Pomodoro Sauce {Just 5 Ingredients!}

This quick and easy 5-ingredient pomodoro sauce is a simple, flavorful combination of sweet, ripe tomatoes, herbs, garlic, onion, and olive oil. Toss the fresh tomato sauce with pasta, and serve the light, healthy dish alongside a salad and garlic bread for your next family dinner. Homemade pasta pomodoro is like an Italian vacation -- in the comfort of your own kitchen!

Pasta Pomodoro

Did you know that you can take your taste buds on an Italian vacation -- without leaving the comfort of your own home? With the freshest, ripest, juiciest tomatoes and authentic Italian-made olive oil, this fresh pomodoro sauce will convince your mind, body, and soul that you're relaxing in a small Venetian café, sipping on a glass of wine, and enjoying a beautiful summer sunset. Doesn't that sound dreamy?!

Okay, so while you might not have a European vacation etched into your weekly planner, you can prepare an incredible Italian meal at home -- in about 45 minutes!

What is Pomodoro Sauce?

"Pomodoro" means "tomato" in Italian, and that's exactly what this is -- a fresh tomato sauce. I can't think of a better way to take advantage of summer's best produce! Pasta al pomodoro is a vegetarian Italian dish typically prepared with pasta, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, basil, and other fresh ingredients. It's intended to be a quick, light dish, rather than a heavy, rich sauce.

Pomodoro Sauce vs Marinara

The main difference between marinara sauce and pomodoro sauce is in the texture. Marinara is a tomato-based sauce that thinner, runnier, and chunkier, while pomodoro is thicker and includes smoother, pureed tomatoes.

Ingredients

This is a quick overview of the 5 simple ingredients that you'll need for a batch of the best pomodoro sauce. As always, specific measurements and complete step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Fresh tomatoes: I used plum tomatoes here, but just about any variety will work. The key is to find the juiciest, sweetest, ripest, in-season tomatoes available, since the flavor of the tomatoes will drastically impact the flavor of your sauce. If you can't find good, in-season fresh tomatoes, then canned San Marzano tomatoes would be a nice alternative.
• Extra virgin olive oil: using a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil from Italy contributes the most fruity, robust, and authentic flavor to the sauce.
• Onion: I love the combination of a sweet onion with the tomatoes in the sauce, but you can use a white onion or yellow onion if you prefer. Dice it into very fine pieces so that it doesn't make your sauce too chunky.
• Garlic: for aromatic flavor.
• Fresh herbs: such as fresh basil leaves, oregano, and parsley.

How to Make Pomodoro Sauce

This authentic pasta pomodoro sauce comes together quickly and easily for a light and fresh summer meal that takes advantage of the season's best tomatoes and herbs. Kids and adults can all agree on this dinner!

1. Quarter the tomatoes, and then use your fingers to scoop out the seeds.
2. Purée the tomatoes in a food processor until they're smooth.
3. Transfer the tomatoes to a colander to strain off the excess liquid.
4. Sauté the garlic and onion in the olive oil in a large pan, saucepan, Dutch oven or other large pot over medium-high heat.
5. Add the tomatoes and herbs, and then bring the mixture to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce uncovered for about 30 minutes.
7. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. You might also like to season with a little bit of sugar, depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes. Sugar balances the acidity in the tomatoes.
8. Serve the sauce over cooked pasta, and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and additional fresh herbs.

How to Serve Pasta Pomodoro Sauce

Serve the fresh tomato sauce over your favorite pasta (such as spaghetti!), and garnish with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese and additional chopped fresh herbs.  If you prefer something other than pasta, try pairing the pomodoro sauce with sautéed zucchini noodles, cooked potato gnocchi, or cauliflower gnocchi. It's a perfectly satisfying vegetarian entrée, but it's also delicious served as a side dish with a piece of grilled fish or chicken.

Sides That Go Well With Pomodoro Pasta

• Garlic breadsticks, garlic bread, homemade focaccia, or a crusty loaf of no-knead Dutch oven bread
• Green salad with red wine vinaigrette, greens with Dijon vinaigrette, or Caesar salad
• Roasted broccoli or asparagus
• Sauteed asparagus
• 2-ingredient Italian sugar snap peas
• Sauteed spinach with garlic
• Sauteed zucchini
• 3-ingredient roasted yellow squash
• Parmesan roasted cauliflower

Storage

Store leftover pomodoro sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

To Freeze

Keep the leftover sauce in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Tip: a Ziploc freezer bag can be frozen flat and then stacked to maximize freezer storage space!

How to Reheat

Thaw frozen sauce in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat, just until warmed through. If it's too thick, you can thin the sauce with a splash of warm water.

More Uses for Pomodoro Sauce

While it's delicious when served over a big bowl of pasta, you can also use the sauce in a variety of other ways. Here are some ideas:

• Pizza: that's right, you can use the pomodoro as pizza sauce for your next homemade pizza night!
• Chicken Parmesan: skip the jarred sauce and use pomodoro in this recipe instead!
• Stuffed Shells: use the prepared pomodoro in lieu of a jar of store-bought red sauce in this classic Italian dish.
• Lasagna: layer the sauce in a delicious homemade lasagna.
• Soup: add flavor and thickness to this easy soup.
• Casseroles: such as baked rigatoni or baked ziti.
• Quesadillas: make pizza quesadillas (a kid favorite!) with your leftover sauce.

Recipe Variations

• Add ground Italian sausage, ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey to make it a heartier meat sauce.
• This recipe yields a fairly small batch of sauce (about 2 cups total) -- enough for one large jar or about 3-4 servings. If you're like me and you'd rather have more to keep on hand, or if you just have a larger family to feed, double the ingredients and proceed with the same cooking instructions.
• Use a variety of fresh herbs, such as basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley. Whatever your family loves will work!
• If fresh herbs aren't available, substitute with about 1 tablespoon of dried herbs (such as dried basil or dried Italian seasoning blend).
• This kid-friendly sauce is made without wine. If you like a richer, bolder flavor, add ½ cup of red wine or white wine to the sauce. You may need to simmer the sauce a bit longer to get it to reduce and thicken.
• For a briny addition, stir in some capers or olives (it will be like a puttanesca sauce)!

Tips for the Best Pomodoro Sauce Recipe

• Use high-quality Italian extra virgin olive oil and flavorful, ripe summer tomatoes, since the olive oil and tomatoes form the base of the sauce.
• Since you're simmering for a shorter amount of time, leave the lid off of the pot to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to concentrate.
• Depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes, you may need to season the sauce with a little bit of sugar. The sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes, giving the sauce a greater depth of flavor.
• Once the sauce is finished, adjust seasonings and spices to suit your tastes. Add salt, pepper, or additional herbs. If you like a spicy pomodoro, add crushed red pepper flakes.

More Pasta Sauce Recipes to Try

• Easy Bolognese Sauce
• The Best Spaghetti Sauce
• Homemade Pesto
• Linguine with Clam Sauce
• Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce
• Beef Ragu (stovetop or slow cooker)
• Easy Marinara Sauce

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5 from 2 votes

Pomodoro Sauce {Just 5 Ingredients!}

This quick and easy 5-ingredient pasta pomodoro sauce is the perfect combination of sweet, ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, onion, and rich extra virgin olive oil!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword pasta pomodoro, pomodoro pasta, pomodoro sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 3 - 4 servings

Calories 272.1kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. fresh tomatoes (I use about 6-8 plum tomatoes)
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup finely diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (such as a combination of basil, oregano, and parsley)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• For serving: cooked pasta; grated Parmesan cheese; additional fresh herbs

Instructions

• Quarter the tomatoes and use your fingers to quickly scoop out most of the seeds. It helps to run the tomato under cold water to get any extra seeds out, and don’t worry – you don’t have to be meticulous about it. This should only take a few minutes!
• Puree tomatoes in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a colander and set aside to strain excess liquid (you do not need to squeeze the tomatoes totally dry).
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Be sure to stir the garlic and onion constantly so that the garlic doesn’t burn.
• Add the strained tomatoes and the fresh herbs; bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low; simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes, you may need to add a dash of sugar too, to taste.
• Serve over pasta and garnish with cheese and additional fresh herbs.

Notes

• This recipe yields a fairly small batch of sauce (about 2 cups total) -- enough for one large jar or about 3-4 servings. If you're like me and you'd rather have more to keep on hand, or if you just have a larger family to feed, double the ingredients and proceed with the same cooking instructions.
• Use high-quality Italian extra virgin olive oil and flavorful, ripe summer tomatoes, since the olive oil and tomatoes form the base of the sauce.
• Since you're simmering for a shorter amount of time, leave the lid off of the pot to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to concentrate.
• Depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes, you may need to season the sauce with a little bit of sugar. The sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes, giving the sauce a greater depth of flavor.
• Once the sauce is finished, adjust seasonings to suit your tastes. Add salt, pepper, or additional herbs. If you like a spicy pomodoro, add crushed red pepper flakes.
• Use a variety of fresh herbs, such as basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley. Whatever your family loves will work!
• If fresh herbs aren't available, substitute with about 1 tablespoon of dried herbs (such as dried basil or dried Italian seasoning blend).
• This kid-friendly sauce is made without wine. If you like a richer, bolder flavor, add ½ cup of red wine or white wine to the sauce. You may need to simmer the sauce a bit longer to get it to reduce and thicken.
• For a briny addition, stir in some capers or olives (it will be like a puttanesca sauce)!
• Add ground Italian sausage, ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey to make it a heartier meat sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 272.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.1g | Protein: 1.3g | Fat: 28.4g | Saturated Fat: 4.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20.1g | Sodium: 11.7mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 0.4g

This recipe was originally published in July, 2018. The photos were updated in May, 2022.