What's Different

Store-bought tomato sauce is ready to use and contains the same basic ingredients that you would use when making your own. Homemade sauce involves cooking fresh tomatoes down to evaporate some of their liquid, resulting in a thick though still pourable product. Stewed tomatoes are simply tomatoes that have been cooked in their own natural juices with the addition of celery, onions, green peppers and, in some cases, garlic. Because the tomatoes are still whole and the juices separate, the liquid portion is sometime partially or completely drained off to make spaghetti sauce.

Spaghetti Sauce Basics

A basic tomato sauce for spaghetti is made with just a few very simple ingredients, most of which you probably have in your cupboard. You can use your own fresh tomatoes straight from the garden, home-grown canned tomatoes, or a store-bought simple tomato sauce or canned whole or diced tomatoes. You can also use store-bought stewed tomatoes or make your own by simmering peeled whole fresh tomatoes in their juices along with celery, green peppers and onions. Keep liquid proportions in mind when making spaghetti sauce with stewed tomatoes, as you want your sauce to have texture and smoothness but not be too runny.

Starting From Scratch

If you're worried about how or where to begin, don't be -- there are many recipes for spaghetti sauce that begin with fresh tomatoes or canned tomato sauce. Starting from scratch with fresh tomatoes calls for nothing more than peeling and crushing the tomatoes to release the juices, adding a few simple herbs such as basil, oregano and garlic and other flavor enhancers, such as red wine, then cooking it down. You can add your own herbs and seasonings, such as garlic, onion, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes, to plain canned tomato sauce, or add your own special touches to store-bought spaghetti sauce in the form of extra garlic sautéed in olive oil or sautéed sliced mushrooms.

Using Stewed Tomatoes

When making spaghetti sauce using stewed tomatoes, you can leave them whole if you like a chunky sauce or run them through a blender or food processor if you prefer a smoother consistency. Proceed by adding other flavorings or ingredients of your choice. If you don't have a food processor or immersion hand blender, simply use your hands to crush whole stewed tomatoes. If they are still too watery for your tastes, thicken them with plain tomato sauce, puree or paste.