao Christopher! Marcella Hazan’s recipe is very well known and I’m sure many people enjoy it. Personally, I prefer making tomato sauce with extra virgin olive oil rather than butter, because San Marzano tomatoes and EVOO are a beautiful match in Italian cooking.

      I also like to sauté the onion first, so it caramelizes slightly and adds natural sweetness to the sauce. And for me, fresh basil is essential, especially when cooking with San Marzano tomatoes, it really lifts the flavour.

      That said, cooking is also about personal taste. If you enjoy Marcella’s version, that is the most important thing. There are many ways to make a good tomato sauce.

      Grazie for your kind question and for cooking along with my recipes.

      Reply
  8. Andre Van Eeken
    April 4, 2026

    Good morning Vincenzo firstly I love ❤️ your work I get inspired secondly can I add roasted garlic and roasted red capsicum to your marinara recipe your thoughts on this would be much appreciated if so how much do you recommend I use.

    Thank you so much

    Regards Andre

    Reply
    1. Vincenzo’s Plate
      April 6, 2026

      Ciao Andre! For a classic marinara, I always keep it simple, just tomato, garlic, oregano, basil… that’s the beauty of it.
      Roasted garlic and roasted red capsicum will give it a sweeter, deeper flavour.

      If you’d like to try it, I’d suggest:
      1 small roasted capsicum
      1–2 cloves of roasted garlic

      Start light so it doesn’t overpower the tomato, then adjust to your taste 😉

      Reply
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