I’ve made a few variations of pasta sauce over the years, but this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce is definitely one of my favorites. The long slow simmer caramelizes the sugars in the tomatoes and creates a depth of flavor that can’t be matched. Plus, what more could you ask for than to just throw some ingredients in a pot, forget about it for 8 hours, and then come back to a rich, delicious homemade sauce? Then you can divide the sauce into portions, freeze, and you’ll have delicious homemade pasta sauce on hand for quick busy weeknight dinners.
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Why make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce?
Pasta sauce can be bought premade really cheaply, so I think in a lot of cases it does make sense to just buy a jar and go with it. But if you want to have a little more control over the quality and ingredients of your pasta sauce while still keeping costs low, this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce is a great option.
What Size Slow Cooker to Use
This recipe makes about 2 quarts of sauce, so I would suggest using a 3 quart or larger slow cooker. You don’t need anything fancy, just a very basic slow cooker with basic functions like warm, low, and high. I do find that slow cookers made with a thick ceramic insert (or “crock”) cook much more evenly than metal inserts, like you’d have when using the slow cooker function on an Instant Pot.
Why Add Balsamic Vinegar?
The balsamic vinegar in this recipe adds a subtle depth and brightness to the sauce. It can seem strong at first, but it mellows out as the sauce is cooked. If you’re not a fan of balsamic vinegar or just don’t have any on hand, this recipe will still make a really amazing sauce even if you leave it out.
Can I Add Meat?
I’ve tried this sauce before with ground beef and I found the cook time to be far too long for the ground beef, so if you do want to add meat I suggest browning it separately and then just stirring it into the sauce after cooking. You can also check out my quick Weeknight Pasta Sauce for an easy and flavorful meat sauce option.
How to Freeze Pasta Sauce
This recipe makes about 7 cups. I suggest dividing the sauce into two or three cup portions before freezing so you can take out just enough for one recipe at a time to thaw. Let the spaghetti sauce cool completely in the fridge, then transfer to freezer-safe containers to freeze. The sauce will stay good in the freezer for about three months, but this can vary depending on the conditions in your freezer. If you use quart-sized freezer bags and freeze them laying flat they stack nicely in the freezer without taking up much space.
You can thaw the sauce in the refrigerator overnight or just cut the bag away from the frozen sauce, place it in a saucepot, and heat over medium-low until it’s heated through (stir occasionally).
This sauce goes great with Homemade Meatballs (also freezer-friendly)!
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Servings 7 cupsIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 2 28oz. cans crushed tomatoes ($2.00)
- 1 6oz. can tomato paste ($0.69)
- 1 Tbsp dried basil ($0.30)
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano ($0.15)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.03)
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar ($0.14)
- 4 Tbsp butter ($0.40)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste) ($0.05)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Place both in a 3 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and butter to the slow cooker. Stir everything together well.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
- After cooking, give it a good stir, then add salt to taste. Start with just ½ tsp of salt and add more if needed (I added 1 tsp). Use the sauce immediately, refrigerate, or freeze for later.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Looking for a stove top pasta sauce recipe? Check out our Easy Marinara Sauce.
How to Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce – Step By Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and mince four cloves of garlic. Add both to a 3 quart or larger slow cooker.
Add 2 28oz. cans of crushed tomatoes and one 6oz. can of tomato paste to the slow cooker.
Also add 1 Tbsp dried basil, 1.5 tsp dried oregano, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 4 Tbsp butter to the slow cooker.
Give the ingredients a good stir until they’re evenly incorporated.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours. After cooking, it will look a little like the photo above (the white is just the milk fats from the butter). Give it a good stir.
Add salt to the sauce to taste. Start with ½ teaspoon and add more until the flavors pop. I ended up using one teaspoon total.
Use the slow cooker spaghetti sauce immediately or refrigerate then freeze for long-term storage.
What if you don’t have brown sugar?
Granulated sugar is fine!
This is my absolute go-to recipe for homemade tomato sauce! I did tweak it a little bit, I sautéed the onion and garlic before adding it to the crockpot, and I also added a 1/2 cup of red wine to it, and it was delicious! My family loves it, and looks forward to pasta nights.
This was fantastic! there’s nothing like coming back from a long day and the house smelling like a delicious, ready spaghetti sauce! I placed some homemade meatballs to finish cooking on low for the last 4 hours of the cooking time. Simply splendid, thank you!
For those wondering about using fresh tomatoes, here’s what I did to make a double batch: I peeled and chopped a dozen medium-ish tomatoes (should have weighed them, thought of that too late) to make about 7-8 cups. I used olive oil instead of butter (thinking the butter’s smoothing qualities are more necessary for canned tomatoes, plus I’m trying to avoid saturated fat) and doubled the rest of the ingredients as listed.
Canned crushed tomatoes are pretty liquid-y, so I wasn’t sure if the chopped tomatoes would release enough liquid. I checked it after an hour on high, and everything was still pretty chunky, so I added about a cup of red wine to loosen things up. After 4 hours, I immersion-blended, added about 3 teaspoons of salt and a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, and all was lovely. I’ll probably skip the sugar next time – like the butter, I think it’s less necessary with fresh tomatoes than canned. I’m very pleased, and I used up a bunch of garden tomatoes!
Can I sub the balsamic vinegar for ACV or rice vin?
Apple cider vinegar would be fine!
Hi,do you think tomato sauce can be used in place of crushed tomato?
Crushed tomatoes are just tomatoes and a little salt, whereas tomato sauce has added ingredients like red pepper, spices, etc. You could try it, but just know that the flavor of the final sauce will be a little different as well as the texture. The crushed tomatoes adds a nice texture and thickness to the sauce, so yours might be a little looser.
Absolutely love this recipe. Delicious and oh so easy! This will be my go to recipe from now on. I double batch to freeze for meals later, besides enjoying a wonderful meal now.
Absolutely love this recipe. Delicious and oh so easy! This will be my go to recipe from now on. I double batch to freeze for meals later, besides enjoying a wonderful meal now.
I made this for my family for Mother’s day and it was a hit! I did swap the butter for olive oil though due to some dietary restrictions. I imagine it would be even better with butter. I also used an immersion blender to get the sauce super smooth because I knew my picky younger sibling wouldn’t eat it if wasn’t smooth throughout. I would definitely make this again, it was easy and delicious!
I know you mentioned that a basic slow cooker is preferred, but I only have an Instant Pot with a metal insert. How would you modify this recipe to use the slow cook function in the Instant Pot?
I think the instant pot slow cooker gets a bit hotter than a regular slow cooker, so I’d probably keep it low if you can, instead of medium or high. Otherwise you should be able to do everything the same. Keep in mind we’ve only used a basic slow cooker though, so it might not turn out exactly the same.
Can you add ground flaxseed meal or Chia ground to the sauce
That’s not something that we’ve tested, Patty! Something tells me that the texture would be a little off-putting in a spaghetti sauce, but you’re welcome to try it out! Maybe try scooping a little bit of the finished sauce out and adding it to that portion to see first so that the whole recipe doesn’t get it if you don’t like it. Good luck! :)
Yew,🤢🤢
Can you add red wine to this recipe?
Definitely! I think a glug or two of red wine would be great! You may want to add it in at the beginning so some of the alcohol has time to cook off.
If I plan to double this, should I increase the cook time or keep it the same?
It will probably take a bit longer to come up to a simmer with a larger volume, but this recipe is pretty forgiving so you probably won’t need to adjust the cook time. If anything, add an extra hour (low heat) or half hour (high heat).
This was absolutely delicious! Better than a lot of sauce I’ve had in restaurants. I did not change a thing and it was perfect.
Can I use fresh tomatoes from my garden? How many? I have alot ripening fast!
Unfortunately, I haven’t tested that! But we do have a new recipe for roasted tomato soup that uses fresh tomatoes, if you want to make some of that and freeze it for later this winter!
This is a great recipe. Easy and delicious.
I’m so happy I found this recipe. It’s super easy and delicious. This is the first time I’ve made homemade spaghetti sauce. Can’t believe I haven’t done this sooner.
Had a crockpot sauce recipe from my mother I used for many years which my part Italian partner loved. During COVID food shortages, I was unable to find all the ingredients and stumbled across your recipe. My family loves it! It freezes well and is delicious with all my other pasta dishes. I did have an issue with the charging for the time indicated. I put more paste in it which helps, but I do need to be sure someone can turn it down or off before it goes too long. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I love your recipe, Has anyone canned it that you’re aware of? Thanks.
I only have small crackpot, if I halve the tomatoes should I also halve the herbs and sugar. Thankyou
Yes, if you plan on making a half batch, cut all of the ingredients in half. :)
Curious if anyone has tried this with vegan butter? I’m pretty sure it would work fine, but just wanted to see.
I used olive oil and it worked fine
How much olive oil? I’m working really hard on cardiac diet foods.
Great recipe! I had wondered if a slow cooker would be a good substitute for long, slow simmering on the cooktop. Works perfectly! Also love that your recipe is all done in the slow cooker – no sautéing the onions and garlic separately. If the onions don’t need to be browned, just softened and exposed to the fat for a while, then the cooker can do that. For convenience, I did substitute a 10oz package of frozen chopped onion for the fresh onion. Just microwaved it in the cooker insert before adding everything else – turned out great. For those whose sauce was overdone, try checking it an hour early. That was the optimal timing for my cooker. Thanks again for a great recipe – will definitely be using it again!
Awesome sauce! I make at least once a month!
Hi Beth!
This turned out really well – affordable ingredients and it ended up tasting amazing. You can always tell fresh made vs. store bought. ;) The only thing I wanted to ask bout is the time. I cooked this on low and found it to actually char a little bit. It was frequently bubbling and I had to open/stir it a few times during the 8 hrs to get it to relax. Then when I stirred it a final time, there were charred bits that came off the bottom and sides. Is this normal? My crackpot is older, but I haven’t had this happen for other dishes I make. I know the cook length is needed to really get the thicker consistency, but I’m wondering if it can be cooked for say 6 hrs on low then be put on warm for 2 more hours? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Love the recipe though and plan to make it again. 😋
Sometimes older crockpots can have hot spots that run a lot hotter than other parts of the pot, so charring will happen. As long as the sauce has reached 165°F, it is safe to cook it at a lower temperature. Alternately, you can take the actual crockpot out of its electric sleeve, and put it in your oven at 225°F and slow cook the sauce that way. Hope that helps! XOXO -Monti
7 seems an odd number of portions. does it mean it serves 7 individual prtions or used to make 7 meals for 4 do you freeze it and what amount would you put in each container
Hi Gillian! If you look next to the seven, you will see the type of portion. It’s 7 cups. Portion size depends on you and how many people you’re feeding. You don’t want to thaw it out and freeze again. I recommend portioning it out in single-use portions (if you’re cooking for 2, that’s about 1 3/4 cups). XOXO -Monti
Not understanding the need for the butter. Just makes it unhealthy. Use olive oil like a true Italian would and eliminate the sugar. You can grate carrots which will add nutrients, texture and sweetness. I would never add brown sugar to spaghetti sauce.
Hi Cynthia! Using butter in sauce is a beloved trick of Marcella Hazan, one of Italy’s most iconic cookbook authors. It helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Using sugar is also a technique that originated in southern Italy, as it helps make up for less flavorful end-of-season or out of season tomatoes. Hope this helps make you more comfortable with our recipe! XOXO -Monti
I’d also change sugar to sweet carrots and butter to olive oil. Sugar is never being added to authentic italian pasta sauce
Hi, Almost Italian. Do you! It will be delicious, no matter what. But you’re wrong about the authenticity of sugar and butter in Italian sauces. Marcella Hazan is THE authentic Italian cuisine cookbook author, and she uses both. The sugar, specifically, is a tradition for late-summer tomatoes that need a little added oomph. XOXO -Monti
If you double the recipe, does the cook time change?
Thanks!
I haven’t doubled it to know for sure, but I don’t think it will change enough to make a difference. :)
I have doubled this recipe many times and have not found the need to increase the time. I cook on low for 8 hours and it has always turned out well.
My new go-to sauce! This is super easy and super delicious!!
Could I substitute fresh tomatoes for the canned diced ones? If so, how many would you recommend? (I’m looking for a recipe to make sauce out of the garden tomatoes this summer.)
Fresh tomatoes are quite different than canned tomatoes so I’d really need to test them in this recipe to know how it would alter the outcome and whether any other changes would need to be made to compensate.
I used fresh tomatoes from my garden the first time I made this sauce, and it turned out so watery that I decided to finish it in my Dutch oven. It was still delicious! So if you do use fresh, I would either remove as much of the seedy goop as possible or cook on the stovetop for greater evaporation.
Hi from Québec city, Canada!
If I don’t have a slow cooker , can I do this recipe on the stove or in the oven? If yes, what would be the cooking time? And and would I have to put more liquid in the sauce like water or chicken stock?
Thanks:)
Hi Joannie, you can definitely make pasta sauce on the stove top, but unfortunately, I’d need to test this particular recipe before offering specific advice for cook time or if any extra liquid would be needed. :)
I make a similar recipe to this on the stove and just let the sauce simmer for 5-15 minutes or until it gets the right thickness (which is subjective). Stir it pretty often because tomatoes have a tendency to build air bubbles that pop and make a mess.
I just made this tonight on my stove and simmered it for about 2 hours, stirring every 20 mins or so. It’s delicious!
This is my go to sauce now! I have always made a sauce to put on the stove and simmer for hours, with more ingredients as well. But this has more flavor and is so much simpler! Love that I can leave it in the crock pot and not have to babysit it.
First time making this incredible sauce and believe me won’t be the last! WOW! It had so much depth and the caramelization of veggies made it rich. The only thing I wish is I had come across the recipe much earlier in life… I don’t know if I will buy store bought again. I have been telling family and friends of this find. Thank you! The only change I did was included more veggies two carrots shredded and finely minced celery.. always good to throw in hidden veggies!
Could I mix diced tomatoes with crushed to have a chunkier sauce?
Yes :)
Thanks
Can you can the sauce
Is the original recipe still available anywhere?
Yes, we always keep copies of recipes that are removed or changed. I’ll email it to the address you used to register this comment. The only difference is no bay leaf and I added butter.
I have a kit of fresh herbs I’ve been growing can I substitute the dried for fresh?
Can’t wait to see how this turns out. I volunteer for Lasagna Love and am always looking for easy recipes for lasagna prep.
I made the older version some time ago (in a crock pot), and it had a very unpleasant metallic taste to it. What’s the difference between this version and the older one?
The only difference is that I added butter and skipped the bay leaf. I’m not sure where that metallic flavor might have been coming from!
I have noticed that when I put raw onion into any slow cooker recipe, I get a taste like that. I always saute the onion a bit before adding it.
Interesting! Thank you for sharing that! Hopefully that will work better for Janet. :)
The metallic taste could come from the tinned tomatoes. The sugar should offset that but it’ll obviously depend on the variety and manufacturer. Perhaps try using an upmarket brand like Mutti and see if that helps?
Great suggestion! Thanks for sharing. :)
To counteract a metallic taste (and to mellow the acid in the tomatoes), add a touch of baking soda. Also, I advise adding the basil near the end of the cooking time rather than in with all the other ingredients at the beginning. Basil is fragile, and adding it too soon leaches out all the flavor.
Thank you! Can you make a recipe for a slow cooker version of your freezer friendly pizza sauce?
I’m not sure that one needs to be slow-cooked, but I bet you could just use the same recipe and do it in the slow cooker instead of on the stovetop. :)
I have made and enjoyed your original version of this sauce many times. I notice that the big difference in this update is the addition of butter. What does that do to the flavor/texture of the sauce?
I started doing butter with my stove top pasta sauces and now I’m obsessed. It just adds depth and richness to the sauce, and really balances the acidity of the tomatoes nicely. :)
I’ve got lots of fresh tomatoes, but no canned or paste. Can I still make this work? If so, what changes would you make?
Unfortunately, that would require a lot of changes to the recipe, so I wouldn’t be able to offer advice without doing a lot of testing and basically developing a separate recipe for use with fresh tomatoes.
I usually make my tomato sauce on the stove, sautéing onions with herbs and stirring the pot frequently over a period of hours. I was skeptical that a slow cooker recipe could get the right flavors without the Maillard reaction from cooking the onions in hot oil first. While the onion taste was a little diminished, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this recipe has good bones: It’s very easy, and the flavors both blend and mature nicely in the slow cooker.
To my palate, the recipe as presented was a little harsh. I attribute this to generous quantity of oregano and the lack of oil. I adjusted things at the end by adding a little olive oil and a little more sugar. (I generally view adding sugar as a sign of failure, but I’ll do it to smooth out a rough sauce if I have to.) Since the basic approach seems pretty good, I’m happy to give it another shot with some minor tweaks to align it more with my preferences. I think there’s a lot of potential here.
I made this sauce following the recipe and it’s the best home made sauce ever! I blitzed it with a stick blender so my son wouldn’t know there’s onion in it and he eats it with no complaints. It’s thick and not watery like other recipes I’ve tried and freezes really well It also defrosts fast so easy to use if I need it last minute.. I now have a stockpile in my freezer.
Why does your “Homemade Marinara” recipe make half as much sauce with the same amount of tomatoes and less cooking time?
They’re two different style sauces. :) You’ll get different texture and different flavors when you change ingredients and cooking techniques. The Homemade marinara is a bit thicker with a brighter flavor. This one has a deeper, sweeter flavor due to the long cook time.
Love this sauce so much! Made it five times now, exactly as written. Only difference is I make it in a Dutch oven instead of a slow cooker. So easy and delicious, I’m saving this recipe forever!
Hello, can I can/jar this and store in the cellar? Will lemon juice help it last longer? Thanks.
Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with canning, so I can’t advise. :)
This sauce is delicious… I kept going back for little spoonfuls while it was cooling 😅
I’ve just sautéed the onion and a carrot & celery until soft. I’ve put it in a tub with all the rest of the ingredients all ready to put in the slow cooker in the morning. It’s tasting lovely already, can’t wait to taste it when it’s cooked all day!
OMG! this looks delicious!! I can think of about a million ways to enjoy this!
Thanks Rahul!
I’ve made this recipe many times over the years, to rave reviews! Thank you, thank you! Here are my “tweaks”: First, I use fresh herbs from my kitchen garden when I can – basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, & garlic chives. I put in whole sprigs of the first three & add chopped parsley & chives at the end for “brightness.” We’ve had a long, hot summer, so as my basil is just getting ready to go to seed, I’m making multiple batches of sauce for the freezer now! Secondly, instead of sugar, I use an old Italian cook’s tip for sweetness: boil down a carrot (or tonight baby carrots, as they were handy!) until squishy-soft & only a couple tablespoons of boiling water remains, then crush the carrots with a fork & add with remaining water to the sauce – perfect sweetness without refined sugar!
Thanks for sharing Angela!
Simple and delicious. Needed a marinara recipe because covid wiped out all the jars of sauce. This cost much less than the expensive sauce ethic was my go to, and it tasted better. Thanks!
I’ve made this before with canned tomatoes and it’s delicious! I was wondering if you have any idea how to substitute fresh in this recipe? As in how many fresh tomatoes = crushed, or any tips like should I chop them or use a food processor to crush them myself, and any extra seasonings?
Unfortunately I haven’t tested this with fresh and I think it would take quite a bit of tweaking to make that substitution.
Hi Beth. Thank you for this recipe! I was fortunate to learn to creatively cook & bake on my Memèré’s apron strings. I am, as I type, making a version of this recipe that started with a bag of “Canning Tomatoes-FREE” from a co worker. I took those Roma tomatoes, dipped them in boiling water, removed the skins and my husband (a Chef Ramsay fan who can never be left out of anything…) ran a knife through them to course chop. Added fresh chopped onion & garlic; balsamic vinegar, br. sugar, tomato paste, & whatever dried sprigs from the herb garden that smelled right (at the moment). Our intention was to purée the lot, but it is approaching divinity-I believe we’ll leave it as is🤤
This made a really good sauce. I’m used to making sauce on the stove top, with many more steps and ingredients- an all day affair. I was looking for a replacement for the delicious but super expensive Rao’s jarred sauce I buy when I don’t feel up to making my own. I wanted something simpler and the crock pot method is perfect for the summer heat. This came out so good and my picky family all liked it- I’ll probably opt for this recipe more frequently than my standby method in the future. I added homemade meatballs at the four hour mark, and everything was cooked to perfection at the end of eight hours. Five stars for ease, cost, and taste.
OK. THIS is a good sauce. My crockpot runs a little hot, even on low, so I turned it down to warm after 4 hours and it still simmered down to a fabulous sauce in 8. I DID do it a “little” differently because I had time – I cooked the onions and garlic in olive oil until the onions were just clear and deglazed the pan with about 1/4 c of red wine (my hub has to have red wine in his sauce) and then poured it in the pot to make sure i got all the onion flavor. A REALLY good, old school sauce reminiscent of an Italian restaurant…WILL make again at 2x the recipe. Made enough for at least 2 dinners for a family of 4.
This recipe is just what I’ve been searching for to make a no-sodium marinara sauce. What kind of balsamic vinegar is best? I have red Modena.
I love your recipes – many of them are the best things I cook !!
I actually haven’t tested this with multiple types of balsamic vinegar, but I’m quite sure that whatever I used (I made this recipe probably 8 or 9 years ago), it was inexpensive and probably not very high quality. LOL The better the quality balsamic vinegar, the better the marinara will taste!
Would you rec ommend substituting red cooking wine for. The sugar?
This is my go to “red” sauce recipe. I usually add Italian sausage to the sause and let it go. The sausages end up soft and yummy & give you so many more uses for this sauce. Over pasta, sausages on rolls, lasagna sauce……… Endless possibilities. I love this recipe and this site! Thanks you Beth, your a culinary genius!!
Instead of adding water if you need moisture, I would recommend using V8 juice original flavor. It adds such a wonderful depth to my tomato-based recipes, that I always use some.
Love it! Thanks! I always add v8 to my chili, but never thought to add it to my marinara. :)
Thank you for the great recipe. It’s great as is, but I always add a healthy squirt of sriracha to the sauce to give it a bit of a kick.
I think this recipe looks amazing, and can’t wait to try it; however, I wanted to let you know that the recipe calculator widget does not appear to be functioning correctly for the first ingredient (the crushed tomatoes) For example, the recipe for six cups calls for two 28-oz. cans of crushed tomatoes, and the recipe for 12 cups, which should simply double that and call for four 28-oz. cans, calls instead for four 56-oz cans! It’s doubling both the number of cans, and the ounces. Everything else appears correct.
Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks! I’ll fix that. :)
Has anybody tried waterbath canning this recipe? I’m guessing the small amount of vinegar added wouldn’t be enough to up the acidity for safe canning. I have my own recipe but it just wasn’t hitting the spot the last batch I made, so I think I might give this a try. Maybe try canning it by adding lemon juice to the jars to be safe.
Made this tonight! Delicious! I am also storing in freezer. There are only two of us so there are PLENTY of leftovers!
What type of container do you freeze this in? How long does it keep in the freezer?
I like to use either freezer bags (quart size is a good size for me based on how much of the sauce I like to thaw and use at a time) or those reusable Ziploc or Gladware containers. It will last at least three months in the freezer. It doesn’t “go bad” the quality just slowly degrades over time.
You can also freeze in old glass jars, recycled. I keep many sizes of jars and use for freezing sauce. Just remember to leave a little bit of room for expansion when it freezes.
I’d like to try this, but have a ton of fresh tomatoes to use from my garden. Could I substitute for the canned crushed tomatoes?
This marinara is delicioso! I put it in the slow cooker at 6 AM and by 4 PM I finally had time to taste it. I was busy cleaning up from making Italian bread and ricotta gnocchis (resting in the fridge until my husband gets home). I will make a double batch of this next time and can it. I got BOGOs on the crushed tomatoes and paste for the marinara, super-sale on eggs and flour after Hurricane Irma, and everything else was on hand, so it was a very inexpensive day of cooking.
Have you tried this in the Instant Pot yet? This is my go-to marinara recipe, just wondering if it would work in the IP! :)
I haven’t yet! :)
The IP doesn’t work so well for this recipe – the “More” heat setting barely gets the top over 175. I would love to see a pressure cook version.
yes it works perfectly in the IP, just don’t add the water. I’m just about to make another batch
How long did you cook this in the IP?
I just made this and it turned out delicious! I’ve tried 2 different “easy” marinara sauces that were too acidic for me/not my preference. This is by far easier…and tastes very close to my italian mother in law’s sauce! I got a late start so i cooked on high for 6 hours stirring every so often. I had a couple diced tomatoes cans sitting in the cupboard so i just blended everything up at the end for a smooth sauce. I will definitely make this again! I’m thinking I’ll use the leftovers tomorrow for a chili base and further clean out my pantry! Thank you for the recipe beth!
I added a whole green pepper and boy was that was a mistake! I added 1 more TBL spoon of vinegar and still WAY too sweet. I eventually added another can of tomato paste and let it cook another 2 hours. Now it tastes wonderful! Yes, I had to add some extra spices but it turned out great! Will never buy pasta sauce again.
I had one question, is it shelf stable in a mason jar or do I have to freeze it? I’m freezing it for now because I don’t want it to go bad. Thanks for the great recipe!
You definitely have to freeze it. :)
This the second time I’ve made this sauce and it is a family favorite! Thanks for indicating that the sauce lasts 4 months in the freezer. How long would you say it lasts in the fridge?
Probably only 4-5 days in the fridge.
I made this today almost exactly as written, with the addition of a can of whole, peeled tomatoes. It is really incredible and I’m sure I’ll make it again often. I’ve been making it on the stovetop for years. I’ve had scorching issues, and splattering all over the stove. This really was foolproof! Thank you!
OK-I didn’t follow exactly. I sautéed the holy trinity of Italian cooking – carrots, celery and onion after finely chopping in my food processor and added one link of Italian sausage. BUT otherwise I followed exactly and came out with the best sauce I have made in years. At this point, I’ve made this several times and went through my balsamic vinegar so had to substitute white wine vinegar and that worked fine. Will not even try another marinara recipe. This is delicious.
What’s the best way to freeze pasta sauce? (i.e. baggies, jars, tupperware)
Nevermind!! I see that someone else had this same question and you already answered!
Thanks! I’m going to try this tomorrow :)
I love this recipe, I’ve made it many a time. Today I’m trying it in my instant pot 😊
Love this recipe, I always make recipe and a half. I think tomatoes have gone back down since this was calculated. I took the price I paid for the tomatoes & onion, which are the only things I had to buy. Used your prices for the pantry items, plus $.12 for a couple ounces of box wine that I used to rinse the tomato cans. For a recipe and a half I spent $5.10. It made 10 cups so $.255 a serving. I’ll freeze a couple bags of it and will easily get three meals if not four out of it depending on what I make. Five bucks well spent!
I have two picky toddlers that arent huge veggie lovers but they can eat their weight in spaghetti lol Has anyone tried adding peppers or other veggies to this recipe ?
I’m sure peppers would cook down and be almost invisible in there! :) You can also check out my Vegetable and Meat Sauce. It’s SO good and the vegetables are totally hidden.
I haven’t to this recipe buy I have others and they mushave right down 😊
I have been using this as my “go-to” marinara recipe for the longest. The only change I make is that I sometimes mince up a carrot or two and add that to the recipe.
Thank you.
What do you freeze your marinara in? Glass jars? Tupperware? Thanks!
I like to use either those blue top reusable Ziploc containers or a heavy duty quart-sized freezer bag.
I don’t have a crockpot. Can I make this on the stove on low?
Thanks!
Yes, you can let it simmer on the lowest setting. I’m not sure how long, though, because even on the lowest setting it’s often a bit hotter than a slow cooker.
Ok so I have a challenge for you. I am with out a oven right now and all I have to cook on is a little plug up burner and a crockpot. I would love some recipes for my situation. I am also into canning so if you have any other recipes for canning I would love them.
Thanks a bunch,
Stressful situation
How much crushed red pepper would you add to the portions of ingredients in this recipe? Maybe 1 TBS? Is that too much? I’m not good at this part.
1 Tbsp is probably too much. It really depends on how spicy you like things, but I’d start with about 1/2 tsp.
I can only imagine how amazing this will be when San Marzano crushed tomatoes are used. They are the best and should be used for all tomato dishes, however, the calculations will be quite different, lol.
It seems some people have had trouble when doubling this recipe (necessary due to the size of my slow cooker), so are there any tips you can give on doubling the quantities? Or leave it as is?
Hmm, I’m not sure what might be causing the issues with doubling it. Maybe it might need a stir half way through to expose more of the sauce to the heated edges?
I made a double batch of this sauce yesterday. It made the house smell amazing and tasted fabulous! Will be making on a regular basis!
I love this recipe, my husband is on a low sodium diet, so its easy to adjust the ingredients to be low sodium. He loves it and its way cheaper than the Trader Joe’s No Salt Spaghetti Sauce.
I made this the first time and I think I put in too much onion. But the second time I was much more reserved. I think, as a not so good cook, and despite decades of trying to get it right, my biggest problem comes from the vagueness of measures. In the US it’s bigger is better so a medium size is a relative thing since every onion I see is (I think) large but then I don’t have any point of reference. Please give measures by cups. Thanks much. Oh by the way the second time I made it it was great. Will keep as a staple recipe.
Looks great! I think I’m going to make this tomorrow and add frozen meatballs for meatball subs. Should I add them in the last hour or go ahead and put them in at the beginning?
I’m looking forward to trying this. I haven’t always used my slow cooker because a very tiny kitchen and just forgot about it. I’ve recently moved and need great budget friendly meals that I can stretch as I get back on my feet! Thank you! Pizza, pasta, lasagna here we go with this one :)
Hi! I’ve made your pizza sauce recipe and your other marinara recipe before, and they’re both so good that I’m really excited to try this one now that I’ve finally bought a slow cooker. I just have one question, about the balsamic vinegar. I don’t really don’t use that for anything else (when I make your other recipe that calls for it I leave it out) so I’m hesitant to buy it just for this. I was wondering, since this recipe doesn’t have olive oil in it like the others do, will leaving out the balsamic affect it in any way? Should I add extra water or oil or something? Thanks!
You can definitely leave the balsamic out–some people don’t like the tanginess that it adds anyway. Adding oil will help it be more rich, so you can also do that if you prefer. :) It’s a pretty flexible recipe!
OMG I have to say, your recipes are unbelievable! This marinara is absolutely fantastic, it’s my standby for every occasion. Sometimes I add some chicken broth, a bit of heavy cream and whizz it up to make a delicious tomato soup!
I have been using your recipe for a forever now & we love it! I need to make another batch but the link contained in my old pin no longer worked. I was so upset. I am so thankful I was able to find it again!
I am going to try this and add some red wine to it, about a cup, along with some browned chopped meat.
I am so disappointed with this recipe. I followed it exactly, except for the balsamic vinegar. I made a double batch and I now have an entire crockpot full of extremely bitter, nasty sauce. I just went thru at least 20 other recipes for marinara sauce and not ONE of them called for tomato paste, let alone an entire 6 oz can. Wasted my money, and my time.
Hi Jen,
I come from an Italian family and we absolutely use tomato paste. In fact, the recipe I made on Sunday called for 12 ounces. I slow cook mine on the stove for 4-6 hours. I add the tomato paste 1/2 way through with red wine. So instead of the idea of wasted money and wasted time, you learned that you do not care for the recipe.
Thanks for your interpretation of the recipe, Beth!
Emma
The quality of tomatoes used here is key I think. If your tomatoes taste bad, the sauce will too. And vice versa.
I had the exact thing happen to me. The recipe was somewhat bland and bitter.
I’ve made this recipe before & we love it. It was in the back of my mind that I just used the last bag of sauce from the freezer & thought I might make some for the trip up north in a few weeks with the guys, I have to feed myself & 4 hungry guys, I usually take an extra turn cooking & the guys make sure I don’t have to do dishes, a good trade off in my opinion. Pre-made homemade sauce, some pasta & a pack of frozen meatballs will make for an easy but delicious meal. When I was @ the food service store for some other things I was wandering the aisles & found a 107 oz can of crushed tomatoes for $3.99. I found a 12 oz can of tomato paste @ the grocery for $0.68. I doubled all the other ingredients. I made it in the 6 quart crockpot I’ve all but retired since I generally only cook for 2 now. I added everything but the crushed tomatoes & made sure it was combined well, added about 2/3 of the crushed tomatoes & again mixed well, after adding the last 1/3 I was still able to stir, but glad I took the extra precautions. My 6-qt is full. I tallied up my other ingredients & used your costs for the herbs x 2. I came in @ $7.05 for the batch. I usually buy 45oz jars of sauce if I buy it, I checked, they are $2.65 for the store brand $3+ for name brand. I will get at least 4 jars worth for about $1.76 each & it’s much better quality & seasoned the way I prefer. Thanks so much for the awesome recipe.
I made this sauce and froze it in some mason jars. It really comes in handy. It tastes so much better than store bought sauce and I can use it with pasta or even as a dip. I made the smoked paprika cauliflower today and used this marinara as a dip. It rounded out the veggie dish and gave it a bit more substance.
This was just good when it finished (smelled great) but was absolutely amazing by the time the flavors had time to sit. I followed the recipe exactly and was able to fill ~three 1.5 qt mason jars and put one in the freezer. It froze great and that one tasted the best, I think.
Getting ready to make this one again tonight, it’s now my go-to red sauce recipe. Thank you!
I made this today with fresh tomatoes. They were blanched and cored. I weighed 4lb, 2lb for each 28oz can. It smelled delicious all day and all the children kept asking to see what smelled so good.
Hi, was wondering if I wanted to use this for a big cook up, could I add raw chicken, beef or ground beef directly into the slow cooker to cook in the sauce?
Thanks,
Ali
You could add chicken breasts and then shred them after it’s done cooking (they’ll be quite soft and tender), but it will also add moisture to the marinara and might make it a bit more thin. The last time I attempted to cook ground meat with sauce in a slow cooker, the meat overcooked and turned into tiny little pellets. So, I can’t suggest that. :) There might be a way to do it, but I haven’t found it. I think most people brown the meat separately and then add it at the end.
This is delicious, thanks for posting! I cut down on the oregano and basil and added some italian seasoning, also a little olive oil and some tri-colored peppers. I used the vinegar and think it added to the flavor. I am so glad I saw the tomatoes on sale for $1 each, it made a lot of sauce for less than $4!
Hi, I live in a dorm and have a 0.65 quart slow cooker. I have a lot of 14.5oz cans of sliced tomatoes. I’ve been looking for recipe for this little cooker. Any recommendations? A single can of sliced tomatoes fits easily with other ingredients. Thanks
Hmmm, I don’t know of any recipes that would fit a slow cooker that small. :(
Hi,
You should be able to break any recipe down in half to make it work for you. If the 28 oz can of tomatoes will fit, keep a bit of them in reserve, add the other ingredients, and if there is room, add the rest of the tomatoes.
I have a small crock pot (there is just 2 of us), and, often the recipes are for 4 or more. I just cut the recipe down to half. A lot of the time, I keep the liquids the same, but, cut down on the protein portion size. Good Luck!
Can you add fresh basil and kale to this recipe?
Sure! I think I’d try adding the kale in the beginning because it’s a bit more hearty and can stand up to the slow cooker cooking, but I’d add the fresh basil at the end to keep that pop of flavor.
Stupid question.
Do I drain the canned tomatoes first?
Not a stupid question. :) No, do not drain them first.
I love all the recipes I’ve tried from here! Thank you! But if I were to double this one, how would that affect the cooking time? Thanks!
It probably won’t affect the coking time as long as your slow cooker is big enough to hold a double batch. :)
I’m planning on using this for a (frozen) meatball appetizer.. if i put the frozen’s in about an hour before this is done, will the additional water alter the thickness of this making it too soupy?
Hmm, I wouldn’t think there would be so much ice on the meatballs that it would drastically affect the sauce. :)
Really tasty and convenient. I often tweak these recipes a little to suit my taste. This one was pretty much spot on. Maybe more brown sugar next time. I also added 2 tbs of unsalted butter to give it a nice finish. Thanks so much for the site and the book!! Keep up the good work.
I love this recipe! Thanks for all of the vegetarian options!!
I made this and heated up a frozen jar of it for the first time tonight and had it with some fresh pasta: a tasty and easy meal. I roasted some cherry tomatoes because I wanted to use them up before they went bad; it was a nice addition to the sauce! This marinara sauce was really simple and tasty and convenient to freeze in single serving jars like shown above.
Can we use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
It wouldn’t be an even swap. I think I’d have to experiment with it to see how the salt and sugar would need to be adjusted if using fresh tomatoes.
I made this tonight and it came out super bitter/tart. I added some regular sugar and seemed to help a little bit, but wondering where I went wrong.
The balsamic might be a bit much for you. If you happen to try it again, try without the balsamic and it might be more palatable for you.
This seems to have the same ingredients as your Homemade Marinara recipe. How is it different other than being cooked in the slow cooker? Trying to decide which one to try.
When you cook it at a low temp for a long time it caramelizes the natural sugars from the tomatoes a bit more, so it tastes a little sweeter. :)
Fan-flippin-tastic!!!! This smells and tastes delicious.
The only thing I did differently was about 1-2 hours before it was done, I took out the bay leaves and blended it a bit with my immersion blender to puree the onion chunks in with the sauce. I put the bay leaves back in and let it go awhile longer. Overall, it reduced down by a quarter and got super thick and chunky which is my preferred texture for marinara!
We ate it with your zucchini fries but also have plans to add meat for a meat sauce soon! Thank you Beth!!!
Do you think this recipe will work if cooked on high for four hours?
Thanks,
Amber
Yes, it probably will. :)
I just wanted to come back and say yes, it did. But, it’s not as good as leaving it for 8.
Yes! 4hr on high does work!
Yum! This made my kitchen smell so delicious, and when it was finished I spooned some sauce onto sliced bread and melted some mozzarella on top. Just couldn’t wait to try it!
For those in the US with an Aldi close by… I know it was mentioned before, but I just wanted to say that I was there today and it was $2.27 for the crushed tomatoes and paste (.99 and .29). Definitely cheaper than store bought sauce! :D
I made a batch of this about 2 weeks ago in advance for meals and decided to freeze all of it. This is a fantastic recipe. So easy to set and forget AND fully customizable with fresh ingredients!
I froze portions in Ziploc bags and used my first batch last night in a primavera recipe and it was absolutely delicious. I can’t imagine ever buying sauce again , there is no excuse and I love being able to control salt/sugar content too!
Great recipe!
For anyone in the UK I used 1 tin of chopped tomatoes and 1 tin a peeled plum tomatoes and gave them a good crush. The plum toms have a bit more of a thick juice which seemed to be a good thing.
You really can bung all sorts of things in this, it so versitile
I know this post was from a while ago but I just found it! I love the idea but have a few questions……1) how much does it actually make, how many meals could I get out of it assuming one meal would be a regular size jar of spaghetti sauce from the store. And 2). Does it have to be frozen? Or if it’s in an air tight container would that be fine too?
I don’t remember how many cups a normal store bought jar has, but I think it’s about 2.5 cups? So this would make between 2-3 jars. I would definitely freeze it if you can’t use it up within a week. Any longer than that and it will likely grow stuff just like a regular jar of sauce would if left in the refrigerator too long (because technically, it’s not sterile).
I agree to freeze it. See my review below I froze it all and it still tastes just as delicious :) Hope you enjoy it !!
Hi Beth,
You have wonderful recipes that are both convenient to make and delicious! Can you make this sauce without onions or have any substitutions for it? I am allergic to onions.
Thanks!
Yep, I would just leave them out if I were allergic. There’s no need to replace them with anything. :)
I doubled this recipe. I managed to get my tomatoes on sale. I canned the result: 7 pint jars of homemade marinara for less than $7! YES!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
how did you can them. I am new to this and would love to do this. don’t have a lot of freezer space.
I actually didn’t can them. I just used the jar for the photo :) I froze it in freezer bags, though! The freezer bags can lay flat and then they take up very little space.
Hi there, I saw you canned this sauce? Can you share on how to do that? I thought only certain recipes can be canned. Sorry, I’m pretty new to canning!
Thanks,
Amber
Actually, I didn’t can the sauce, I just poured it into the jar for the pictures. ;) I wish I knew how to can, but unfortunately I don’t have any experience with it!
Sorry, I was trying to truly to a commenter above; she said she canned the sauce.
Made this & the spinach roll-ups for dinner tonight and I really liked it! I think next time I may double the garlic or vinegar and add half the sugar, but I like things extra tangy. Thank you for this recipe. It’s a great jumping-off point!
I have not made this sauce yet but bought the ingredients for it. Just a couple of questions first, please. I have always used white sugar in my mother in laws delicious but really expensive spaghetti sauce. This looks like a super alternative. Anyway,is the purpose of the brown sugar because maybe it carmelizes better since the marinara is cooked over a longer time, etc? I really like balsamic vinegar but have never put it in sauce/ marinara. It’s silly but I am afraid lol. I thought maybe I would be brave and just add half of what it says and then cook to taste. I’m just thinking number one the crushed tomatoes would be high in acid and would I be correct in saying the vinegar would be high in acid too? Sorry for being so dense.
Those are all excellent questions! It’s definitely okay to be leery about the vinegar – some people have reported that they did not like it at all! I guess I tend to like things a little on the tangy side and I just love the flavor of balsamic. So maybe try making it without the vinegar and adding a little at the end if you’re feeling risky (if you don’t want to risk the whole batch, pour some off and test a little balsamic in it first). The reason I used brown sugar instead of white is just because I feel like it has a deeper flavor. So, again, it’s just a personal flavor preference. :)
I have been making this recipe from this blog for over almost 2 years now and we still love it. You can do it as is, tweek it a little and it still tastes great. We dont actually eat spaghetti or anything like that but we use it for dip for mozzarella sticks (homemade of course), dip for homemade pretzels, for chicken Parmesan, and lasagna on the rare occasion that I make it. This recipe is great. I double the garlic (freshly minced for best flavor), fresh basil and sometimes add olive oil. I have not gone wrong with this recipe.
I love your blog, I have used one of your quinoa recipes (I think it was black bean and quinoa tacos with pico? something like that) and I refer your blog to everyone I know.
I was planning on making a batch of this soon, but I’m a little confused about how I would add meat to the sauce. Could I just brown the sausage (without casings was the plan) then add to the sauce at any time? Or should I only do it at the end?
For those concerned about cost, I might recommend getting the tomato paste (and maybe even the crushed tomatoes, I know they have diced at least) at a warehouse store. I just went shopping about bought an 8 pack of the small tomato paste cans for much cheaper than 8 cans cost me at the grocery store. I use a lot of tomato paste so it was definitely worth it for me and hopefully could work for you too!
Could I make this with fresh tomatoes? About how many would that be? Looks delicious!
I think it would take some significant changes to make it with fresh tomatoes, so I couldn’t really say off hand how to do it. I’d have to experiment with it to find out.
I didn’t particular care for the tang the balsamic vinegar gave the sauce. To rectify it I added an addition 3T. of brown sugar along with a 28oz. can of petite diced tomatoes and about 1/4c. of olive oil after the sauce had finished slow cooking. After adding the additions I came out with a sauce that suited my taste so well that this is now my new go to marinara sauce.
If you use the whole can of tomatoes paste that’s what makes it acidic/bitter. I make sauce from.scratch all the time. I only use the tube tomato paste or use 2tbps from the can.
Rastis, that is *not* a safe way to can foods. You need to either use pressure or a water bath canning process. From the comments above, it sounds like this recipe is acidic enough to safely can with water bath.
I’m afraid I can’t offer any advice on canning as I’ve never done it. :( But a quick google search should produce plenty of instructionals from trustworthy sources.
Hi Beth. Looks great, sounds amazing and I’m keen to give it a try. Do you or any of these clever cooks know if it’s worthwhile bottling instead of freezing? I would just sterilize the jars and put the sauce into (still hot) bottles, turn them upside down for a tic and then have them in my cupboard… But I’m not really sure if/how long they’d last. Any ideas? or should I just stick to the freezer idea. Gina
Love the idea of making the sauce in the
Crock pot. Through the stuff together in
the morning. Wow dinners almost done
with hardly any work. I do have a question
though, how would you go about canning
any extra. I love growing all my own veggies
and would like to enjoy my homemade sauce
all year long.
The ingredients looked great – basil, garlic, balsamic — all my favs. But, after making the sauce, we found it to be quite sweet and beyond that, not much for taste. Added some vinegar to cut the sweetness and lots more basil, oregano, and garlic, but still not a repeater.
Anon – I think cooking it twice would put it at danger of over cooking. I accidentally left my marinara in the slow cooker for a few extra hours once and I think the natural sugars went past caramelization and on towards burned. Unfortunately, refrigerating between cooking won’t help. Instead, I would just start with the fresh ingredients and cook it for five hours for the second recipe. It should still be great!
Hi – I was planning to make this sauce and use half of it in one recipe and the other half for a different recipe. If one of the other recipes requires meat (it’s braciole) simmer in a crockpot for five hours in (this) tomato sauce, am I at risk for the sauce overcooking, given it’s cooked the first time for eight hours and the second time for about five hours? Does refrigerating it in between the two cooking processes help?
I never made sauce on my own before. Laziness I guess but I love your site and love using my slow cooker and gave it a shot. I added some hot italian sausage, some mushrooms, and a couple bell peppers. Adding that much made it more of a stew than sauce so I threw in some tomato sauce in a can that I had and it was beyond delicious and it made so much, I’ll have sauce for daaaaaaaaaaays
I loved this sauce and so did Mr. Manfriend. We liked that it wasn’t sweet and tasted fresh. This will be my go-to pasta sauce now. I love your recipes! Your black bean quesadillas are my favorite thing in the world right now.
Ada – it should still work fine with a regular lid :)
My crock pot doesn’t have a locking lid will that be okay or should I put something on top of the lid to keep it down tighter?
Anonymous – I would suggest between 2 and 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
Has anyone used olive oil and how much
Came across a “Slow Cooker Chicken Marinara” spice packet and decided to give it a try. Used a whole chicken instead of the 2 1/2 lbs it calls for and diced tomatoes instead of stewed since I had diced and no stewed on hand. Came out a little watery from the chicken broth but tasted pretty good.
I’d forgotten I’d bookmarked this recipe and planned to make the above again but needed some Idea of spice volumes to use. I think I may drain some of the water off the diced tomatoes to account for the chicken broth.
Take part and combine in another can of paste and I got a good pizza sauce.
I should have read the comments on this before I made this. The majority or people who said they liked it also said they will never buy jarred sauce again. Which means they like the taste of jarred sauce– and that is exactly what this sauce tastes like. And I LOATHE jarred sauce. So this recipe is an epic fail, personally. It would be a great recipe for people who usually purchase (and enjoy) Prego or Ragu but want to easily make their own because that is what this tastes like. =(
I’ll definitely give this a try when I have an opportunity. Always on the lookout for good recipes.
Ruth – I’m not the originator of this recipe by any means, but I believe I’d put the mushrooms in right up front with the rest of the ingredients and not saute’ them. The slow cooking process should make them turn out fine, or at least I’d think so.
I wanted to let you know that I’m making this right now. A good friend gave me a WHOLE bag of delicious tomatoes from her garden. So I will let you know how it turns out with fresh tomatoes. I seeded them and did a rough dice. Piled everything and I’ll write back after 8 hours. :)
I just made this today and it came out excellent! Thanks for the great recipe!
I made this today and it was awesome! I made a few changes… added 1 tbsp of white sugar in addition to the brown to balance out the acidity. I also added 2 tbsp of olive oil and partially pureed it with my immersion blender. Really great recipe and super super easy!
This sauce looks amazing. For anyone whose sauce turned out too acidic, try adding 1/2 tsp of baking soda. The tomato soup I make calls for baking soda to balance out the acidity. Be careful not to add too much or the sauce will be unbearably sweet.
-Tiffany
Some things I was taught by my great grandparents: sauté onions and garlic in butter or oil, helps pull lots of flavor to enjoy! I only buy tomato paste from store we grow most other produce, I will pull the top core out of tomato and throw the whole piece into blender. Less waste and it’s a bit thicker and more flavorful! We prefer Roma’s from our garden, and with those we dont have to add sugar, same spices! Always get asked for the recipe, can 20+ quarts a year!
I doubled up the recipe to freeze for easy meals when I go off maternity leave in two weeks. I cooked it for 8 hours but when it was done, it was not pleasant. I am adding more sugar and cooking for another few hours in the hope of salvaging the batch. Otherwise I will be going back to my old, low and slow stovetop recipe.
Ruth – I think you can just add them in raw (in the beginning). Usually mushrooms are sauteed to remove some of their moisture, but that won’t be an issue in the sauce :) Or, if you like that caramelized flavor that they get sometimes when sauteed, you can saute them in a skillet after the sauce is done and then add them at the end.
Hi Beth – I have some fresh mushrooms that I would like to add… do i need to saute them first? can i put them in fresh at the beginning? Thanks!
I have fresh mushrooms. When should I add them? Do I need to saute them up first? Thanks so much!
Anon – I have to admit, I’ve never done it in the oven. I think the key is to cook it at a low temperature (maybe 250?) for a long time.
I’m going to try making this in my cast iron Dutch oven to replicate a slow cooker. Any tips for me.
*see my previous post* 1:50 pm we had it for dinner – it was really good – my slow cooker is one of the newer ones and the low setting is hot so it was done in about 6 hours. Next time I will add more tomato paste and some oil.- will definitely try this again.
Jen – I have to be honest, I’ve never tried it with fresh tomatoes, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. You’d probably still need the tomato paste, though. If you try it, please let us all know how it works out!
Our tomato plants are going crazy this year and I’ve never in my life made homemade sauce…today I took the plunge…EASY! put tomatoes (whole) in boiling water for 15-30 sec. then plunge them for the same amount of time in ice water…peel them(really easy) and seed them then throw it all in the crockpot…haven’t tasted it yet but the smell is making me crazy! can’t wait to eat it
I have a bunch of fresh tomoatoes from the garden. Do you think I could use them instead of canned tomatoes?
Vasty – Yes, that is correct, 56 oz. total :) It makes a big batch, but it freezes really well! …I just made some last night because I like to have it on hand in my freezer :)
Thanks for the recipe. Question: so 2 cans of crushed tomatoes 28oz EACH can? So 56oz total for this recipe?? Thanks.
Hi, thanks for the recipe. Question: you mean 2cans of crushed tomatoes 28oz EACH can? So a total of 56oz of crushed tomatoes for this recipe??? Help! :)
I couldn’t believe how AWFUL this came out…I followed the recipe to a t, but the end product made me convinced I must have done something wrong until I read the other comment about how theirs turned out way too acidic too. So I added even more sugar as Beth told them to do and cooked it for 2 more hours, hoping the heat would somehow mellow the acid out. This made it slightly more bearable but no where near a delightful sauce. So for people who enjoy sweet and heavenly tomato sauce, this really should only be made with fresh tomatoes to taste as such–canned ones are clearly too acidic to start with. As I dont have a garden doing that would just turn out to be either equal or more expensive than store bought sauce. However if any of you do have a bountiful amount of tomatoes in your backyard here’s a flexible recipe I would use if I did..
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/08/fresh-tomato-sauce/
She doesn’t list any herbs for some reason so I would just use the ones Beth has here, plus thyme.
I made this yesterday during a heat wave, and this turned out amazing! I’m going to use this one all the time now. I used two large cans of San Maranzo tomatoes (whole) and one small can of fire roasted tomatoes. I also added 1/2 cup of red wine instead of the vinegar. After 8 hours I pureed it with my immersion blender directly in the crock pot. This is so much cheaper than store bought marinara, and a million times better!
For fresh tomatoes you can probably roast and dice them yourself then proceed with her recipe as written. If you use fresh tomatoes be aware that the seeds add bitterness (though the tomato paste should round out that bitterness), and some tomatoes have thick skin which could be unpleasant.
Anon – I’m sorry but I haven’t experimented with fresh tomatoes for this recipe, so I’m not sure what adjustments would need to be made. I wish I could help more!
How would I use fresh tomatoes from the garden??
Love the recipe. Freezing tomatoes can break down their texture and change flavor, even in a sauce. Wonder if you could can this? maybe by putting it in a pot over the stove when it’s done, boiling for a few minutes, then dishing into jars and processing in a water-bath. Hmmm…will try and let you know how it goes.
damn..meant to put that on the curry chickpea recipe nvm
I have some tomatoes i need to use up so all id need to do is puree them until it equals 2 1/2 cups which would equal that 20oz can, right?
I found a 105oz can of crushed tomatoes or even tomato sauce at Sam’s Club for just over $2. Filled almost my entire crockpot! Thanks for the great recipes!
Hi Beth, I love to use your marinara for my pizzas and shared your link in my latest post. If you get a chance, check it out at http://www.goldennuggetgourmet.com/2012/06/easy-gourmet-pizza-lactose-free.html
We have not bought canned/jarred sauce in YEARS, and have had a favorite sauce involving both ground beef and sausage that’s been our go-to. However, this summer we’re working to transition to a vegetarian diet. I’ve been looking for a red pasta sauce, and when I saw this, I was sure it would be the one. ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS! Having made many of your recipes in the past, all of which were great. I was confident enough to go ahead and make a double batch so that we’d have lots to freeze. We’re thrilled with our “new” favorite sauce – thank you, Beth, for this and all your wonderful recipes!
Hi. We tried this sauce tonight. It was amazing! Thanks for the recipe.
Alannia – I haven’t actually tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I’d be hesitant to leave it for so long because the sugars can eventually burn and give an off taste. I just don’t know how long it would take for that to happen.
Hi Beth, do you think we could leave it to cook for more than 12 hours on LOW?
Elizabeth – I don’t… yet! I hope to do a fresh version sometime in the future :)
Looks great! Do you have a variation to use fresh ingredients int he crock pot?
This was great! Thanks.
Sarah- I haven’t actually tried it, but I think that will work (4 hrs on high). There is a slight chance that the higher temp will burn the sugars, but I think it will be okay.
Can I cook this on high in my slow cooker for 4 hours? Or would low for 5 hours be okay?
You can add fresh herbs in the beginning or at the end, or both! Adding them at the end will give it a more fresh taste, adding them in the beginning will give a more cooked down flavor – yet different than dried herbs. I think I would do both the beginning and the end. To add a kick (spicy kick), I like to add crushed red pepper flakes!
Can you add fresh herbs like basil and if so when? I also like my pasta sauce very spicy, any ideas? Can’t wait to try this.
Joan – try adding more sugar, hopefully that will help!
Just completed the sauce but mine tastes kind of bitter. I added all the ingredients but not sure what went wrong. Any ideas?
Tiffany – I like to freeze in plastic to eliminate the possibility of glass breaking. I like the reusable ziploc containers. Unfortunately I know next to nothing about canning so I can’t offer any advice about that :(
Hi there, How do you freeze your sauce? Do you use plastic or the glass jars? Also, have you ever canned it? Id be interested in knowing how to can it so I could leave it on the shelf
Anyone use fresh tomatoes? I try to avoid canned vegetables. Thanks!
I made your spaghetti sauce and did a post on it this week and I also entered it into Mom’s Crazy Challenge this month! If you have a minute I would love for you to check it out! http://alittletreat.weebly.com/1/post/2012/03/slow-cooker-spaghetti-sauce.html
Beth, I would just like to let you know that this sauce is phenominal! The only changes I’ve made are omitting the vinegar and throwing in a little white sugar towards the end of the cooking time since it was a little too sour for my taste. It’s amazing! I don’t think I’ll ever buy premade sauce again… Thanks for posting all these great recipes!
Has anyone ever tried this with fresh tomatoes? I grow them in the summer and this would be a great way to use them!
Michelle – probably, although I know next to nothing about canning so I can’t give any advice :(
Could you canned this?
It’s in my slow cooker now…. smells good :)
I skipped the onion and added a little bit of oil and it is delicious. I’m so glad you posted this. I was able to get the crushed tomatoes for $1 for each 28oz can, by looking in the dollar isle of my grocery store (Super Saver). Thanks for this recipe! Yum!
I just made this and it was SO tasty. I only tweaked a few things; subbed agave nectar for the brown sugar & added some chopped broccoli stalks and carrots to up the veggie quotient. The flavor is so complex that it makes for a much more exciting dinner than the usual pasta with marinara. A little parmesan and you’re good to go! Yum!
-Lauren
sorry – sizeable silicone molds..
– Margo
a piece of advice: use any of the sizeable (from 1/2 cup and up) to freeze the sauce in batches.. this way you can store the sauce in portion-controlled frozen cubes which are easier to defrost and easier to store..
– Margo
Made this today. Added another onion and substituted 3 cans of diced instead of crushed (I have a large slow cooker). I like mine chunky. I used a 12 oz can of tomato paste. I didn’t add the vinegar. This was yummie! Definately will make again. I plan to freeze quart bags for quick meals.
I’ll be making a half batch of this tomorrow, it looks yummy. I have a cabinet full of tomatoes. The store I shop at has them (on a pretty regular basis) buy one, get one free and I’m a sucker when they do this. Got a good stash of chicken broth that way too.
I think you can freeze them in jars as long as you leave a big enough air space for them to expand as they freeze… otherwise you’ll end up with exploded jars! :)
I like my sauce chunky, so I did one can crushed and one can diced. Turned out wonderfully! They are cooling in the fridge—but I wonder if I can freeze them in the old spaghetti jars…thoughts?
I must say that I am somewhat of a marinara snob. But I must say that after trying this sauce . . . I have taken the pledge. I will NEVER buy canned/sauce again. Ever! I tried this a few weeks ago and quickly realized my one problem. In order to maintain enough inventory, I need a bigger slow cooker. A quick trip to Target and, problem solved. When we have guest carnivore’s, I simply roll in some browned Italian sausaage. There are NEVER any leftovers! Thank you so much for this easy, inexpensive, delicious sauce!
Rachel – liquid and all :)
Do I drain the crushed tomatoes or add them liquid and all?
will this work in a rice cooker
I can’t wait to try this. I actually think it’s going to be cheaper than store bought because most of the list is staple food, plus this recipe looks like it would be the equivalent of two big jars of sauce. The only thing I had to buy were the tomatoes which only cost $3. Has anyone added red wine to this recipe and if so how did it turn out? I love to add Lambrusco to my sauce (I know, it’s cheap and nobody drinks the stuff but it’s amazing in sauce). I’m going to make this as the sauce to put on my stuffed shells.
Thank you for your great site and recipe. I used this recipe in my Menu Plan Monday Post. http://www.samanthaandersenphotography.com/2012/01/variety-is-spice-of-life.html
Can’t wait to try it!
So I made this sauce last night in my slow cooker while I slept–it turned out great! Thanks for the great recipe. I eat a lot of wheat pasta, but this sauce tastes better than store bought. Of course the cans of crushes tomatoes and tomato paste cost more than store marinara, but it tastes great! I put it on low for a total of 9 hours, I used your recipe exactly only I added 1 T. of garlic instead of 1/2 T. and I also added in some black pepper, a chopped up chipotle pepper, and 1/2 green pepper to the pot. Basically just wanted to say thanks for the great recipe! Tastes even better after refrigeration.
Anon – you can balance the acidity by adding a bit more sugar. Your brand of tomatoes may have been more acidic than mine or perhaps I just have a higher tolerance for acid… actually, it’s probably the latter because I love anything acidic :P I hope you’re able to salvage your batch!
I made this recipe the other day and was completely disappointed with how acidic it tasted. Any suggestions on how to fix this? The only thing I did different was omit the bay leaves (didn’t have any) and minced my own garlic.
Hmm, if they did fit, it would be pretty darn close to the rim. I think you should half the recipe just to be safe. It should be pretty easy to cut in half. You can freeze the other half of the 6 oz. can of tomato paste for the next time you make the sauce. Just transfer it from the can to a freezer bag and then pop it in the freezer (label and date it first!).
HI! I have a 2.5 quart crock pot (mini because there are only 2 of us in the house!) Will all of the ingredients fit ok in this size?
Just made this and I love it! I’ll never buy pasta sauce again! Thanks so much! I found your recipe via Pinterest.
I like to use either freezer bags (freeze them laying flat for stackable storage) or those re-usable plastic containers. Both offer room for the sauce to expand as it freezes. I’ve heard of people freezing in jars, but you’ll need to leave enough headroom for the sauce to expand so that the jar doesn’t explode.
Do you have to do anything special to freeze the sauce? do you put it in jars or another container?
I just made this recipe with 3 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes since I didn’t have any crushed tomatoes. It turned out very well. I love your idea of freezing things. I live alone too and I don’t want to eat the same thing every day for a week. Anyway, the recipe still turned out well.
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Oops! Forget my question about the meat! I just read the complete post and my question is answered!
If I want to add some ground beef or sausage, when would you recommend adding it and can I just put it in the slow cooker also? Thanks.
The slow cooker is the ideal vessel for long, slow marinara sauce.
I made this on Sunday and loved it!!! I added some slide sweet Italian sausage with it for protein. Such a simple sauce but the possibilities are endless. I will be making more to freeze and do away with the overly sweet jar stuff.
For Georgiana: I live over in Montenegro and have the same choice of tomato products. I think the Passata+chopped tomatoes will work well. One tip for using an immersion blender with less mess: I open my can of chopped tomatoes, keep the lid on, pour the juice in the pot, push on the lid to squeeze as much of the juice out as possible into the pot. THEN, I use my immersion stick on the tomatoes remaining in the can–usually they take up about half the can which gives plenty of room for blending without liquid flying all over the place. HTH.
I made this for dinner tonight – thank you for an absolutely fantastic recipe!!!
Tasty I made this today and looooved the consistency. I found it a bit bland though I think I’ll add something to spice it up a bit.
Thank you for posting this recipe! I am making it now (and tasting it on the way).
I used fresh tomatos and put 3/4 of it in the blender to get the big chunks out. My daughter (who’s supper picky) actually liked it!
Regina, The Crazy Nuts Mom Blog
Georgiana – Yes, cooking it for a long time is what develops that slightly sweet, deep flavor which is why using a slow cooker is so amazing! You don’t have to babysit it on the stove top :D I looked up pictures of passata to try and get a better idea of what you have to work with. It looks like our “tomato sauce” which is just a little more uniform in texture and a little more liquid than crushed tomatoes. It probably will work for the sauce, it will just be rather smooth. Of course, you’ll still want to add the tomato paste/puree as I do in this recipe. If I were you, I would use all three, one large can of passata, one large can of chopped tomatoes, and one small can of tomato paste… and then try to use the immersion blender again, despite its messiness ;) Good luck, I hope you achieve your ultimate sauce!!
Hi Beth – I’m a big fan of your recipes, but I find that some of the ingredients I find over here in UK supermarkets are a bit different to the ones you use, which is slightly confusing. Basically, the three basic options in UK supermarkets when it comes to tomatoes are:
-chopped tomatoes (canned) – this is what most people use, very chunky with big pieces, skin + seeds
-tomato puree (equivalent of American tomato paste)
-passata (sieved tomatoes) – very thick but not chunky tomatoes, made from ripe tomatoes and no skin/seeds, resembles a very thick tomato juice.
Now, my problem is – there is no UK equivalent of ‘crushed tomatoes’ which is exactly what I need! I hate chunky pasta sauces and can never bring myself to eat the huge tomato pieces in them. I’ve tried sticking an immersion blender into a chopped tomato sauce, but it still wasn’t to my liking plus it was super messy.
Most people here use a combo of chopped canned toms + tomato puree but for some reason that just doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve also used passata before and added sugar to it to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes but it was still quite sour/acidic and had a ‘fresh tomato’ taste to it, as opposed to the ‘deep’ flavour i’m looking for…I am looking for exactly the kind of sauce you had in the restaurant: slightly sweet, with a deep flavour. Maybe I should try the passata again, and cook it more?
This looks deeeelicious! What a great idea! I bet your house smelled amazing too!
Thank you for this recipe. I love the slow cooker idea. Now I don’t have to worry about stirring and burning my sauce when I make it. Set it and forget it!
This looks wonderful! I love that there is only a small amount of sugar in there and that you have control over the ingredients. I may try making this tomorrow. Thanks!!
I have GOT to try this! Thanks for the recipe :-)
Thanks for this post. I just bought tomato’s to make another sauce, but think I’ll be making this one!
Regina, The crazy nuts mom
http://www.thecrazynutsmom.com
Beth – this would make an awesome pizza sauce to can or freeze! Popped over from CrockPot exchange. Great recipe! Stop over my place if you get a chance!
I love the idea of throwing this all together in a slow cooker and walking away. I’ve never added balsamic to my sauce, but I think I’ll give it a try. Great post.
:)
ButterYum
For cheap crushed tomatoes, I’d try stopping at Aldi if you have one in your area. At the Aldi I go to in Chicago, a 28-ounce can sets me back 89 cents. Can’t remember how much tomato paste is there, but everything is so cheap that I now rarely go anywhere else to buy groceries, especially the basics.
Mine is a 6 qt (I’m pretty sure) and it was only filled about half way. There is a large range of prices for slow cookers but a basic model like mine will only cost you about $25-$30 dollars and it works great!
Been thinking about buying a slow cooker – what size is needed for this recipe?