You can turn two cans of plain tomato sauce into a well-seasoned spaghetti sauce in just 20 minutes. This spaghetti sauce using tomato sauce requires no tomato paste, chopping or fresh ingredients, making it especially helpful when the pantry is looking sparse or dinner needs to stay simple.
I created this recipe during the early days of 2020, when grocery shelves were unpredictable and many of us were cooking with whatever we already had.
The combination is intentionally uncomplicated: oregano and Italian seasoning provide the familiar herby flavor, garlic and onion powder eliminate extra chopping, and a small amount of sugar softens the acidity of the canned sauce.
It quickly became one of the most popular spaghetti sauce recipes on Pip and Ebby, and readers continue to make it years later. Keep it meatless, add cooked ground beef or spoon it over any pasta you have on hand for an affordable dinner that reliably fills hungry bellies.
Why This Recipe Works
- It turns basic tomato sauce into spaghetti sauce. If you have two 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce and a handful of common seasonings, you already have what you need.
- There is no chopping or sautéing. Onion powder and garlic powder add flavor without requiring fresh ingredients or additional prep.
- The sauce is ready in 20 minutes. A short simmer gives the dried herbs time to soften and allows the seasonings to blend into the tomato sauce.
- You control what goes into it. Adjust the sugar, salt and seasonings to suit your family instead of relying on the flavor of a jarred sauce.
- It is inexpensive and flexible. Serve it as a simple meatless pasta sauce, add browned ground beef or Italian sausage, or use it anywhere you need a quick red sauce.
Ingredients and Notes
- Tomato sauce: Two 15-ounce cans create the base of the sauce. Use plain, unseasoned tomato sauce so you can control the final flavor.
- Sugar: A small amount balances the acidity of the tomatoes without making the spaghetti sauce noticeably sweet. You can reduce or omit it if preferred.
- Oregano and Italian seasoning: Using both gives the sauce a fuller blend of familiar Italian herbs.
- Salt and black pepper: These simple seasonings enhance the tomatoes and bring the other flavors together. Adjust the salt to taste, especially if your canned tomato sauce contains added sodium.
- Onion powder and garlic powder: These pantry staples provide savory flavor without chopping or sautéing fresh onion and garlic.
How To Make Spaghetti Sauce With Tomato Sauce
- Combine the ingredients. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to a medium saucepan. Stir until combined.
- Bring the sauce to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce begins to boil, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from scorching.
- Serve over pasta. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Spoon the sauce over cooked pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Easy Recipe Variations
- Know what to expect. This recipe makes a smooth, simply seasoned spaghetti sauce rather than a thick, chunky sauce. For more texture, add diced, crushed or fresh tomatoes and allow the sauce to simmer a little longer.
- Make it meaty. Brown 1 pound of ground beef, ground turkey or Italian sausage in a large skillet. Drain any excess grease, add the sauce ingredients and simmer as directed.
- Use fresh onion or garlic. Sauté chopped onion or minced garlic in a little olive oil before adding the tomato sauce and seasonings. Cooking them first softens their texture and mellows their flavor.
- Add some heat. Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes along with the other seasonings.
- Make it chunkier. Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes or chopped fresh tomatoes. The additional tomatoes will increase the amount of sauce and may require a slightly longer simmer.
- Add fresh flavor. Stir in chopped fresh basil or grated Parmesan shortly before serving. Dried basil can be added with the other seasonings.
- Adjust the sweetness. The 2 teaspoons of sugar balance the acidity without making the sauce noticeably sweet. Taste the sauce after it simmers, then add more sugar 1 teaspoon at a time if desired.
Storage and Freezing
Allow leftover spaghetti sauce to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. Refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen sauce overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or warm individual portions in the microwave.
Ways To Use Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
This simple sauce can replace a jar of store-bought pasta sauce in many of your favorite comfort-food recipes. Here are a few easy ways to use it:
- Spoon it over spaghetti or any cooked pasta and finish with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Use it to make Baked Spaghetti, Baked Ziti, Lasagna or Cheesy Manicotti.
- Pair it with Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs for an easy family dinner.
- Spoon it over cooked spaghetti squash for a lighter option.
- Serve it as a dipping sauce with breadsticks, garlic bread or mozzarella sticks.
- Use extra sauce for one of these recipes using leftover spaghetti sauce.
- And yes, I’ve been known to spoon leftover sauce over scrambled eggs. It may sound unusual, but it works!
FAQs
Can you make spaghetti sauce with tomato sauce?
Yes. Plain canned tomato sauce is an excellent shortcut base for spaghetti sauce. Add oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and a small amount of sugar, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
If you have tomato paste instead, use this recipe for how to make spaghetti sauce with tomato paste.
How do you thicken tomato sauce for spaghetti?
Simmer the sauce uncovered so excess liquid can evaporate. If you prefer an even thicker spaghetti sauce, add tomato paste 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
Find additional solutions in my guide explaining how to thicken pasta sauce.
How much spaghetti sauce does this recipe make?
This recipe makes approximately 4 cups of spaghetti sauce, which is comparable to one large jar of store-bought pasta sauce. It is enough for about 1 pound of cooked pasta, depending on how saucy you like it.
What is the difference between marinara and spaghetti sauce?
Marinara is typically a simple tomato-based sauce made with garlic and herbs. Spaghetti sauce is a broader term and may include additional seasonings, vegetables or meat. Read more about marinara vs. spaghetti sauce before deciding which one works best in your recipe.
Can you freeze homemade spaghetti sauce?
Yes. Cool the sauce completely and freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, leaving room for expansion. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat.
Spaghetti Sauce Using Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 30 oz plain tomato sauce
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients. Add the tomato sauce, sugar, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to a medium saucepan. Stir until combined.
- Bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce begins to boil, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and serve. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Spoon over cooked pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Video
Notes
- For a meat sauce: Brown 1 pound of ground beef, ground turkey or Italian sausage in a large skillet. Drain the grease, add the sauce ingredients and simmer as directed.
- For a chunkier sauce: Add diced, crushed or chopped fresh tomatoes. Simmer slightly longer if needed.
- For additional flavor: Add red pepper flakes, sautéed onion, minced garlic or dried basil with the seasonings. Fresh basil and grated Parmesan can be stirred in shortly before serving.
- Adjust the sweetness: The sugar balances the acidity of the tomato sauce. Reduce or omit it if preferred, or add more 1 teaspoon at a time after tasting.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.This recipe makes a smooth, simply seasoned spaghetti sauce. For a thicker or chunkier sauce, add tomato paste, diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes and simmer a little longer.
Nutrition
Megan Porta is a comfort food recipe creator who specializes in easy family meals and Instant Pot desserts, and the founder of Pip and Ebby. She has been cooking for three decades and developing recipes for over fifteen years, helping home cooks make reliable, cozy recipes for real life.
I live alone now and have to do my own cooking. i was given a bunch of tomato sauce, and was looking for something to use it with. I love spaghetti and ran up on your recipe. I really am glad i did. I like it a lot. If this man can fix it any one can. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing! Love to hear it was useful and enjoyed.
thank you so much! i improvised and got to show my 6yo how to do so with me!! we used one 8oz can and one 15oz can tomato sauce, and a 14.5oz can of diced, fire roasted tomatoes… halved the salt called for in the recipe, used dried basil instead of dried oregano, which we didn’t have on hand. added a heaping teaspoon of strained, minced garlic, a generous dash of olive oil, and a few pinches of ground red chili pepper. delish! thank you!!!
Glad you were able to make it your own. Enjoy!
I think it’s absolutely laughable to those who think a teaspoon of pepper is too much and spicy.
This recipe was fantastic and a basic. Just what you need for a spaghetti sauce. Get the basic down, and tweak as you need. Love it! Thanks so much for the help!
I love flavor and spice as well – this base recipe is so easy to customize for ourselves and our loved ones, I agree. Thank you for taking the time to share!!
Just want you to know that I still use this recipe. But today I made whole wheat spaghetti using this sauce. And it turned out great. You would never know it was whole wheat spaghetti
This recipe was a big help when I was under the weather and got some giant cans of tomato sauce as a substitution for fully prepared sauce in my grocery order. Easy to throw together with pantry stuff and nobody complained! Good recipe to lean on when you’re low on time and energy and need to put together something with ingredients you already have around (especially if you’re feeding any picky eaters!).
That is so great to hear, Mo. I’m glad it turned out delicious and was helpful. Thank you for sharing!!
I needed a no salt recipe for my mother who just had a heart attack a few weeks ago. I had some no salt tomato sauce and this worked great. I probably will use less pepper next time but all in all I believe this will satisfy her wanting spaghetti. I am not a salt person either so don’t mind not adding salt. It tastes good, I just added extra spices.
Thank you Donna, I’m glad to hear that you both enjoyed it and it was helpful for what you needed.
I’m a 64 year old husband of a great cook. Well I was supposed to cook the meat, drain it, and add the bottle of prego as usual. No pregro !!! What am I supposed to do? l found your recipe in the “mighty Google Library”! Followed it, and did everything as is. I agree that it seemed to salty. But you can’t give it a fair shake, unless you do it after it’s on the pasta. You can teach an old dog new tricks! It was fantastic!!!
Love that story – thank you for sharing! There are so many varieties of tomato sauce out there, so I agree, hold off salting until close to the end because they vary so much. My recommendation is based on my brands and quantities. It could change person to person because we all purchase and use variations of the same thing.
Thank you, Jim!
Not a bad recipe in terms of ingredients, but I found the proportions to be way off. Maybe it matters what Italian Seasoning “blend” you have, but between that and additional oregano, oregano was all we tasted. Also I used to think you couldn’t add too much pepper to anything and this recipe proved me wrong. It wasn’t even the heat of the pepper, just truly that it was overpowering. I’d make this recipe again but with some serious adjustments to those two ingredients.
Glad you figured out what you prefer and can tweak it. Thanks for sharing!
when I was growing up the sauce that was always used was prego . this sauce tastes very similar but better. love it. this will be my go to sauce from now on.
We all know prego! But yes, you can improve on it with just a little attention – glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent! That’s all I have to say!
So glad you were able to try it and liked it! Happy Cooking, Johanna!
Too much pepper. It was too spicy for us. Next time less pepper and it will be perfect
Such an easy tweak to make. Glad you knew what you like and how to adjust it. Thanks for sharing!
Spaghetti-sauce-made-using-tomato-sauce saved dinner. I had never before made spaghetti without a large can or two of whole or stewed tomatoes. I was out of both, so I searched online and found this recipe that used just tomato sauce. I also had tomato paste and my usual spices, but I decided to not use sugar. I made this recipe in only 30 minutes rather than my usual two hours. I will use this recipe often, since it saves me time and money. Thank-you for putting this recipe online.
So glad to hear that it was helpful, Terry!
I was having a pregnancy craving for spaghetti but didn’t have any spaghetti sauce, and I am so glad I came across your recipe!! I used ground beef and my family loved it, even the toddlers!!!! What is funny is my husband commented he would like more oregano next time! I see this is the complete opposite of other reviews, but it shows that everyone has their own preferences. I will definitely use this recipe again and tweak for more oregano! 🙂 thank you so much for sharing!!
Those pregnancy cravings are real! So glad you found this recipe and we got your craving fulfilled. Thank you for sharing, Kristen! Oregano it is!
pretty good but I think the oregano was over powering because it’s also in the Italian seasoning. next time I think I will just use Italian seasoning.
I get that Patti. I’m glad you figured that out and it’s a simple tweak! Thanks for sharing.
I too, only had a case of tomato sauce in my pantry from Sam’s. I had all the seasonings except for Oregano. I AM SOLD!!! It was so good and easy to put together. I made Spaghetti with meat sauce. My family loved it. This recipe is a KEEPER! Thanks so much!
Love that, Josie! I’m a fan of simple and using what’s on hand. It’s valuable! Thank you for sharing.
“Some” food hoarding does NOT lead to depleation of food on shelves in stores. There ate food recalls, explosion in gas prices leading to trucks unable to deliver food, and also high good prices. Maybe correcting your statement to a non biased opinion would have been a more appropriate choicr.
Oh my goodness, your recipe was a lifesaver! I literally had only tomato sauce and the spices EXCEPT Italian seasoning. But it still came out delicious and it is my go to recipe now!
That is wonderful, Courtney! So glad you tried it and it was what you needed! Thanks for sharing.
Can you water bath can this
Sure! This isn’t something I’ve done a lot of but you can for sure easily do it.
This sauce was simply and delicious I added a can of rotel tomatoes and meat to mine no mre Ragu sauce for me I know the s secret now
That’s a great suggestion Jackie! I’d enjoy that too. My boys, not so much but then maybe they’d like the kick! Thanks for sharing!
This turned out great! My husband has to have a low sodium diet, and low sodium spaghetti sauce is hard to come by and expensive. This is the perfect solution. I used NoSalt and added red pepper flakes. Put it over spaghetti squash with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, topped with parmesan. Perfect! Thanks 🙂
So glad it was enjoyed and healthy for your diet needs. Thanks for sharing those ideas Jennifer!