How to use homemade tomato sauce

Read our ultimate guide to making a batch of budget-friendly, slow-cooked fresh tomato sauce. Then discover lots of clever ways to use it, from pizza toppings to pasta and trusty traybakes.

Senior Food Editor

Heather Taylor

How to make the best fresh tomato sauce

Source good ingredients. Using sweet, in-season tomatoes and good-quality extra virgin olive oil means you'll be well on your way to a delicious sauce before you've even started cooking.
Add some aromatics. Garlic and basil are an obvious choice, as they'll bring out the natural flavours in the tomatoes. Add an instant flavour boost with a dollop of our Classic Tomato Everything Garlic and Herb Paste.
Season throughout. Salt the tomatoes at the beginning, then continually taste and adjust as you go to ensure the balance is just right.
Balance the flavours. You may want to add a little sugar for extra sweetness and a splash of vinegar for more acidity.
Don't rush it. Allow your sauce time to cook, to give the flavours a chance to develop and the texture to become rich and jammy.

Fresh tomato sauce recipe

7 ways to use tomato sauce

Make a big batch of fresh tomato sauce, and you've got the building blocks of delicious recipes from pasta to pizza and beyond.

Pick up our budget-friendly Remarksable Value Tomatoes then double-batch the recipe and try some of our easy ideas to use it.

More meal prep tips

1. Use to top a pizza

A rich tomato sauce makes a great topping for pizza. Try these mini pizettes, made with our handy ready-to-roll sourdough pizza dough, or a family-friendly sausage and broccoli pizza.

2. Simmer with rice and veggies

Cooking rice in your batch of tomato sauce will allow it to soak up all the lovely sweet flavours as it cooks. Try swapping the tinned tomatoes for 400g fresh tomato sauce in this tomato, rice and butter bean traybake recipe, finished with zingy chimichurri.

3. Make a next-level pasta bake

Once you've made the effort to create a great tomato sauce, you'll be rewarded with a flavour-boosting base to take everyday dishes from good to great. Bake with gnocchi, basil and mozzarella in this oozy baked gnocchi recipe (just skip making the sauce and use 500g fresh tomato sauce instead) or combine with cooked penne then top with parmesan and bake until bubbling.

4. Add to a ragu

Instead of using a tin of chopped tomatoes, add some batch-cooked fresh tomato sauce to your usual spaghetti bolognese or ragu recipe. It will create an extra layer of flavour that will have everyone asking what makes it taste so good.

5. Bake into a chicken traybake

A chicken traybake is the ultimate low-fuss dinner, and even more so when you can base it around your fresh tomato sauce. Layer chicken thighs, tomato sauce and any veggies you'd like, such as fennel, onions and potatoes, into a tray then bake until the chicken is tender. Top with oozy burrata and pesto for a creamy texture and herby flavour that will contrast with the tomatoes.

5. Add richness to a lasagne

You could either make a simple tomato lasagne by layering fresh pasta with ricotta, parmesan and fresh tomato sauce, or add your fresh tomato sauce to the ragu for a classic meat lasagne to create a wonderful depth of flavour.

6. Create a base for chilli

Tomato sauce doesn't necessarily equal Mediterranean recipes. Take it in a different flavour direction by combining with bold chipotle chilli and cumin to create a rich chilli sauce. Whether you're going for a veggie chilli or a classic chilli con carne, adding your slow-cooked tomato sauce instead of tinned tomatoes will create next-level flavours.

Cooking ingredients and tips for homemade tomato sauce

Use in-season tomatoes when they're in abundance during the summer months to make a batch of sauce. This will not only be more cost-effective, but it means the tomatoes will taste better, so it's worth doubling up and stashing some away in the freezer.
If you like your sauce super-smooth, try plunging the tomatoes into boiling water, allowing to stand for 5 minutes, then carefully peeling and dicing.
Add extra richness to your sauce by stirring in a knob of butter at the end. Butter makes everything better – including a slow-cooked sauce! If you're going vegan, extra virgin olive oil works just as well.
A slow cooker is perfect for making homemade tomato sauce – sweat out the aromatics, then transfer to the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Mind-blowing.
Finish with some fresh basil at the end for extra fragrance.
Got some mozzarella to hand? Add a splash of the milky water from the pack to your sauce to create depth and creaminess.
Try stirring in an old Parmesan rind for more umami flavours and richness.

Published 6.27.2025