Skip to main content

Quick Tomato Pasta Sauce

A simple and delicious pasta sauce that comes together in less than 30 minutes.
Tomato sauce served over spaghetti noodles.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 2 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic minced or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced or crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Rinse fresh garlic under running water before preparing.
  3. In a medium saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. (If using garlic powder, omit oil and skip this step).
  4. Add tomatoes, salt and black pepper. Add lemon juice and red pepper flakes, if desired. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. For a thicker sauce, cook an extra 10 to 20 minutes to allow more liquid to evaporate.
  5. Serve over pasta, or use in any recipe that calls for pasta sauce.
  6. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

Comments

WOW!!!   This is for sure one of my fav Food Hero recipes because it tastes amazing (my family continues to say its a better sauce than anything from a jar/can) and it saves money and is soooooo quick!!  Try it!!  I have not ever used the lemon juice called for.  And i have used it as a pasta sauce with noodles, but also used it when a recipe calls for tomato sauce.  I always keep canned tomatoes in my pantry (stocking up when they are on sale) and boxed pasta so this recipe gets used a lot when I am in a hurry and need a quick dinner idea.

You might also like...

Recipes A to Z (without photos)

Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs
Plate of hard-cooked egg halves.

Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs

Make the perfect hard-cooked eggs with this recipe. Keep coked eggs on hand for salads, sandwiches or eating alone as a protein-rich snack.
Prepare:
5 minutes
Cook:
20 minutes
Makes:
1 Servings
Veggie Stew
Bowl of soup with a medley of vegetables.

Veggie Stew

Quick hearty stew full of veggies, herbs and comforting flavor. Serve as a side or over your favorite whole grain such as polenta or brown rice.
Prepare:
15 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
8 cups
Pineapple Carrot Protein Smoothie
Glass filled with a thick orange smoothie.

Pineapple Carrot Protein Smoothie

Enjoy this high-protein smoothie for a quick meal or to re-fuel after exercise. Make it your own with different fruits and vegetables.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Makes:
1 ½ cups
Roasted Bell Peppers
Multicolored bell pepper halves with blistered skin in a bowl.

Roasted Bell Peppers

Only 4 ingredients to make these roasted sweet peppers with Italian spices.
Prepare:
5 minutes
Cook:
30 minutes
Makes:
8 Bell pepper halves
No-Knead Whole-Wheat Bread
slices of bread from a rustic loaf

No-Knead Whole-Wheat Bread

This recipe uses a long rise time instead of kneading to make a whole-grain bread with nice texture and flavor.
Prepare:
20 minutes + 13 hours rising
Cook:
50 minutes
Makes:
20 pieces
Strawberry Cucumber Salad
Strawberry and cucumber slices coated with poppy seed dressing.

Strawberry Cucumber Salad

A refreshing sweet and savory salad with sliced strawberries, crisp cucumbers and honey mustard dressing.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Makes:
4 Cups