While you can buy tomato sauce at the store, why would you want to? This homemade recipe for Italian sugo al pomodoro is easy to make using a handful of simple ingredients. Use the everyday tomato sauce to dress Dutch oven meatballs or air fryer chicken parmesan.
What is Sugo?
Sugo is the Italian word for ‘sauce’, specifically a simple tomato sauce. By simmering fresh ingredients, you can create the rich, flavorful sugo al pomodoro in your own kitchen.
Key Ingredients
You can whip up the tasty homemade pasta sauce in 40 minutes, so you don’t need to spend the whole day preparing it.
- Olive Oil: Saute the onions in olive oil.
- Onion: Sautéed onion softens and releases natural sweetness into the sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Adding a spoonful of tomato paste intensifies the tomato flavor and deepens the color of the sauce.
- Tomatoes: Canned San Marzano tomatoes are my go-to for making sugo al pomodoro. Some traditional recipes call for vine-ripe tomatoes, and you can go that route, but I use peeled San Marzano tomatoes. They are picked and canned in season, so they are the perfect way to make tomato sauce all year round. I prefer buying canned whole tomatoes and crushing them by hand before adding them to the Dutch oven.
- Spices: Season sugo with salt and red pepper flakes, and add a bay leaf for a subtle flavor.
- Garnish: Finish the tomato sauce with fresh basil.
Additions and Substitutions
- Meat: Make a hearty and filling sugo by adding ground beef, pork, or veal. Browning the meat beforehand and simmering it with the sauce adds depth.
- Wine: For an extra layer of flavor, deglaze the pan with red or white wine before adding the canned tomatoes.
- Vegetables: Saute diced carrots, celery, bell peppers, garlic, or mushrooms along with the onions for added texture and flavor
- Herbs: Infuse the sauce with fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, or rosemary.
How to Make Sugo Al Pomodoro
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm olive oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 8-10 minutes until they soften. Then, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
Step 2: Crush the canned tomatoes by hand into the pot, then stir in the salt and red pepper flakes.
Step 3: Reduce the heat and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Gently simmer the tomato mixture for 15-20 minutes until it reduces and incorporates.
Tip
Blend with an immersion blender for a smoother tomato sauce.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh ingredients. Fresh tomatoes are the key to great-tasting tomato sauce, and that’s why I swear by San Marzano tomatoes since they can their tomatoes in season.
- Balance the acidity. If the tomato sauce is too acidic, add a small carrot while it simmers. The sweetness of the carrot helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
If you enjoy this recipe, try one of these Italian favorites!
Serving Suggestions
The sauce is the perfect base for many Italian recipes like ragu, chicken parmesan, and lasagna.
Treat yourself to an epic Sunday dinner with the ultimate duo: juicy and succulent meatballs and flavorful sugo al Pomodoro. And guess what? The sauce pairs perfectly with any pasta—whether long or short. Check out these delicious ways to serve up this sauce:
- Ratatouille
- Zoodles
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Pasta Pie
- Penne Arrabiata
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Lasagna Roll Ups
- Quinoa Balls
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: This flavorful tomato sauce recipe is perfect for making ahead. Store the sauce in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Freeze: Let the sauce cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container. Sugo al pomodoro will freeze for 3-4 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the sauce in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Warm leftover sauce on the stovetop and prepare the other ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between marinara sauce and tomato sauce?
Marinara sauce is a quick-cooking Italian sauce often made with tomatoes, garlic, onions, olive oil, herbs, and sometimes red pepper flakes. It has a fresh and bright flavor with a chunky texture.
On the other hand, tomato sauce is a slow-cooked sauce that sometimes includes ingredients like carrots, celery, bell peppers, herbs, spices, and sometimes meat. Tomato Sauce has a rich and complex flavor with a thicker consistency.
Many use the terms interchangeably, but the marinara sauce is simple, while tomato sauce is often heartier.
More Italian Recipes:
Sugo al Pomodoro (Italian Tomato Sauce)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 2 cans (28 ounces) San Marzano Tomatoes,
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- fresh basil leaves, for garnish
- Warm olive oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 8-10 minutes until they soften. Then, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
- Crush the canned tomatoes by hand into the pot, then stir in the salt and red pepper flakes.
- Reduce the heat and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Gently simmer the tomato mixture for 15-20 minutes until it reduces and incorporates. Tip: Blend with an immersion blender for a smoother tomato sauce.
- Use fresh ingredients. Fresh tomatoes are the key to great-tasting tomato sauce, and that’s why I swear by San Marzano tomatoes since they can their tomatoes in season.
- Balance the acidity. If the tomato sauce is too acidic, add a small carrot while it simmers. The sweetness of the carrot helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.