Easy Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

This easy vegan spaghetti sauce recipe will become your go-to on busy weeknights. With just a few pantry staples and a little prep, you will soon be singing Amore.

Why make your own spaghetti sauce?

If you grew up a jarred sauce kid, it’s easy to assume spaghetti sauce is a labor-intensive process – I mean what’s easier than opening a jar?

BUT nothing compares to a slowly simmering pot of garlic, onions, and tomatoes. It just feels good to have something going on the stove to share with friends and family.

With homemade sauces, you control everything. Most jarred sauces have crazy amounts of sugar and salt, but when you make it from scratch – you know exactly what your family is eating.

Plus, there is absolutely no sauce on the market that can beat homemade. Period.

What makes this one the best?

This is the best for a few reasons. First, limited ingredients. Good canned tomatoes (I like fire-roasted) are worth every penny when making your own vegan spaghetti sauce.

Brands like Muir Glenn, San Marazano, and Wegmans Organic are all wonderful.

Second, it’s just the right blend of sweet and savory making it versatile and adaptable enough to really make this vegan spaghetti sauce your own.

Add mushrooms if you have them, or bell peppers and olives. The sky’s the limit!

That seems like a lot of garlic….

I mean… 10 cloves do seem like a lot. But these were homegrown and a little smaller than store-bought garlic. If you are intimidated by the amount, maybe just go one clove over your comfort level.

And then add two (or 10) more next time you make it!

Speaking of garlic, do you know the easiest way to peel vampire repellent-worthy levels? First, get your cloves off the bulb. Add them to a small Tupperware with a really good lid.

Next is to shake it like your life depends on it. Make sure you make other people uncomfortable with how much you’re shaking the jar.

Before you know it, you will have an entire dish of peeled (or mostly peeled) garlic ready for your next recipe.

Can I make this ahead?

Absolutely! This Vegan Spaghetti Sauce can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you are ready to use it.

What goes well with Vegan Spaghetti Sauce?

A better question is what doesn’t? I use this basic sauce recipe for almost all my red sauce pasta including Baked Penne with Tofu Ricotta, and Vegetable Lasagna.

For this dinner, I used Impossible Foods brand meatballs, but I also like to use Lentil Meatballs if I’m feeling fancy, or don’t have them on hand.

How to make Vegan Spaghetti Sauce

Add diced onions and olive oil to a preheated deep pot like a dutch oven. Sprinkle with about half a teaspoon of salt and cook over low medium heat until the onions begin to release their liquid. Stir frequently and cook until barely translucent, about 5 minutes. Add diced garlic and cook until the garlic starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds.

Deglaze your pot with a dry red wine, something you would be happy to drink. We’re going to reduce this, so make sure it’s something that you like.

Cook over medium-low heat, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot as you cook to ensure nothing sticks. This should take about five to ten minutes.

When your wine has been reduced by about half, it’s time to add the tomato paste.

I think canned tomato paste has a “tinny” taste, but I like the structure it gives to pasta sauce. Cooking it before adding the tomatoes lightens it up a bit. Stir to incorporate with the onions until it starts to loosen and become fragrant.

Add your tomatoes, spices, sugar, and taste for salt. Raise the heat on the stove to around medium, and cook, stirring frequently.

After about 20 minutes, the tomatoes will have become soft, and the sauce will have lost quite a bit of volume. Time to cook your pasta! I used spaghetti, but this is equally delicious with penne or any other pasta you like.

When your pasta is cooked and drained, add it back to the large dish you cooked it in. Add a couple tablespoons of sauce and a tablespoon of vegan butter or olive oil and mix.

Plate, and enjoy!