Discover the secret to making the richest and most flavorful thick pasta sauce with this amazing recipe. If you have an abundance of fresh tomatoes this is the perfect recipe to preserve all of those for months to come.

This year was a very different growing year for us. After months with very little to no rain our garden was struggling! Most things died out very early on even despite watering what we could. To our surprise we had our best tomato harvest ever. I was drowning in tomatoes but I was so appreciative for each one. I made fresh pizza sauce, oven roasted tomatoes, and now over 28 quarts of this thick pasta sauce. It is perfect for any Italian dish that requires a red sauce.

I made a simple pasta sauce last year but I was using heirloom tomatoes last year. This year I was using Celebrities and Santos tomatoes which gave the sauce a complete different flavor profile. I decided to create a whole new recipe for meaty tomatoes.

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Why make Homemade Sauce

It’s no secret that making homemade pizza sauce can be time consuming. In my opinion it is well worth the time, money, and little bit of work it requires.

1. Fresh ingredients: When you make your own pasta sauce, you have complete control over the quality and freshness of the ingredients used. You can choose to use organic tomatoes, herbs, and spices, ensuring that your sauce is free from any preservatives or additives.

2. Customizable flavors: Homemade pasta sauce allows you to tailor the flavor profile to suit your preferences. Whether you prefer a spicy sauce or a more mild sauce, you can adjust the seasonings and ingredients to create a sauce that suits your tastes perfectly.

3. Healthier option: Store-bought pasta sauces often contain high amounts of sugar, salt, and unhealthy additives and preservatives. By making your own sauce at home, you can limit these unhealthy additions and ensure that your meal is as nutritious as possible.

4. Cost-effective: Making homemade pasta sauce can be much more cost-effective than buying pre-made sauces from the store, especially if you buy ingredients in bulk or grow them in your garden.

The Secret to Thick Sauce

The secret to getting thick sauce starts with the tomato. Finding a tomato that is meatier is key. Roma, Celebrity, and Santos are all great options. If you are starting out with a watery sauce something like an heirloom tomato you will have to cook down the sauce much longer to cook all the water out of the sauce.

Equipment

Large stockpot
Water bath canner
Quart jars
Lids and rings
Jar lifter
Magnetic lid wand
Funnel
Ladle
Tomato strainer – I prefer using an electric tomato strainer because it removes the seeds and skins at once and leaves you with just the sauce from the tomato. If you do not have a tomato strainer you can also use a manual food mill.

Ingredients

Tomatoes – Using meaty tomatoes like Santos, Celebrities, and Roma work best for this recipe to help get a thick sauce faster.
Onion
Minced garlic
Dried oregano
Salt
Parsley
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Crushed red pepper
Dried basil
Sugar
Bottled lemon juice

How to Make Homemade Thick Pasta Sauce

1. Wash tomatoes. Remove any bad spots. I use an electric tomato strainer to make the next step much faster. It removes the seeds and skins all at once and leaves you with just juice. If you do not have one use a food mill to do it manually.

Tomato strainer running tomatoes through to make sauce.

2. Pour the tomato sauce into a preheated stock pot to prevent sticking or burning. Add in all the ingredients except for the bottled lemon juice to the tomato sauce. Over medium high heat allow to cook down for a minimum of 4 hours stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking.

Large stockpot with simmering tomato sauce in it.

3. After four hours of allowing the sauce to simmer check the sauces thickness. If you want the sauce thicker allow it to cook down longer.

4. When the sauce has reach your desired thickness ladle into clean sterilized jars. Add 1 teaspoon of bottled lemon juice to each quart jar. (If you’re using pints add 1/2 teaspoon.) Wipe the rims of each with vinegar and add a lid and screw the ring on finger tight.

Pasta sauce being poured into quart size mason jars.

5. Place the jars into a water bath canner. The water needs to cover the tops of the jars by 1 inch. Once the water in the boiling water bath canner begins to boil allow them to process for 25 minutes. (Pints for 20 minutes.)

6. After the allotted time in the boiling water bath canner using a jar lifter remove the jars from the water and let sit at room temperature untouched for 24 hours.

Making your own thick pasta sauce at home is a rewarding and delicious experience that can elevate any pasta dish to the next level. By using fresh ingredients and taking the time to let the flavors meld together, you can create a sauce that is rich, hearty, and bursting with flavor. Experimenting with different herbs, spices, and ingredients allows you to customize your sauce to suit your taste preferences. In the end you will be saving money and end up with a much more healthy and nutritious product.

If you try this recipe I would love if you left a star rating or a written review below. I love hearing your feedback!

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The Best Thick Pasta Sauce For Canning

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 5

Processing Time: 25

Total Time: 5 55

Yield: quarts

Equipment

Stock pot
Water bath canner
quart jars
Lids and rings
Jar lifter
Magnetic lid wand
Funnel
Ladle
Tomato strainer – I prefer using an electric tomato strainer because it removes the seeds and skins at once and leaves you with just the sauce from the tomato. If you do not have a tomato strainer you can also use a manual food mill.

Ingredients

20 pounds tomatoes
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
3 tbsp minced garlic
9 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp salt
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
3 tsp dried basil
1¼ cup sugar
1 tsp bottled lemon juice (per quart jar) – Do not add this into the sauce in the stock pot. Add the bottled lemon juice into each individual quart jar.

Instructions

Wash tomatoes. Remove any bad spots. I use an electric tomato strainer to make the next step much faster. It removes the seeds and skins all at once and leaves you with just juice. If you do not have one use a food mill to do it manually.
Pour the tomato sauce into a preheated stock pot to prevent sticking or burning. Add in all the ingredients except for the bottled lemon juice to the tomato sauce. Over medium high heat allow to cook down for a minimum of 4 hours stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking.
After four hours of allowing the sauce to simmer check the sauces thickness. If you want the sauce thicker allow it to cook down longer.
When the sauce has reach your desired thickness ladle into clean sterilized jars. Add 1 teaspoon of bottled lemon juice to each quart jar. (If you're using pints add 1/2 teaspoon.) Wipe the rims of each with vinegar and add a lid and screw the ring on finger tight.
Place the jars into a water bath canner. The water needs to cover the tops of the jars by 1 inch. Once the water in the boiling water bath canner begins to boil allow them to process for 25 minutes. (Pints for 20 minutes.)
After the allotted time in the boiling water bath canner using a jar lifter remove the jars from the water and let sit at room temperature untouched for 24 hours.