Easy quick Neapolitan-style sauce I use for pasta and pizza sauce:

1 can Contadina brand crushed tomatoes in puree, unflavored (I'm brand-loyal with these tomatoes)
Healthy glug of olive oil
Healthy pinch of salt

Pour tomatoes into sauce pan, add olive oil (probably about 1/4 cup) and salt (1/2 tsp or so, to taste). Stir together and simmer until somewhat reduced and thickened, 20-25 minutes. Partially cover with a lid while cooking because the sauce will spatter.

Simple, dead easy, yummy. You can also add meatballs and simmer them along with the sauce.

I agree with the pp who mentioned adding sugar. I don't like sweet sauces so I never used to add it. But without it the sauces were too acidic.

Saute onions and mushrooms in olive oil with a pinch of salt
Add garlic, basil, oregano and a pinch of crushed red pepper
Add a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup of water, and half a can of tomato paste, bring to a boil
Reduce heat, add 1/2 cup of frozen chopped spinach (thawed), simmer 20-30 minutes
Add salt and pepper to taste

This is a great vegetarian option but also good with meatballs or some sautéed Italian sausage

My family likes a salty, savory sauce:

Sauté one diced onion with 4-6 cloves garlic in 2 tbsp. olive oil. Dice one green pepper and slice a box of mushrooms. Add them to pot when onion soft. Saute until soft; add one tsp dried oregano, or a handful of minced fresh basil and oregano.

Add two cans diced tomatoes, two cans tomato sauce, and one small can tomato paste. Simmer for an hour.

Put sauce in fridge overnight. Reheat next day for best flavor. (You can also add homemade beef meatballs (and/or hot Italian sausage for those other than OP) if wanted.)

A make a killer non-traditional sauce.

Sautee about half an eggplant in lots of butter and olive oil until it's mushy.
Sautee about half an onion, garlic, and whatever colors of bell pepper float your boat in olive oil. I do this separately because the cook times vary.
Mix the veggies together. Add 1 can of "good" crushed tomatoes and 1 can of "good" tomato sauce.
Add salt and pepper to taste throughout.
Add about 2-3 tbsps of sugar. Trust me.
Add crushed red pepper to taste.
Add a ton of fresh (or dried) herbs: basil, oregano, parsley.

When all mixed together and warm, stick an immersion blender in it and it's the silkiest sauce in the world. So buttery and veggie-y and delicious.

1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
sautéed with a little olive oil for just a minute.
Add bay leaf a tbsp. of parsley and a large can of Italian tomato's
Fill can with water add to pot. Let simmer for about an hour. Salt to taste

Go to store. Acquire bottle of Ragu. Return home. Pour some in a pan on the stove. Add some red wine. Cook until hot.

2 cups of San Marzano plum italian tomatoes
1/2 stick of butter
1 sweet yellow onion halved.

Heat, then simmer for 45 minutes; remove onion halves. Enjoy!

Blanch and peel 6-8 large plum tomatoes. Deseed them into a strainer, keeping the juices and dice the rest. Mince 2 cloves garlic and two green onions. Put in bowl with juice and toss with 2Tbs. olive oil, 1tp. lemon juice, 1tsp. sugar and fresh ground salt and pepper. Cover and leave on counter all day. Add to freshly cooked pasta with additional fresh basil and parmesan. Toss.

Sauté minced garlic, onion and carrot in olive oil.
Add mushrooms if you like them and cook down.
Add 1 TBS tomato paste and brown it a bit.
Add Pomi chopped tomatoes and let it cook down.
Add fresh basil and oregano.
Add pasta to sauté pan and toss.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

I'll start:

2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup red wine
28-oz can crushed tomatoes
salt/pepper/dried oregano/red pepper flakes to taste

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot or straight-sided saute pan. Saute onion until lightly browned. Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds. Add diced tomatoes and red wine, bring to a strong simmer and simmer until the liquid is reduced. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano and red pepper. Bring to a strong simmer, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer with the lid half-on for about 20 mins while you make the pasta. Taste and correct seasonings.

That's my basic recipe. I often add sauteed mushrooms, sauteed ground beef, olives, anchovies, fresh basil, a heel of parm if I have it around, or whatever else strikes my fancy. It's super easy -- the whole thing takes 30 mins tops, including prepping the veg.

Man, as an Italian, it is hard for me to think of good tomato-based sauces without any sort of pork in them When I read the title of this thread, I actually wanted to share my FAVORITE sauce, but of course it uses pancetta. However, my friends have made it with vegan bacon (I think beef bacon or turkey bacon would work, too) and said it was great, so I'll share!

Use a big saute pan
Saute your "bacon-like product" on medium until crispy -- for pork, it'll render its own fat, but for other meats, you may need olive oil in the pan
Add diced onion and garlic (about 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic), saute for 1 minute
Throw in some crushed rosemary, chili pepper flakes (optional) and a little red wine (maybe 1/4 cup)
Add a 28 oz can of san marzano tomatoes and crush them up
Saute on medium until the tomato turns orange-y in color (that's the secret to cooking any tomato sauce). About 10 minutes (I cook the pasta while this part happens).
Put your cooked pasta (should be spaghetti for this sauce) directly into the sauce pan and stir, then turn off heat.

Ok, multiple readers have written in lately about how easy it is to make homemade pasta sauce. is anyone willing to provide their recipe? I like marinara and sauces with garlic and onions. We don't eat pork, so please no recipes that somehow involve pork or its juices, etc.

thanks for your help!