This simple crockpot tomato sauce takes little effort. It is easy to fill the crockpot up with fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic and let it simmer all day.
This crockpot tomato sauce is something that I rely on often during the peak of the tomato harvest. While the majority of the tomatoes from the garden are preserved in large batches for winter food storage. The crockpot is perfect for making smaller batch for fresh eating.
It takes little effort to fill the crockpot up with all the ingredients and let it simmer all day. You can even break up the process over a few days if you are crunched for time by cooling and refrigerating the sauce part way through and start cooking again the next day.
Tips for Making Crockpot Tomato Sauce
Select meaty, plumb or paste tomatoes for a thick and flavorful sauce. My favorites are Roma, San Marzano, Amish Paste, and Juliet. Paste tomatoes have very little water content. You can still use other types of tomatoes, but it will take longer for the sauce to thicken.
Cooking the tomatoes with the skins and seeds helps to thicken the sauce with the fruit’s natural pectin.
Run the cooked sauce through a food strainer to remove seeds and skins. After the sauce has simmered for a while and the ingredients have softened, run though a through a food strainer or food mill to remove skins, seeds, and to smooth out the sauce. If you don’t mind the seeds and skins, you can use an immersion hand blender to smooth out your sauce.
Using fresh herbs: I like using fresh herbs because they are readily available from the garden during the summer, but dried herbs are better for slow cooking because the flavor doesn’t diminish from cooking. If you are using fresh herbs, add extra at the end of the cooking time.
This homemade crockpot tomato sauce pairs perfectly with Ricotta Gnocchi, Homemade Egg Noodles, Zucchini Lasagna, spiralized veggies, spaghetti squash, and as a pizza topping. Since you are not canning this tomato sauce, feel free to add other ingredients such as precooked mushrooms, green peppers, sausage, or meatballs.
This simple crockpot tomato sauce takes little effort. It is easy to fill the crockpot up with fresh tomatoes, onions, and garlic and let it simmer all day.
- 5-6 pounds paste tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red cooking wine optional
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 1 medium carrot roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 3 tablespoons fresh, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- honey to sweeten if needed
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Prepare your tomatoes by washing in plain water. Cut them in half or quarters and add to the crockpot. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, and herbs. Drizzle the wine and olive oil. Cover and turn crockpot to low and cook for 2-4 hours stirring occasionally.
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After the sauce has simmered for a while and tomatoes have released their juices and the vegetables are soft, turn off crockpot and allow the sauce to cool.
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Run the cooled tomato sauce through a Food Strainer or Food Mill to remove skins, seeds, and to smooth out the sauce. If you are crunched for time, you can pop the cooled sauce into the refrigerator and begin again the following day.
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Return the strained tomato sauce to the crockpot to cook down further to thicken the sauce. Turn the crockpot to low and vent the cover so excess moisture evaporates. Cook until your desired thickness, 4-6 hours or longer, stirring occasionally.
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Once the tomato sauce is nice and thick, taste it. Add salt and pepper and stir to mix in. Taste again. Adjust seasoning if needed. If the flavor is sharp and acidic, add a little honey and taste again.
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If you are including additional ingredients such as mushrooms, green peppers, sausage, or meatballs, precook these and add to the crockpot and cook on low for an additional 1-2 hours.
Depending on the water content of your tomatoes and how long you cook down the tomato sauce, this will yield around 4 cups. Store extra in the fridge for leftovers for 2-3 days or freeze for a later meal.
This is not a safe canning recipe: If you have a lot of tomatoes and want to can them for food storage, check out this safe canning recipe: Seasoned Tomato Sauce Recipe for Home Canning
You May Also Like:
- Zucchini Garlic Bites
- Garden Fresh Zucchini Lasagna
- Auntie’s Ricotta Gnocchi
- Mason Jar Italian Salad Dressing
- Fresh Summer Tomato Sauce
- How to Can Diced or Crushed Tomatoes
Tony says
After the tomatoes, onions, garlic, etc. have simmered I used a food mill to strain out the skins and seeds. In doing so it also strains out all the onions, garlic, etc. It seems like if they were not strained out it would add to the flavor and texture of the sauce. Could you add them pureed after you remove the skins and seeds. Your thoughts.
©Rachel Arsenault says
Tony, Yes, you can add the onions and garlic to the sauce after straining instead of at the beginning.
Cage Dupre says
Great recipe. I made a batch last week and I everyone was
Amazed at how good the sauce turned out. It is as good as any sauce you’d get in an upscale Italian restaurant. I had to made another batch today because it was just devoured!!
Thank you, for such a wonderful recipe!
Christine says
Got some clearance tomatoes and decided to try this sauce! I was at work so couldn’t run it through the food mill mid day, but I did run it through when I got home (and after I used the immersion blender on it). Because I was hungry and wanted dinner on the table, I put it on the stovetop to try to thicken it instead of back in the slow cooker. I also added my meatballs and a sprinkle of Parmesan in at that time. Kids pretty much licked the pot clean despite it being a bit runny. I’ll have to try this again when I can thicken it properly! The flavors were delicious!
©Rachel Arsenault says
Thank you, I am so glad you and your family enjoyed the sauce.
Anne says
This is my second year making this sauce at the end of the summer when tomatoes are p,entiful and reasonable in price. It is wonderful! I do fry up the onion and garlic before adding, and never bother with removing the skin and seeds. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Carol fellows says
I made this and after being in the crock pot pretty much all day, it is still too wateryz? Should I add tomato paste?.
©Rachel Arsenault says
Sure, you can add tomato paste to help thicken the sauce.
Jeanna Marie says
What a great recipe! This is great for my super bowl Sunday meatballs and gravy. I’m excited to add the meatballs I made earlier this week. I’ve also added a few anchovies and capers! Lovely recipe! Also saving this one in my family recipe book. Thank you for sharing!
Anne says
This is a great basic tomato sauce. Made it Last week and sevrved it over pasta, and my guests loved it! I did fry up the onion, garlic and carrots before adding to the slow cooker. Froze a bunch and am planning to make it again tomorrow. ??
Gabriele says
What is the difference between a crockpot and a slow cooker ?
©Rachel Arsenault says
No difference. Crockpot is a brand name that makes slow cookers. Some people call slow cookers crockpots.
Sonny says
I am thinking of making Pizza sauce for this recipe. The only thing I’m going to add is tomato past when i put back into the slow cooker to thicken. I tasted it after I put it in the food processor, and it taste like a good homemade pizza sauce.
Mary Olsen says
I am in love with this recipe. My sauce turned out delicious. Thank you for posting. This will go in our family cookbook I am making for my grandkids.
Zenovia says
I really liked this. In years past I had a hard time with my sauce being too watery. This did the trick and it thickened beautifully. I will make it again. I froze it for future use as my tomatoes are coming so fast and furious I can barely keep up.
©Rachel Arsenault says
Zenovia, Thanks for commenting. I am so glad this worked for you.