This Napolitana sauce (also spelled Napoletana) is a simple tomato sauce from Naples in southern Italy. And you only need 5 basic ingredients: crushed tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, olive oil, and salt. It takes 30 minutes to make and tastes way better than sauce from a jar.
Use it for spaghetti bolognese, pizza, or any pasta dish. And you can even stir into tomato soups like this everyday tomato soup for deeper flavour. Once you try making your own, you’ll never buy store-bought sauce again.
What is Napolitana Sauce?
Napolitana sauce is a tomato sauce from Naples, Italy. It’s simple—just tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil. No onions, no fancy herbs, just pure tomato flavour.
About the name: You might see this written as “napolitana” or “napoletana.” Both spellings are correct. They mean the same thing—tomato sauce from Naples.
Why Make Your Own?
In a world where you can just buy tomato sauce in a jar, why make your own Napolitana sauce? Everyone should have a basic Italian tomato sauce recipe up their sleeve. Not just because a tomato sauce a cornerstone of so many Italian meals. But also because the ultra-processed pasta sauces are full of preservatives, added sugar, and additives you don’t really need. This homemade napolitana sauce contains only wholesome ingredients you can pronounce, costs a fraction of jarred sauces, and tastes dramatically better. Once you’ve made it from scratch, you’ll never go back to the supermarket versions.
Napolitana vs Marinara Sauce: What’s the Difference?
Both are Italian tomato sauces, but they’re not quite the same:
Napolitana sauce:
- Cooks for 25-30 minutes
- Garlic stays in the sauce
- Thicker with deeper flavor
- Basil cooks with the sauce
- Great for pasta and pizza
Marinara sauce:
- Cooks for only 15-20 minutes
- Garlic might be removed
- Lighter, fresher taste
- Herbs added at the end
- Made for quick meals
Think of napoletana as marinara’s tastier cousin.
What You Need
Only 5 ingredients:
- Canned tomatoes – Use Italian tomatoes if you can (San Marzano are best)
- Garlic – Fresh cloves, sliced or chopped
- Fresh basil – Don’t skip this!
- Extra virgin olive oil – Good quality makes a difference
- Salt and pepper – To taste
Since there are so few ingredients, use good quality tomatoes. They make all the difference.
What to Use Napoletana Sauce For
This tomato sauce works great for:
Pasta: add napolitana sauce to Spaghetti napolitana, or any meat sauces, such as spaghetti bolognese.
Pizza: this is the perfect tomato base for any of your favourite pizzas.
Other ideas: add to soups like everyday tomato soup for more flavour, or use as the tomato sauce for chicken or eggplant parmigiana, or just a sauce to liven up some left over vegetables.
Tips for Great Napolitana Sauce
- Buy good tomatoes – They’re the main ingredient
- Don’t rush – Let it cook for 30 minutes
- Use fresh basil – Dried basil isn’t the same
- Make it thinner – Add pasta water if it’s too thick
- Add salt last – It makes the tomatoes taste sweeter
- Storing: keep napolitana sauce in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Make ahead: The flavour gets even better the next day, so it’s great to make ahead.
Buon appetito! 🇮🇹
More Campania Recipes
- Paccheri allo Scarpariello – large pasta tubes tossed with cherry tomatoes, basil, pecorino and white wine. A Neapolitan classic.
- Zucchini a Scapece – fried courgettes marinated in vinegar and mint. One of Naples’ most distinctive side dishes.
- Spaghetti alla Napoletana – Naples’ simplest pasta dish, built on ripe tomatoes, garlic and basil.
Napolitana Sauce
Equipment
- Chef Knife
- Saucepan
- Spatula
- Food Mill
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 800 grams tinned chopped tomatoes ((use an Italian brand if possible))
- 10 basil leaves (roughly chopped or torn)
- salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes, stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Pass the tomato sauce through a food mill for a nice smooth texture, then return to the pan.
- Season with salt and pepper and add basil, cook for one more minute.
Notes
- For a more rustic texture, you can omit step 4.
- Don’t blend the sauce as it will turn an orange/ pink colour.
- The sauce will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days, and also freezes very well.
1 Comment
Really quick to make and very simple!