Easy Homemade Vegetarian Italian Spaghetti Sauce
A basic Italian Spaghetti Sauce rich, savory, full of flavor and so easy to make. Simple basic ingredients, fresh tomatoes for your own homegrown canned tomatoes. A traditional basic Italian Spaghetti Sauce is perfect over your favorite pasta.
Check out my recipe for Beginners Canning Homegrown Tomatoes. Even if you get your tomatoes at your local farmer’s market, you will have the perfect tomatoes to make your perfect spaghetti sauce.
My husband Jim’s family, The Buonpanes has been making this recipe for 70 years from his parents and from his father’s mother for years before that. Making a simple sauce over pasta is a budget-friendly easy meal that kids and adults love.Β
Once you savor the delightful simplicity of this pasta sauce, get ready for your loved ones to keep coming back, requesting it time and time again.

Ingredients Needed for Homemade Italian Pasta Sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Olive oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 2 Green or Red Peppers chopped
- 1 tablespoon of dried Basil
- 1 tablespoon of dried Oregano
- 1 quart of Whole or Chopped Tomatoes (we use our homemade canned stewed tomatoes the recipe can be found in this post Canning Garden Tomatoes)
- 1 can of Tomato Paste
Step by Step for a Simple Sauce
- In a large saucepan add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Chopped one medium onion and add to the pot along with one green and/or red pepper.
- After the peppers and onions have softened add 1 to 2 cloves of chopped garlic, a tablespoon of dried basil and a tablespoon of dried oregano. The longer you cook the onions, peppers, garlic, and herbs, the better the sauce tastes and some of our family members even like this a little burnt.
- When you are satisfied with the sautΓ©ed vegetables, add 1 to 2 jars of the homemade canned stewed tomatoes. (you can substitute store-bought canned tomatoes chopped or pureed)
- Add one can of tomato paste, along with a little salt and pepper. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Β You can enhance your sauce with 1 tablespoon of beef broth crystals and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, depending on your taste. Β
- With this same sauce you can add cooked sausage or cooked meatballs.

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Supplies Needed:
- Stock Pot
- Silicone Spatula Set
- Stainless Steel Colander
- Ladle
- Beautiful White Serving Bowls
- Beautiful White Pasta Bowls
Jim’s Sister Anita Buonpane’s Memories of the Garden and CanningΒ
Memories of the Garden
My dad dug for days to break the soil down to the right consistency. Then he would take a small rake and break up the clumps that were left. Β The soil was brought to a fine particle dirt consistency and then the planting began. Β
The bigger garden always consisted of Roma tomatoes, peppers, and a few beefsteaks or big boy tomato plants. Β The smaller garden was planted with several types of lettuce with some arugula.
Memories of Canning
My mom and dad purchased bushels of tomatoes for canning at the local farmer’s marketΒ so that they could supplement what they grew in their garden and produce an adequate supply of canned tomatoes for the next year. Β
They brought the tomatoes home and carefully placed them in the sink to be blanched with boiling water. Β I have memories of my mom carefully warning us to stay away while she was pouring the boiling water over the tomatoes. Β The blanching process was short and helped to start the tomato skinning process. Β
My sister and I helped my mom to fully skin all of the tomatoes and my mom would cut the tomatoes up for the canning kettle. Β When the kettle was full, it was placed on the stove to cook down for several hours. Β
While the tomatoes were cooking, the mason jars, rubber rings, and lids were in another kettle boiling as part of the sanitation process.
When the tomatoes were ready, they were ladled into the mason jars, the rims of the mason jars wiped clean and the rubber ring and kids placed. Β The final step of fully tightening the mason jar lids was completed by my dad so that they were airtight and there would be no possibility of any contamination.
Print
Easy Homemade Vegetarian Italian Spaghetti Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Elevate your pasta with our Homemade Vegetarian Italian Spaghetti Sauce. Its traditional curated blend of ingredients delivers a rich, aromatic experience that will have you coming back for seconds.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 Onion, medium chopped
- 2 Green or Red Peppers chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried Basi
- 1 table spoon dried Oregano
- 1 quart of whole or chopped Tomatoes ( we use our homemade canned stewed tomatoes the recipe can be found in this post Canning Garden Tomatoes)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Chop one medium onion and add to the pot along with one green and/or red pepper.
- After the peppers and onions have softened add 1 to 2 cloves of chopped garlic, a tablespoon of dried basil and a tablespoon of dried oregano. The longer you cook the onions, peppers, garlic, and herbs, the better the sauce tastes and some of our family members even like this a little burnt.
- When you are satisfied with the sautΓ©ed vegetables, add 1 to 2 jars of the homemade canned stewed tomatoes. (you can substitute store-bought canned tomatoes chopped or pureed)
- Add one can of tomato paste, along with a little salt and pepper. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Notes
- You can enhance your sauce with 1 tablespoon of beef broth crystals and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, depending on your taste.
- The same sauce can be made with adding cooked sausage or cooked meatballs.
Keywords: easy homemade Italian Spaghetti Sauce
Excellent, good to carry on old family recipes, because they knew about quality and flavor. I wish I could say I had a good crop of tomatoes this year – nope, too much rain here. I also didn’t get to put in enough plants. I have canned farmer’s market tomatoes in the past, great to do as you note. Thanks for sharing this recipe over at Fiesta Friday!
This looks delicious, so rich and tasty.
It is really good if you are trying to feed your family simple foods with out any additives.
This looks like a great recipe! I would love to try canning sauce! Looks yummy! Sharing! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim