Quick Homemade Tomato Sauce

Last updated on January 18th, 2026

This Quick Homemade Tomato Sauce is made with canned tomatoes, onion, garlic and lots of fresh basil. It’s fresh, so flavourful and comes together in 30 minutes!

This is a modified version of a tomato sauce recipe I first published two years ago. Always striving to keep my recipes as simple and authentic as possible, it’s made with minimal ingredients and calls for fresh basil (or parsley) with the option to add oregano if it will be used predominantly for pizzas.

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Quick Homemade Tomato Sauce

• 2 tablespoons (14 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 white or yellow onion finely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped (or 4 roasted cloves garlic, mashed)
• Kosher or fine sea salt
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup (85 ml) red wine
• One 800 ml (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes or 10 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped (about 800 grams or 1¾ lbs)
• ½ cup (12 grams) fresh basil, packed (sub parsley)
• 1 teaspoon (3 grams) ground oregano (optional for pizza)

We love this sauce for homemade pizza, quick spaghetti nights, baked pastas or as a base for hearty ragus. I’ve also included a note below on how to use this recipe to make a quick creamy vodka sauce.

How to make this Quick Homemade Tomato Sauce in 5 steps

1. Heat oil.
2. Cook your aromatics.
3. Stir in red wine and tomatoes and let simmer.
4. Check whether sauce needs more salt.
5. Remove from heat, add basil leaves and purée until smooth.

Why you’ll love this tomato sauce recipe

Homemade tomato sauce is much simpler to prepare than you might think, contains no added sugar and tastes so much better than even its best store-bought counterparts. I always make a double batch and freeze half for a quick pizza or pasta night!

Made with just a handful of pantry ingredients, this Quick Homemade Tomato Sauce is my simple take on a classic and I hope you’ll love it, too!

Try this No-Cook Tomato (Pizza) Sauce or this Caesar Dressing next.

If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! 

And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews. This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!

Quick Homemade Tomato Sauce

Made with canned tomatoes, onion, garlic and lots of fresh basil, it’s fresh, so flavourful and comes together in 30 minutes. Make a double batch and freeze half for a quick pizza or pasta night!

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Total Time:30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Keyword: basil, canned tomatoes, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, sauce, tomato sauce

Servings: 6 or about 3 1/2 cups

Author: Kerry

Equipment

• 5.5 Qt Dutch oven
• 4-cup cordless food processor or
• Immersion blender
• Deli storage containers

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 white or yellow onion finely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped (or 4 roasted cloves garlic, mashed)
• Kosher or fine sea salt
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 800 ml 28 oz can diced tomatoes or 10 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped (about 800 grams or 1¾ lbs)
• ½ cup fresh basil, packed sub parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano Optional for pizza

US Customary – Metric

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Instructions

• Heat oil in a deep sauce pan or Dutch oven on medium heat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and cook onion with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano (if using) and chili flakes and continue to cook for 1 minute just until the garlic starts to sizzle.
• Turn heat to low, stir in red wine and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Turn heat back up to medium and add tomatoes. Set timer for 15 minutes and, once the sauce starts to bubble, return heat to medium-low and let simmer until reduced.
• Remove from heat and season with more salt to taste (I like to add about ¼ teaspoon at this point).
• Next, remove from heat, add basil leaves and purée until smooth (either a food processor or immersion blender will work). Serve immediately or let cool completely before transferring to storage container(s).

Notes

Make ahead: Sauce can be made a day ahead to reduce prep time. Once fully cooked, allow sauce to cool completely then transfer to an airtight container or mason jar and keep in the refrigerator overnight.

Wine: While entirely optional, both red and white wine work well in this recipe. Red wine makes for a richer, more robust sauce, while white wine creates lovely, fruity undertones. The wine is added early on to allow the alcohol to evaporate and the flavours to meld.

To make a vodka variation: Use vodka in place of the red or white wine and purée with ½ cup cream at the end for a deliciously creamy vodka sauce.

Storage: Sauce can be stored in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months. If cooking from frozen, allow to thaw completely then reheat adding a small amount of vegetable broth or water to thin as desired.