No time to cook pasta sauce from fresh tomatoes? Then make this incredible tomato sauce from canned tomatoes. Add onion, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to make it super flavorful! Trust me, this easy marinara sauce is better than any store-bought marinara and comes together in 30 minutes only.
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Ingredients you'll need
- Canned tomatoes
- Fresh onion and garlic
- Tomato pasta
- Bell pepper pasta (optional but highly recommened)
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Spices
How to make tomato sauce from canned tomatoes
- Add flavor: next to onions and garlic, the most important ingredient are sun-dried tomatoes. They give the tomato sauce such a vibrant flavor. Tomato pasta (and bell pepper paste if you have some) will intensify all these flavors.
- Keep it simple, no need to add a ton of different ingredients.
- Let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Blend until you reach desired consistency. You can either use a hand mixer or a high-power blender. If you use a blender, make sure to remove the center piece (feeder cap) of the blender lid and start blending on low when the sauce is still hot.
Marinara vs spaghetti sauce
Spaghetti sauce usually contains other ingredients such as meat and vegetables while marinara sauce is simply made from pureed tomatoes and commonly seasoned with onions, garlic and herbs. Both are delicious with spaghetti.
How to use this tomato sauce
You can basically use this quick marinara sauce everywhere!
- This sauce is great as a simple vegan pasta sauce. You can eat it plain or add some sautéed veggies.
- It's perfect for making homemade lasagna!
- You can also add it to stir-fries and rice to add flavor!
Storage tips
Once the sauce has cooled down after blending, you can store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use another type of canned tomatoes?
The recipe requires whole canned tomatoes because they are usually available in large cans of 800 g to 1 kg, which is cheaper. However, you can easily use diced tomatoes or pureed tomatoes as well. - Can I use fresh tomatoes?
Yes! However, you might have to let it simmer for longer than 20 minutes. The tomatoes will release a lot of liquid that needs to evaporate to make a thick and creamy sauce. Use at least 6 to 8 tomatoes. - Do I need to add tomato and bell pepper paste?
I highly recommend doing so, as these pastes intensify the flavor of the sauce. The bell pepper paste is totally optional, but if you can get your hands on it, you should really give it a go. - Can I replace onions and garlic with powdered spices?
I personally think fresh onion and garlic add more flavor and consistency to the sauce. Letting them caramelize in olive oil makes the sauce really special. However, if you don't have any at hand, you can substitute them with garlic and onion powder but I don't guarantee the taste will be the same. - What do I do if I don't have a blender?
Use pureed tomatoes and cut the onions, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes into very tiny pieces with a sharp knife. - What can I do if my tomato sauce is slightly acidic?
- Canned tomatoes are usually more acidic than fresh ones due to the preservation process. Let the onions caramelize to give the sauce a sweeter taste or add a pinch of sugar to balance it out.
More recipes with canned tomatoes
- Red lentil dahl made with pureed tomatoes
- Vegan chili con carne made with pureed or diced tomatoes
- Moroccan style vegetable couscous made with pureed or diced tomatoes
- Chicken casserole in tomato sauce made with pureed tomatoes
- Spicy tomato soup made from whole canned tomatoes
The recipe
Best Tomato Sauce From Canned Tomatoes
No time to cook pasta sauce from fresh tomatoes? Try this easy pasta sauce recipe with canned or diced tomatoes. Add onion, garlic and sun dried tomatoes to make it super flavorful!
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- olive oil
- 70 g tomato paste
- 50 g Turkish bell pepper paste optional
- 500 g canned tomatoes
- 1 handful sun dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian spice blend
- 1 pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel and dices the onion. Crush the garlic.
- Heat a pot with a generous amount of olive oil. Sauté the onion and the garlic on medium-high for several minutes until it caramelizes.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato pasta and bell pepper pasta (optional). Add the canned tomatoes (with juice). Simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper and the Italian spice mix.
- Blend on high for 2 minutes using a hand mixer or a blender*.
Notes
*If you use a blender, make sure to remove the center piece (feeder cap) of the blender lid and start blending on low when the sauce is still hot.
**Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.
Read the frequently asked questions in the post above for more tips and tricks.
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