How to Make Your Own Tomato Sauce and Why You Should

Making your own tomato sauce is nearly as quick as heating up jarred sauce. There are two reasons why making your own spaghetti sauce is important:

First, it's as low sodium as you want it to be. Canned and jarred pasta sauces on average contain 500-700 mg of sodium per serving (usually 1/2 cup). According to the Food and Drug Administration, the recommended daily allowance for sodium is 2300 mg (approximately one teaspoon of salt). They recommend lowering salt intake to help prevent high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease.

Second, homemade sauce is less expensive than jarred pasta sauce. A 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes averages $.59-.79 per can. Assuming you keep garlic, Italian Seasoning and olive oil on hand, your total out of pocket will be well under $2. That's up to half the price of your average jarred sauce.

Give homemade tomato sauce a try next time you're making pasta or pizza, you'll love the way it tastes, and how much healthier it is, and you'll never go back to jarred sauce again!

What you will need:

• (2) 14.5 oz cans crushed tomatoes (or one 28 oz can)
• (1) can petite diced tomatoes (optional)
• (1) can tomato paste (optional)
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Oregano and Basil (fresh)
• Italian Seasoning (optional

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to turn golden (be careful, garlic burns fast, and burnt garlic tastes terrible!).

2. Open two 14.5 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes and add to the pan. If you prefer a chunkier sauce, you can add a can of drained petite diced tomatoes. If you prefer your sauce thicker, add a small can of tomato paste.

3. If you have herbs in your garden, select and finely chop fresh basil and oregano and season the sauce to taste. If fresh herbs are unavailable, you can season with 1-2 Tbsp. of dried Italian seasoning.

4. Once your sauce is heated through, you're ready to serve! Use on top of pasta, to bake in a lasagna or baked ziti, or to spread on your homemade pizza. Refrigerate or freeze if you don't plan to use it right away.