• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Wheat by the Wayside
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • GF Resources
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • GF Resources
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Pastas

    Gluten-free Tomato Sauce

    Published: Jan 7, 2021 · Updated: Feb 4, 2021 by Katie | Wheat by the Wayside · This post may contain affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

    Save or Share this Post!

    481 shares
    • Share424
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A large blue le crueset pot full of gluten-free tomato sauce. Wilted basil and a wooden spoon rest on top.
    A big pot of gluten-free tomato sauce made from scratch, a spoon rests to the side.
    A plate of gluten-free fettuccini with the homemade sauce, topped with shaved parmesan.

    A truly delicious gluten-free tomato sauce perfect for spaghetti. This savory sauce, simmered with flavorful herbs and aromatics, is easy to make and gets better with time! Simmer for as little as 30 minutes or let it go longer for a deeper flavor.

    This recipe is what happens when you buy the giant can of San Marzano tomatoes from Costco. When I saw those beauts and the unbelievable price, I wasted no time plopping those cans into my cart! I knew right away I would use them to make some homemade gluten-free tomato sauce.

    What's crazy is that this tomato sauce is very easy to make, more cost-effective, and far surpasses the flavor of any jarred sauce from the store. All it takes is a little of your time!

    A big pot of gluten-free tomato sauce made from scratch, a spoon rests to the side.

    I've been making this recipe for years but I had admittedly been a little lazy lately. Instead of making my own sauce, I'd been buying jarred sauces. While I thought everyone was ok with it, Christmas then rolled around and I found out I was wrong!

    I made my gluten-free lasagna for our Christmas dinner, which includes a homemade sauce. When my family tasted and remembered what they were missing, they all implored me to start making my homemade spaghetti sauce once again. Since I aim to please, of course, I obliged and here I am to share this delicious recipe with you!

    Ingredients

    Ingredients in gluten-free tomato sauce spread out on white weathered board.

    Aside from that giant can of San Marzano tomatoes, which you could also substitute with four smaller cans, the ingredients for this basic tomato sauce are very easy to come by, most of which you may already have, which I suppose is the beauty of making this from scratch. Simple ingredients coming together to make something truly delicious, truly special.

    We start with a base of flavor coming from carrots, onion, and garlic. Carrots add a touch of sweetness, so no need for refined sugar here. Then we add tomato paste to add a depth of flavor and dried herbs and spices for ease. I also like to add in some fresh herbs, like basil, oregano, or thyme, if I can get my hands on them. They impart a flavor that makes people wonder just how you did it.

    San Marzano tomatoes are often a little more expensive than regular tomatoes. Surely, you can make this sauce with any whole peeled tomatoes, but if you can get your hands on true San Marzano tomatoes, it really is worth it, as they do have better flavor. If you're a Costco member, get them there. They are a fraction of the price when compared to the regular grocery store.

    Making the Sauce

    To make the sauce, start by sautéing the vegetables in a large pot until they are tender. Then stir in the tomato paste, dried herbs and spices.

    Image collage: Sautéing carrots and onions, adding in tomato paste, stirring in dried herbs, pouring in whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes.

    Finally, add in the San Marzano tomatoes, juices and all. Also, now would be the time to stir in any fresh herbs. Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes, but honestly, the longer the better. I simmered my most recent batch for over two hours. This makes it the perfect Sunday dinner. The tantalizing aroma will have your family ooh-ing and ah-ing all day, excited for dinnertime to finally arrive.

    Stirring in the tomatoes and adding fresh herbs.

    As the sauce simmers, the tomatoes will break down and the sauce will thicken. The resulting sauce is homestyle and chunky. If you'd like a smoother marinara-style sauce, you can use an immersion blender or blend in batches to reach your desired texture.

    A large blue le crueset pot full of gluten-free tomato sauce. Wilted basil and a wooden spoon rest on top.

    After that it's time to pull up a chair, enjoy your delicious creation, and marvel at how you could so easily create something so superior to anything you've tasted from a jar.

    Variations

    • Meat Sauce: For years, I made this sauce with Italian Sausage. If you'd also like to make a meat sauce, you can adjust this quite easily!

      First sauté your preferred meat (Italian sausage, ground beef, or even ground turkey) until browned. Then remove the meat and drain the fat. Continue with the recipe, adding the browned meat back in at the end when it's time to simmer the sauce.
    • Meatballs: Another way to add protein to your spaghetti would be to simmer some meatballs in the sauce before serving. Try my popular gluten-free baked chicken meatballs!
    • Veggie Sauce: Feel free to 'sneak' in some more veggies if you'd like! Celery, more carrot, bell pepper, or even zucchini would be great additions. Bear in mind, the finer you grate or chop your veggies, the less they will be noticeable in the final sauce.

    Storage

    Since this makes such a large pot of sauce, you'll likely have some leftover. Just fill up some mason jars and place any unused sauce in the freezer. You can also keep some in the refrigerator for about a week.

    A plate of gluten-free fettuccini with the homemade sauce, topped with shaved parmesan.

    Gluten-free Pastas

    As the classic children's books go, if you give yourself a pot of spaghetti sauce, you're going to want some pasta to go with it, so...

    If you want to be extra special, you can make homemade gluten-free pasta to go with your sauce. If you don't have quite that much ambition or time, you can certainly buy some pretty good gluten-free pasta from the store.

    My favorite brands of gluten-free pasta are ones that taste like regular pasta and don't easily fall apart. They are:

    • Barilla
    • Jovial
    • Ancient Harvest

    There are others I have liked as well, such as Pamela's and the Aldi pastas but the above have been my favorites.

    Please note that all gluten-free pastas are a little different. Keep an eye on them as they cook. They go from underdone to overdone in what seems like an instant. Treat them gently because they do tend to fall apart easier than regular pasta.

    Please let me know if you enjoy this gluten-free tomato sauce recipe! I would be so appreciative of a five-star rating below. As always, sharing is caring, so if you found this post enjoyable, please share on Pinterest or Facebook!

    A plate of gluten-free fettuccini with the homemade sauce, topped with shaved parmesan.

    Gluten-free Tomato Sauce

    Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
    A truly delicious gluten-free tomato sauce perfect for spaghetti. This savory sauce, simmered with flavorful herbs and aromatics, is easy to make and gets better with time! Simmer for as little as 30 minutes or let it go longer for a deeper flavor.
    5 from 3 votes
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 20 mins
    Course Main Course
    Diet Gluten Free
    Servings 12 cups
    Calories 50 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark.

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 sweet onions, finely diced
    • 2 large carrots, grated
    • 8 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
    • 3 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
    • 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 4 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, or 1 large (106 ounce) can
    • 1 bunch fresh basil, optional
    • 2 sprigs fresh oregano, optional
    • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, optional

    Instructions
     

    • Over medium heat, warm olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onion, carrots, and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
    • Stir in whole peeled tomatoes with their juices. Add in fresh herbs, if using.
    • Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer loosely covered for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours or more. (The longer you simmer, the better the flavor will be.) Stir occasionally, breaking up tomatoes as they cook.
    • When the sauce has cooked, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
    • Use an immersion blender or blend in batches if a smoother sauce is desired.

    Notes

    This recipe makes a large quantity of sauce, feel free to halve the recipe if needed.

    Variations

    • Meat Sauce: First, sauté 2.5 pounds of your preferred meat (Italian sausage, ground beef, or even ground turkey) until browned. Remove the meat and drain the fat. Then continue with the recipe, adding the browned meat back in at the end when it's time to simmer the sauce.
    • Veggie Sauce: Feel free to 'sneak' in some more veggies if you'd like! Celery, more carrot, bell pepper, or even zucchini would be great additions. The finer you grate or chop your veggies, the less they will be noticed in the final sauce.

    Storage

    • Fill mason jars with leftover sauce and freeze.
    • The sauce can be refrigerated for about one week.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupCalories: 50kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 594mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2063IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!

    More Gluten-free Italian Favorites

    • Gluten-free Egg Noodles
    • Gluten-Free Baked Chicken Meatballs
    • The Best Gluten-Free Vegetarian Lasagna
    • Chicken Arrabbiata Pasta

    More Gluten-free Pasta Recipes

    • 14 Amazing Recipes With Caputo Fioreglut Gluten-Free Flour
    • Homemade Gluten-Free Lasagna Noodles Recipe
    • Gluten-Free Fettuccine Alfredo
    • Gluten-free Ravioli

    Save or Share this Post!

    481 shares
    • Share424
    • Reddit

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Jennifer Reidy

      January 10, 2021 at 4:39 pm

      5 stars
      This looks INCREDIBLE!!!!

      Reply
    2. Mary Plasterer

      January 07, 2022 at 5:33 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for this wonderful recipe & your website! My son recently learned he needs to be on a GF diet, so I’m just learning about how to cook for him. Question- are the fresh herbs typically free from cross contamination? I had packaged ones in my cart, would have loved to use them, but wasn’t sure if they were safe. Also, do you chop them up at the end in the sauce, or discard the big herb chucks? TYIA 🙂

      Reply
      • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

        February 05, 2022 at 11:25 am

        I've never had a problem with any fresh produce, including herbs. I always wash everything first with just water, so feel free to use the packaged herbs! If you puree the sauce, you can leave the herbs in and blend it all up. Or you can just pull them out and discard them since the flavor is already in the sauce! Hope that helps!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Katie Olesen headshot.

    Hi, I'm Katie! I'm the blogger behind Wheat by the Wayside. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2018 and have been following a strict gluten-free diet ever since. The goal of WBTW is to share tried and tested, easy, and delicious gluten-free recipes to give you confidence in the kitchen! 

    More about me →

    Gluten-free Valentine's Treats

    • Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Peanut Butter Cups and M&M's
    • Gluten-free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Gluten-Free Crumbl Sugar Cookies Copycat
    • Gluten-free Oreo Cheesecake

    Cozy Gluten-free Recipes

    • Gluten-Free Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
    • Gluten-free Potato Soup
    • Gluten-Free Broccoli Cheddar Soup
    • Gluten-Free Chili with Beef and Beans
    • The Best Gluten-Free Vegetarian Lasagna
    • Gluten-Free Fettuccine Alfredo

    Footer

    Back to Top

    Quick Links

    • Recipe Index
    • Blogging Resources
    • Web Stories

    About

    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Statement

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    This site contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

    Copyright © 2023 Katie Olesen | Wheat by the Wayside. Created with the Feast Plugin.