This is the easiest way to make Fresh Tomato Sauce, thanks to the Instant Pot! You can make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes that requires no par boiling, no peeling, and you can use whatever fresh tomatoes you have on hand from the garden, farm stand, or grocery store. This Instant Pot Tomato Sauce is fresh, simple and delicious- and the whole family will love it! This post contains affiliate links for products I’m obsessed with.
Confession: This fresh tomato sauce recipe was born out of curiosity and necessity.
A couple weeks ago, Hurricane Isaias was headed up the East coast and looking more and more like it would pass right over our area. So we spent some time gathering things in the yard and securing the outside, including harvesting my little red beauties (and some basil, too!) to bring them in before the wind made them into little tomato projectiles!
There were so many tomatoes, that making sauce seemed like a great idea. When I asked my mom how she makes fresh tomato sauce she began explaining her process. Par-boiling, peeling, simmering… So. Many. Steps.
My plan? Rough chop them, throw in the instant pot with some spices, and see what happens. You know what happened? It was freaking delicious.
Man, I love that appliance.
Ingredients to make Fresh Tomato Sauce
Ingredients to make Fresh Tomato Sauce- Olive oil – You can omit this, but olive oil adds a small amount of healthy fat and richness to the sauce.
- Yellow onion – Or whatever onion you have on hand. I like yellow or sweet onions to help break up the acidity of the sauce.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is best here, but you can sub garlic powder in a pinch
- Fresh tomatoes- Any kind of tomatoes work, but see below for more info!
- Carrots – Carrots work to decrease acidity and add a little sweetness to your sauce without adding sugar. You can use a large, whole carrot or baby carrots- whatever you have!
- Tomato paste – This will help thicken your sauce and add some extra flavor.
- Fresh basil – you can add additional fresh herbs if you want, like parsley and oregano. Dried spices also work well, but start with 1 tsp of each. You can always add more later.
- Salt & pepper – Salt and pepper are necessary to bring out the best flavors in your dishes. Start with a little, then add more according to your taste!
What type of tomatoes should I use in Homemade Spaghetti Sauce?
To make homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes, the best options are meaty and have few seeds. Think Roma, San Marzano, and Amish Paste varieties.
But use whatever you have growing in your garden, or find at the farm stand or grocery store. I used a variety of large, small, grape, cherry, multi colored… you name it, I put it in. And it was amazingly delicious.
Should I skin tomatoes for sauce?
You DO NOT need to! I used my immersion blender (more on that later) to make the sauce very smooth and eliminated the need to skin the tomatoes!
What equipment do I need to make Homemade Tomato Sauce?
Well, as always, the Instant Pot is an amazing tool and gives this sauce so much flavor!
I highly recommend using an Immersion Blender to blend the sauce and make it smooth. Alternatively, you can use a regular blender, but you need to be extremely careful when blending hot liquids.
The immersion blender is a great investment and you can also use it when making Butternut Squash Soup or Tomato Soup with Crispy Cheese Chips or Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili.
Can I double this Instant Pot Tomato Sauce recipe?
Yes! If you have a ton of tomatoes, you absolutely can double or triple the recipe. Just be sure to have extra tomato paste on hand…start by adding a can and then increase to additional cans to thicken your sauce as desired.
Can I freeze Homemade Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomatoes?
Absolutely! Since this recipe is so easy, I plan to make a ton of this fresh sauce to freeze for the winter months when fresh tomatoes aren’t readily available. I like to use my souper cubes to measure out one cup portions. Once frozen, I transfer my cubes to ziplock freezer bags. You can also freeze in mason jars or in gallon sized ziplock bags.
Which 21 Day Fix Tomato Sauce Container is correct?
On the 21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix there are different opinions on whether tomato sauce should be considered a GREEN or a PURPLE. Because this fresh sauce has no added sugar and tons of fresh veggies, I am comfortable calling it a GREEN. I measure the sauce in my GREEN container and fill it just short of full (between 3/4 c. and 1 c.) for a serving.
Need a printable list of which foods go in each container? This one page list is super helpful- Updated 21 Day Fix Food List & Free Printable
What to serve with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Funny story- my picky eater daughter took an entire bowl of this and ate it with a spoon, like it was tomato soup! But if that’s not quite your thing, you can try it in one of these recipes:
Low Carb Lasagna Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Lasagna Roll Ups with Spinach and Sausage [21 Day Fix | WW]
Zucchini Lasagna [Instant Pot | Ninja Foodi]
21 Day Fix Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Great resource: How to Measure Pasta for the 21 Day Fix + 21 Day Fix Pasta Recipes
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups fresh tomatoes roughly chopped (grape/cherry can stay whole)
- 1 carrot peeled and roughly chopped or or 4-5 baby carrots
- 6 oz tomato paste 1 can
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil can sub 1 tsp dried
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: dried oregano & parsley (start with 1 tsp then add more if desired)
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to saute and add olive oil. Once hot, add onion and cook until translucent.
- Add garlic and saute 1 additional minute.
- Add tomatoes and carrots to pot and give everything a good stir. No need to add water, the tomatoes make plenty of their own liquid during cooking.
- Lock lid and set Instant Pot to manual/pressure cook for 20 minutes. When cook time is up allow the pot to NPR for at least 10 minutes. (You can also let the pot completely NPR, but if in a rush 10 minutes will work!)
- Add 1/3c.- 1/2 c. tomato paste (this will act as your thickener- so use more for thicker sauce and less for thinner sauce)
- Use an immersion blender to blend sauce until smooth. Then add chopped basil and give it a stir. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings, to taste.
- Note: due to the fresh tomatoes, this sauce will be on the thinner side. If sauce is too thin for your liking, you can put instant pot on saute to thicken it a little bit.
Amy says
I got a burn notice twice while cooking so I think next time I would deglaze the pot with a smidge of red wine or broth after the sauté step. Will try that next time;). Otherwise delicious!!
Nancylynn says
Good plan! Some pots are just more sensitive than others!
Sue says
That’s what I did. It came out great!
Nancylynn says
Thanks, Sue!
Shelly B says
So easy and very tasty. Thinner than a jarred sauce so I did leave it on sauté after releasing the pressure for a bit of time. Made enough to eat that night and save two jars in the freezer for the future.
Nancylynn says
Good idea on the saute! Your future self will thank you for the freezer stash!
Tom says
My daughter bought me a Pampered Chef electric pressure cooker and gave me suggestions for recipes to create from your site. After she told me how ridiculously easy the recipes are to follow, With an abundance of fresh tomatoes I chose this recipe and lo and behold this recipe was not only so simple but has a texture that my guests said taste better than most sauces from an Italian restaurant.
The flavors melded so nicely that my guests want me to make this sauce for them in fear of it not tasting the same.
Thank you Lynn for yet another 5* recipe.
Nancylynn says
Tom! This made my day – thank you!! I’m so glad you trusted the recipe to share with guests too – what a compliment!
Teresa says
Please use a recipe approved for canning. This recipe looks great, but I’d freeze it instead of canning.
Nancylynn says
Thank you for the feedback, Teresa!
Donna says
I made this last tomato season, canned it, and we have eaten several jars of it. We’re good!
Nancylynn says
Thank you for sharing this with us Donna!
Sue says
I made it and my husband flipped over it.
Nancylynn says
Sue, this is the best comment ever!! Thank you, and I’m so glad your husband loved it too!
Jacquelyn says
Amazing recipe and so easy to make! I’ve made about 4 batches now and all come out perfectly each time. Even made a loaded veggie version, adding in zucchini and peppers from the garden!
Nancylynn says
Ooooh that veggie variation sounds amazing! Thank you for your comment and 5 star rating!
Dana Mancini says
I love this recipe!!! The cropshare I belong to allows us “alll u can pick” tomatoes throughout tomato season so I always have an abundance. I made this last year and blended it in my Vitamix and I thought it was too thin. This year I took over my mom’s inversion blender and it was GREAT!!!! I also used a whole can of paste. It’s so freaking delicious that I sometimes just eat it cold like a gazpacho 🤣 I love it on zoodles and spaghetti squash. This recipe is so easy too!!!!!
Nancylynn says
You know it’s a good one when you can eat it cold, LOL! Thanks for your comment!
Jenna Vetti says
I made this sauce for dinner tonight and it did not disappoint! I had so many garden tomatoes that I had to use! This sauce was so fresh and delicious and I got to use my immersion blender for the first time!! I put it over zoodles and added some chicken meatballs. I will definitely make again!!! I love ALL of your recipes!
Nancylynn says
Thank you Jenna! This sounds perfect!
Jean says
I made this tonight for the 2nd time this week!! Yes we love our tomato sauce and I have an abundance of tomatoes this year! Unfortunately for friends and family I will not be sharing much anymore! This recipe was so simple and quick! All my picky men loved it! Tonight’s batch was made for your Eggplant Parm (also gets rave reviews from my clan!) I will continue to make this to freeze for the winter!! Thanks so much for the awesome recipe!
Nancylynn says
Wow Jean, that’s a lot of tomato sauce! Thank you so much for your comment and 5 star review – it means so much!
Kristy says
This is a staple in our house! This recipe is so easy to make and tastes amazing!
Nancylynn says
So glad you love it, Kristy!
Kathy says
This recipe is fantastic. Very easy and quick to make since one goes not have to peel the tomatoes. Wonderful to use my fresh basil and tomatoes out of the garden. I believe the carrot adds some sweetness to the sauce. Thanks for sharing.
Nancylynn says
Perfect! Yes, the no peel situation is key!!
Mary says
This is soooo good! My intention was to use a spaghetti sauce but my husband thinks it should be soup! Thank you! What a great way to use up my garden produce.
Trisha says
making this right now!!! I love working with my instant pot. And have tons of tomatoes growing in my garden and it’s time to harvest. I am just curious on how much this would make in a caning pint or quart size?l for freezing!?
Thank you
Nancylynn says
The recipe makes about 6 cups of sauce so depending on if you make a single, double, or triple batch, you could use either pint or quart size! If just making a single batch I would use pints so that you get 3 full jars! If making a double batch, quart size would work better!
Erin says
I am very excited to try this. My mom always canned tomatoes, and in the fall she would make the most amazing chili. Could this sauce be adjusted as a base for chili? What do you recommend?
Nancylynn says
This sauce would be great as a base for chili! I often use it as a sub for the canned tomatoes in my chili recipes. Here are a couple links:
https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/5-ingredient-instant-pot-chili-21-day-fix-ww/
https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/21-day-fix-instant-pot-beanless-beef-chili-paleowhole-30-friendly/
Jill Yewman says
According to Google 0.454grams = 1 English pound (I’m English and struggle with American measurements) google also says 1 cup = 1 English pound. Not in any of my cups it doesn’t.🤷♀️
Can you give me tomatoes weight in this recipe I’m itching to try it. Thanks I’m already a fan of your no nonsense cooking and just bought an instant Pot.
Nancylynn says
Oh wow Jill I hadn’t thought about this! This is a very forgiving recipe though. In my Googling it looks like cups are roughly the same but not exact. So if you use 6 English cups it should work out great. I hope that was helpful! Let us know how it goes!
Amy says
What size Instantpot did you use? Wha guidance would you give for doing a batch in a 3 qt?
Nancylynn says
This is such a forgiving recipe! You can follow the directions as written, but just fill the 3qt with as many tomatoes as will fit (it should be close to the 6 cups but I haven’t tested it!)
LuAnn says
Just made this sauce and it is delicious. I followed the recipe except to increase garlic (we really like garlic) and add a half cup of red split lentils as an added thickener. I didn’t have a can of tomato paste, just some in a tube in the fridge. Red lentils cook quickly to a sauce consistency so they thicken without adding texture. Plus, lentils add protein, fiber and other good stuff to the sauce. I only used a couple squeezes of my concentrated tomato paste. This sauce is delicious and so easy! Most recipes called for canned san marzano tomatoes but I wanted to use my garden bounty. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
Nancylynn says
I LOVE the addition of lentils to add the protein and fiber!! Thank you so much for sharing this idea!
Rikki says
Love how easy this was! The only thing I felt it needed was some sugar to cut down on the acidity; I added 1.5 tsp.
Nancylynn says
So glad to hear it!
Dee says
I had so many tomatoes I froze them whole… can I use them from frozen??
Nancylynn says
Yes!
Susan says
So yummy! How long does it last stored in a mason jar in the fridge compared to freezer?
Nancylynn says
In the fridge 4-5 days or 3-6 months in the freezer! Enjoy!
Jeanna says
Could you run the tomatoes through food processor prior to cooking? Head start on the blending process?
Nancylynn says
Hmmm…I think that worth trying!!!!
D’Anne says
Is it possible to make chunky tomato sauce? Peel before and after don’t blend?
Has this been tried?
Nancylynn says
Hi! Totally, as long as you peel them!
Sarah says
Thank you! I just made 8 batches of this to freeze. So much easier than canning 😁
Nancylynn says
Wow – this is amazing!! You will be thanking yourself all winter long!
Reena says
I’m making this right now. Lol
Can you add meat and still can it? My family loves meat sauces in the winter.
Nancylynn says
I’m not sure about canning rules, I wish I did! Maybe another reader can help us here?
Teei says
You can can it with meat but you have to pressure can using the guidance for pressure amount and time for the meat instead of water bath as you would for tomatoes. I have canned spaghetti sauce with meat in the past. I will have to try this sauce some time, yum!
Nancylynn says
Thank you for helping a fellow reader!
Liz says
I would just Can them separately (sauce/meat) and then mix together when cooking. Tomato sauce is usually water bath canned and meat is pressure canned.
Liz Wilson says
We don’t have fresh tomatoes, can I use crushed tomatoes from the store?
Nancylynn says
Unfortunately, I’ve found crushed tomatoes usually burn in the instant pot (unless layered with pasta or something like that) so if you want to use crushed tomatoes this stovetop version is probably your best bet! https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/21-day-fix-homemade-tomato-sauce/
Maureen says
This sauce was so light and perfect. I loved using our garden tomatoes. Made it exactly according to the directions. Thank you!
Nancylynn says
Thank you, Maureen!!
Gary says
This is the best recipe I have come across for pressure cooking tomatoes. I made 3 double batches and 1 single batch. I added my garden green peppers to. It’s perfect. Personal, I added very little tomato paste. It did add good red coloring. I let the batches simmer to thicken up. Thank you fir the recipe.
Nancylynn says
That is great to know, thank you for this comment and review!
Glen F says
I made this recipe today – two double batches ! We bought a case of tomatoes so we had to do something LOL First batch as per recipe, second batch added a tablespoon of chopped cilantro & a teaspoon of red pepper flakes (this was a double batch, might be too spicy for some but it was DELICIOUS) a keeper for sure!
Nancylynn says
WOW! That’s dedication! Thanks for the tips with cilantro and red pepper flakes – yum!
Vanessa says
I love this sauce! I found this recipe over the summer when I was harvesting the tomatoes from my garden. The flavor is awesome and it’s so easy to make.
I originally planned on canning the sauce but ended up freezing it in gallon ziploc bags instead. The sauce thaws nicely and doesn’t taste like it’s been frozen.
I’ve since bought tomatoes at the store and made more. I don’t think we’ll go back to store bought sauce again. Thank you!
Nancylynn says
I am SO happy you hear you are still making this even in the winter! Totally made my day!
Sarah says
Love this! So easy and freezes awesome!!
dixie Williams says
what happens to seeds? i cant wait to make this. im going to local farmstand to get tomatoes since mine didnt do so well this summer
Nancylynn says
They mostly get blended! You won’t even notice them!
Heather says
How do you recommend storing this? Do we have to do the canning process to make sure it keeps or is it better to freeze and use in recipes? Thanks so much 🙂
Nancylynn says
I am going to add a section on canning, but I am struggling to find a definitive answer on whether you need to peel tomatoes for canning or not. It’s awesome frozen!
Debbie says
If you blend the sauce well, you don’t have to peel the tomatoes to can them. I’ve done it many times!