Tomato Sauce Recipes

When you think of tomato sauce, a cooked, seasoned blend of tomatoes used as a base for pasta, stews, and more. Also known as marinara, it's one of the most versatile ingredients in home cooking. It’s not just a pasta topping—it’s the foundation of soups, casseroles, rice dishes, and even breakfast eggs. Whether you’re using a can from the shelf or making it from fresh tomatoes, the right tomato sauce can turn a plain meal into something warm and satisfying.

What most people don’t realize is that canned tomato sauce, a shelf-stable product made from cooked, strained tomatoes with added salt and sometimes herbs isn’t the same as homemade tomato sauce, a fresh, slow-simmered version made with whole tomatoes, garlic, onions, and olive oil. The canned kind is convenient, sure—but it often lacks depth. Homemade sauce takes time, but you control the salt, the sweetness, and the spice. And if you’ve ever tried to get sauce to cling to pasta, you know it’s not about the sauce alone—it’s about how you cook the pasta, how you finish it in the pan, and whether you’ve added a splash of pasta water. That’s the secret behind good pasta, and tomato sauce is half the battle.

People use tomato sauce in ways you might not expect. It’s in slow-cooked stews to add body, in bean dishes to cut through earthiness, and even in some Indian curries where it balances the heat of spices like cumin and turmeric. You’ll find it in recipes for chicken baked in the oven, where it helps keep the meat moist, and in potluck sides where it ties together rice and vegetables. It’s not fancy, but it’s essential. And if you’ve ever wondered why some tomato sauces taste flat, it’s usually because they’re missing one thing: time. Letting it bubble gently for 20 minutes makes all the difference.

What you’ll find below are real recipes from real kitchens—no fluff, no overcomplicated steps. Some use canned tomatoes because that’s what’s in the pantry. Others show you how to make sauce from scratch with just five ingredients. You’ll see how tomato sauce works with rice, how it pairs with chicken, and why it’s often the quiet hero in dishes people think are about something else. Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a crowd, these are the tomato sauce recipes that actually get eaten.