San Marzano Tomato Sauce

Homemade tomato sauce in a blue pan with a wooden spoon.

Course: Sauces

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: san marzano tomato sauce

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Calories: 155kcal

This San Marzano tomato sauce recipe is quick and easy, perfect for pizza, pasta, or other Italian fare. 4 ingredients, ready in 20 minutes!

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Ingredients

28 oz San Marzano tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic minced, sliced, or grated
pinch crushed red pepper or more

Instructions

Pour the can of San Marzano tomatoes into a large mixing bowl and crush them by hand. If there are any harder top stem ends, remove them. Fill the can about ¼ full of water and swish around. Set aside.
Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, and once simmering, add garlic and crushed red pepper and stir for one to two minutes until fragrant.
Turn the heat up to medium high, add the bowl of San Marzano tomatoes as well as the water in the can to the pan and stir to combine. Once it's bubbling a way at a good clip, turn the heat back to medium and stir frequently with a wooden spoon for about 20 minutes.

Notes

Something about the wooden spoon helps the tomatoes break down in the sauce better/faster. Who knew? You can use a silicone spatula if you don't have one.
Keep the sauce at a medium simmer, not too low, not too high. If you turn the heat down too low, it will take much longer for the San Marzano tomatoes to break down in the sauce and get smooth and silky. If you turn it up too high, you'll have tomato paste instead of tomato sauce.
An enamel pan like I used here or a stainless steel pan work best for making tomato sauce, as they won't impart a metallic taste to the tomatoes. Never use cast iron to make tomato sauce. It's too acidic and will ruin the seasoning on your pan.
Buy whole tomatoes and crush them by hand for the best texture. (But if you can only find crushed San Marzano tomatoes, they will work.)

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