This light, tangy, and super flavorful Red Wine Pasta Sauce comes together using a few ingredients in under an hour. Take your red pasta a notch higher using this easy sauce recipe (vegetarian, gluten-free, and can be easily made vegan).
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About Red Wine Pasta Sauce
Red Wine Pasta Sauce is a delicious combination of crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, and the star ingredient – red wine. It is a nice change from the traditional marinara sauce and a great option to use that leftover bottle of wine.
This pasta sauce is super easy to whip up, comes together quickly, and bursts with robust flavors.
If you are looking for a unique red pasta sauce, your search ends here. Toss it up with your favorite pasta and serve it for weeknight dinner or weekend brunch.
Not only pasta, but you can use this versatile sauce to make many other dishes. I have mentioned a few options in the post below, do check them out.
This pasta sauce with red wine freezes well. You can double or triple the recipe and freeze it for later use.
This recipe is also gluten-free and vegetarian. By replacing honey with any vegan sweetener, you can make it vegan-friendly too.
Here are a few more homemade sauces
- Strawberry BBQ Sauce
- Lemon Drop Hot Sauce
- Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce
- Bechamel Sauce
- Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
- Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
- Gigi Hadid Spicy Vodka Pasta
- Peri Peri Sauce
- Sour Cream Pasta Sauce
- Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
Ingredients
Use the best quality tomatoes, olive oil, and seasonings to make the best-tasting pasta sauce.
Red Wine – Choose your favorite dry red wine to make the sauce. Don’t go for expensive wines; the inexpensive ones with bold and rich flavors and peppery undertones will do. You can try merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, chianti or zinfandel.
Use the leftover red wine to make Red Wine Spritzer or Red Wine Sangria.
Crushed Tomatoes – Use your favorite brand of canned crushed tomatoes. My favorite is Cento San Marzano crushed tomatoes, which are high quality and have perfect flavor and texture.
You can use fire-roasted tomatoes for more complex flavors.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Use the best quality one!
Seasonings – The pasta is seasoned with dried Italian herbs such as oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Adjust the quantity depending on your taste.
Others – You will also need onions, fresh garlic, honey, fresh basil, and veg bouillon powder.
Honey is added to cut the acidity from tomatoes and wine. You can also use sugar instead.
The addition of bouillon powder gives it an extra rich and delicious flavor. You can replace the veg bouillon powder with chicken bouillon powder for added flavor.
How To Make Red Wine Pasta Sauce
Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pan or a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add
- ¼ cup grated onions
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
Stir in ½ cup of dry red wine and cook until it nearly evaporates (2-3 minutes).
Add the remaining ½ cup of wine and cook until it is reduced by at least half and leaves a trail when a spatula is pulled through it (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently while cooking.
Stir in
- 36 oz (1 kg) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoon veg bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Cook for 10-12 minutes until the sauce is thickened, stirring frequently.
Stir in
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
and mix well.
Check for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
Note – If you don’t like a chunkier sauce, use an immersion blender and blend the sauce until it is creamy and smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat and use the sauce as desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they can. The alcohol content of the wine evaporates while cooking, and only the flavor of red wine is left behind. So it’s perfectly safe for the kids to eat this sauce.
Yes, you can.
Serving Suggestions
Throw your favorite cooked pasta or zucchini noodles (zoodles) in this flavorful red wine sauce and serve it for busy weeknights or weekend brunch.
Other than pasta, you can also use this red sauce to make homemade pizzas, risotto, open toast, open zucchini boats, vegetable casserole, soup, or bruschetta.
Use it as a dipping sauce for Grilled Cheese or Sweet Potato Wedges.
I use it to make my Million Dollar Spaghetti.
Storage Suggestions
This red wine tomato sauce will last 4 to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I recommend storing it in a glass container, as it might stain the plastic container.
This homemade pasta sauce is also freezer-friendly! You can also make a double batch and freeze it for up to 4 months for later use. I recommend storing it in individual containers or zip locks, as you can’t freeze it again once thawed.
Reheat the sauce in a pan or microwave until nice and hot before serving.
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Recipe Card
Easy Red Wine Pasta Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- ¼ cup grated onions
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt (divided, plus more to taste)
- 1 cup dry red wine (divided)
- 36 ounces canned crushed tomatoes (1 kg)
- 2 tablespoons honey (use maple syrup for vegan)
- 2 teaspoons veg bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add onions, garlic, oregano, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in ½ cup of dry red wine and cook until it is nearly evaporated (2-3 minutes).
- Add the remaining ½ cup of wine and cook until it is reduced by at least half and leaves a trail when a spatula is pulled through it (6-8 minutes). Stir frequently while cooking.
- Stir in tomatoes, honey, bouillon powder, and red pepper flakes, and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes until the sauce is thickened, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and basil, and mix well.
- Check for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
- Note – If you don't like a chunkier sauce, use an immersion blender and blend the sauce until it is creamy and smooth.
- Remove the pan from the heat and use the sauce as desired.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!