Homemade Red Pasta Sauce

Growing up, my mom always made her own red pasta sauce, so when I became an adult, I made my own too. In fact, I remember being in shock when someone once suggested we buy jarred pasta sauce for a dinner we were making.

Then I started couponing and realized how much cheaper I could buy a jar of pasta sauce over making it from scratch. With the right sale and a coupon, I paid less than $0.75 per jar. The sales were many, the coupons matched perfectly and I stocked my pantry.

I also fell in love with the convenience.

Fast forward five years. Grocery prices are rising, coupon discounts are shrinking and it seems I just can’t score pasta sauce as cheaply. At least not enough to keep my pantry stocked well. So I’m back to making my own. However, the  convenience is something I’m not prepared  to give up,  so I’m making big batches for the freezer. You can too!

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My recipe is simple as my family is made up of picky eaters but you can get as creative as you like by adding bell peppers, mushrooms, other vegetables and/or any other herbs or spices your family loves.

I shop for all my ingredients according to the Pantry Principle so by the time all is said an done, I pay about $1 per “jar”. This price is calculated using fresh basil. If I use the dried leaves, my cost reduces dramatically.