A delicious and versatile homemade vegan spaghetti sauce with a kick of red pepper and complex flavors that puts jarred sauce to shame. It will easily become your new favorite sauce for pasta, pizza, and more!

We all need a great red sauce in our arsenal and this one fits the bill! I’ve messed around with this recipe for years and always seem to amend it depending on my mood or what I am pairing it with. I don’t know about you, but I grew really tired of trying to doctor up jars of spaghetti sauce to give them any flavor. I can promise you, that once you make your own, there is no going back!

Why We Love It

• This is a workhorse of a recipe that can be used on so many things. From pasta, pizza, dips, and marinara, it works wonders with so many dishes.
• I usually already have the shelf-stable items on hand and this sauce freezes so well.
• Always better than store-bought, homemade sauce brings out the flavors in the spices and tomatoes and melds them together for a truly delicious dish. It’s even better on the second day!
• I highly recommend adding some mushrooms or zucchini for an extra boost of texture. Alternatively, adding plant-based ground beef is a welcome addition for an even meatier sauce.

Ingredients

Herbs and Spices: the real secret to a great spaghetti sauce is the richness and depth of the flavors. You just can’t get that without using fresh ingredients. Make sure if you are using dried herbs, that you check the expiration date. If they are old, throw them out. Your tastebuds will thank you. If you can, use fresh herbs and spices. The fragrances alone are truly amazing.

Tomato Paste: Make sure you add your tomato paste to the saucepan once the onions and garlic are translucent and fragrant. The trick is to let the tomato paste darken in color a bit. This releases more flavors of the tomato and brings out complexity.

Canned tomatoes: I always prefer a fire-roasted diced tomato from the flavor, but I have also thrown in some green chilis for an added kick. If you are not as lazy as me, the best flavor comes from whole peeled tomatoes and dice them yourself. Using whole canned tomatoes has always held the richest tomato flavor.

Add-Ins: The other great thing about a basic sauce, is you can adjust it however you like! There are plenty of nights that I have added sauteed mushrooms or even plant-based ground beef to give it a meatier taste. Or add in more vegetables like zucchini squash for a different texture.

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the diced onion. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the diced garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes or until fragrant. You can always use a bit of water or broth if your onions start to brown.
2. Add the tomato paste, and mix well, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. After the paste darkens, add in the Italian seasoning, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, bay leaf, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Here’s where the real magic happens. Bring to a simmer and then turn the heat down to low. At a minimum, simmer for 25 minutes, but this sauce should be simmered for at least an hour or two. The longer you let it go, the better the flavors. Just stir every ten minutes or so and don’t go over three hours.
4. Once it’s done, discard the bay leaf and use it on any of your favorite dishes like spaghetti, pasta, pizza, or marinara dip. Top with fresh basil if desired.

Storing and Freezing

• This sauce keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

• I have frozen this in ice cube trays before for when I just need a little bit of sauce and don’t want to thaw out a whole container.

Try out these other related recipes:

High Protein Vegan Meatballs

Easy Vegan Spaghetti

Vegan Burrata Cheese

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Homemade Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

A delicious versatile spaghetti sauce with a kick of red pepper and complex flavors that puts jarred sauce to shame. It will easily become your new favorite sauce for pasta, pizza, and more.

Course Main Course, Sauces and Dips

Cuisine Italian

Keyword marinara, pasta, plant-based, spaghetti sauce, vegan

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Allison Crawford at The Hungry Carrot

Ingredients

• 1 onion-diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic- minced
• 1 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 28 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp oregeno
• 1/2 tbsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp red pepper
• 6 leaves fresh basil- chopped (use 1 tbsp dried if necessary)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the diced onion. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
• Add the diced garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes or until fragrant.
• Add the tomato paste, and mix well, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. After the paste darkens, add in the Italian seasoning, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
• Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, brown sugar, bay leaf, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a simmer and then turn the heat down to low. At a minimum, simmer for 25 minutes, but really this sauce should be simmered for at least an hour or two.
• Once it's done, use it on any of your favorite dishes like spaghetti, pasta, pizza, or as a marinara dip. Top with fresh basil if desired.

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