How to Make a Red Pasta Sauce

Pasta needs a good sauce, and tomato is the most basic. Below you will find two easy recipes that can be made quickly and still impresses anyone when they find out it wasn't that red stuff in a jar. Just get started with Step 1 below!

Ingredients

Smooth Sauce

  • 2 cups of water
  • 1/2 can of tomato paste
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Spices as desired or suggested

Chunky Sauce

  • A large (or two small) can(s) of crushed tomatoes
  • Couple tbs Olive oil
  • At least three cloves of garlic (more to taste)
  • Herbs such as oregano, basil, and thyme (the first two are a must)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Red wine (optional)
  • Cheese to make it creamier, thicken, and enhance taste(optional)
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Smooth Sauce

  1. 1
    Pour water into the saucepan. Pour 2 cups of warm water into a saucepan.
  2. 2
    Add half a can of tomato paste. Mix it well with the water.
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  3. 3
    Add 1 can of diced tomatoes. Do not drain the water from the can, but include it in the sauce.
    • You can also add capsicum or green chilies if you like.
  4. 4
    Add in the carrots. Finely grate 2 medium carrots or 1 large carrot and add that to the saucepan.
  5. 5
    Add in the onions. Dice 1/3 of an onion and add it to the sauce. The type of onion is up to you but red and sweet onions work best.
    • You can alternatively use 2-3 shallots.
  6. 6
    Add in the spices. Add in 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp of celery salt, 1 tsp of dried oregano (or fresh equivalent), 1 tbsp of dried basil (or fresh equivalent), and optionally 1 chicken bouillon cube and/or 1 bay leaf.
    • You can add in a touch your favorite spice.
  7. 7
    Bring to a boil on medium heat. Mix the ingredients well and then bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
  8. 8
    Simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-30 minutes. The longer the simmer, the more the flavors will be drawn out. Remove from heat when done.
  9. 9
    Blend the sauce. Once the sauce is cooked, if you do not like the consistency, you can make it even smoother by using a blender or a blending wand to get it as smooth as possible.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Chunky Sauce

  1. 1
    If this is intended for pasta, start boiling the water.
  2. Image titled Make a Red Pasta Sauce Step 11
    2
    Crush and chop the garlic. You can do this however you like, as long as the oils can escape freely.
  3. 3
    Heat up the olive oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat.
  4. 4
    Put in the garlic, wait a while (about a minute) and add the herbs and wait a few seconds. If you're using wine, this is when you should add it.
    • You can replace garlic with ginger or use a mixture of both.
  5. 5
    Pour the tomatoes in and stir. Turn the stove to high.
  6. 6
    Salt and pepper to taste.
  7. 7
    Once it's boiling, turn it down to a simmer. The longer it simmers, the more the flavors meld. Also, you can keep adding herbs, salt, pepper, and wine if you feel it needs it.
    • Once simmering, you can start the pasta.
  8. Image titled Make a Red Pasta Sauce Step 17
    8
    Finished.
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Expert Q&A

  • Question
    How do you make marinara sauce better?
    Alex Hong
    Alex Hong
    Executive Chef & Restaurant Owner
    Alex Hong is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Sorrel, a New American restaurant in San Francisco. He has been working in restaurants for over ten years. Alex is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and has worked in the kitchens of Jean-Georges and Quince, both Michelin-starred restaurants.
    Alex Hong
    Alex Hong
    Executive Chef & Restaurant Owner
    Expert Answer
    Add your own touch! Try adding some unique aspect to the sauce. For instance, I like to add heat from chilis or pepperoncinos. I also have another sauce recipe that includes fennel pollen.
  • Question
    What can I do if the sauce is too salty?
    Blue Lou
    Blue Lou
    Community Answer
    Cut a potato into large pieces and put them in the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes. They will soak up some of the salt.
  • Question
    What if the sauce doesn’t stick to pasta?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    You can cook it for a bit longer to reduce the amount of moisture in the sauce. Also, save a couple of tablespoons of the water you drained from the pasta and add it back to the noodles; the starch in the water can help the sauce adhere to the pasta.
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Warnings

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About This Article

Alex Hong
Co-authored by:
Alex Hong
Executive Chef & Restaurant Owner
This article was co-authored by Alex Hong. Alex Hong is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Sorrel, a New American restaurant in San Francisco. He has been working in restaurants for over ten years. Alex is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and has worked in the kitchens of Jean-Georges and Quince, both Michelin-starred restaurants. This article has been viewed 212,774 times.
13 votes - 83%
Co-authors: 22
Updated: August 19, 2021
Views: 212,774
Categories: Pasta Sauce Recipes
Article SummaryX

To make a red pasta sauce, start by adding water, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes to a large saucepan. Then, sprinkle in some finely-grated carrots, diced onions, chopped garlic, and some spices like celery salt, dried oregano, and dried basil. Next, bring everything to a boil over medium heat before reducing the temperature to low. Finally, cover the pot and simmer the sauce for 15-30 minutes. To learn how to make a chunky red sauce, scroll down!

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