Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Canning Recipe

This homemade zesty spaghetti sauce canning recipe combines fresh tomatoes, savory herbs, and a unique chile puree for bold flavor and long-lasting pantry convenience. Perfect for pasta night or hearty baked dishes, it’s a versatile staple for home canners.

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By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva®
Last updated: September 17, 2025

What Makes This Sauce Zesty?

The secret to this sauce’s depth lies in the rehydrated California chile peppers. These mild dried chilies transform into a silky puree that blends seamlessly with tomatoes and herbs. Their earthy, slightly sweet flavor adds complexity, while their natural pigments enrich the sauce with a deep red hue. Unlike hot peppers, California chilies bring warmth without overpowering heat—making this sauce both family-friendly and flavorful.

A Brief History of Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Homemade spaghetti sauce has roots in traditional Italian cucina povera, or “cooking of the poor,” where families transformed simple, seasonal ingredients into flavorful meals. Tomatoes became central to Italian cooking in the 18th and 19th centuries after arriving from the Americas, and by the time Italian immigrants brought their recipes to the United States, spaghetti sauce had become a symbol of family, comfort, and tradition.

Over time, home cooks began adapting classic Italian sauces with local produce and preserved foods. Canning spaghetti sauce became especially popular in the mid-20th century as a way to stretch harvests and stock the pantry with ready-to-eat meals. Today, recipes like this one continue the tradition while incorporating new flavor influences.

Cooking with Rehydrated Chilies

Rehydrated chili peppers have long been used in Mexican and Southwestern cuisines to add depth and color to sauces, stews, and marinades. California chilis, in particular, are prized for their mild heat and naturally sweet, earthy flavor. When soaked in hot water, their flesh softens and releases rich pigments, making them ideal for purees that can be stirred into tomato-based dishes.

By blending this chili puree into a traditional spaghetti sauce, you bridge Italian and Latin flavor traditions, creating a sauce that’s robust, slightly smoky, and visually vibrant. It’s a creative twist that elevates familiar comfort food into something memorable—perfect for canning and enjoying all year long.

Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Canning Recipe

Makes approximately 8 quarts or 16 pints

This recipe is very similar to my traditional spaghetti with meat sauce, however I created a puree by rehydrating dried California chili peppers, which gives this sauce its robust flavor and deep red color. Use this sauce to make your traditional Italian meals like Stuffed Shells and Baked Ziti or use overtop any shape pasta for a quick and delicious meal in minutes.

Ingredients

• 30 pounds tomatoes (about a ½ bushel), 20 cups pureed tomatoes**
• 14 Dried California chili peppers
• 2 1/2 pounds ground beef and/or Italian pork sausage (I prefer to mix half ground beef & half sausage in my sauce)
• 5 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• ½ pound mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, or 3 tablespoons dried
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, or 2 tablespoons dried
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 3 teaspoons black pepper

**I have learned that it takes approx. 10 average sized canning (Beefsteak) tomatoes to equal approximately 6-8 cups of pureed tomatoes. So approximately 30 averaged sized canning tomatoes will yield about 20 cups of pureed tomatoes.

Instructions

1. Tomato Prep with Food Processor: Blanch tomatoes to remove skins if using Beefsteak or other large tomato. If using Roma tomatoes, which have thinner skin, you may choose to leave the skin on and skip blanching altogether. Cut tomatoes into quarters and run through food processor. Drain some of the juices if you prefer a thicker sauce, otherwise you may leave as is and simply add a small can of tomato paste down the road when preparing a meal for your family. Set aside.
2. Tomato Prep with Food Mill:  Core and quarter tomatoes, place a small amount of tomatoes in large stainless steel stock pot. Place on high heat and crush using a potato masher. Slowly add more tomatoes and crush each new addition until all tomatoes have been added. Work quickly to avoid scorching the tomatoes. When all have been added, reduce heat to simmer and boil gently for about 10 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft. Working in batches, press tomato mixture through your food mill. Discard and peels and seeds. Drain some of the juices if you prefer a thicker sauce, otherwise you may leave as is and simply add a small can of tomato paste down the road when preparing a meal for your family. Set aside.
3. Chile Puree: Take 14 dried California chili peppers and remove the stem and any excess seeds. Place in a stainless steel bowl and cover with boiling water. Place a bowl on top of the chilies to keep them submerged. After 15 minutes, remove the rehydrated chilies and a 1/2 cup of the soaking water. Place rehydrated chilies and the reserved water into a food processor. Blend on high to produce the puree. Set aside.
4. In a large stock pot, brown hamburger and/or sausage, until cooked though, about 8 to 10minutes. Drain excess fat. Add onions, peppers, garlic, mushrooms (if using), parsley, basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt and black pepper. Add a splash of water to aid in softening the onions/peppers. Cook on medium heat until onions are clear and peppers are soft, about 6 minutes. 
5. Add the pureed tomatoes and Chile puree to the meat mixture and mix well to blend the ingredients together. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and boil for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is heated through. Be sure to stir the sauce often to avoid scorching the sauce.
6. Using a funnel, ladle the spaghetti sauce into jars leaving a 1-inch head space. Wipe the jar rims with a washcloth dipped in vinegar. Add lids and rings and hand tighten.
7. Process in a pressure canner at 10 PSI, or according to your elevation and canner type. Process quart jars for 70 minutes and pints for 60 minutes.

Creative Ways to Use Zesty Spaghetti Sauce

• Classic Pasta Night: Serve over spaghetti, rigatoni, or penne with fresh Parmesan.
• Baked Favorites: Use in lasagna, stuffed shells, or baked ziti.
• Pizza or Flatbread Base: Spread on dough as a flavorful alternative to pizza sauce.
• Meatball Subs: Simmer meatballs in the sauce, then serve on crusty rolls.
• Vegetable Stew Starter: Add zucchini, eggplant, or beans for a hearty vegetarian dish.

Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Canning Recipe

Recipe by The Canning Diva

5.0 from 1 vote

Servings

8 quarts or 16 pints

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

This recipe is very similar to my traditional spaghetti with meat sauce, however I created a puree by rehydrating dried California chili peppers, which gives this sauce its robust flavor and deep red color. Use this sauce to make your traditional Italian meals like Stuffed Shells and Baked Ziti or use overtop any shape pasta for a quick and delicious meal in minutes.

Ingredients

US Metric

• tomatoes (about a ½ bushel), 20 cups pureed tomatoes

• 14 14 Dried California chili peppers

• 2 1/2 pounds 2 1/2 ground beef and/or Italian pork sausage (I prefer to mix half ground beef & half sausage in my sauce)

• 5 tablespoons 5 minced garlic

• 1 1/2 cups 1 1/2 chopped onions

• 1 cup 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

• ½ pound mushrooms, sliced (optional)

• 6 tablespoons 6 chopped fresh parsley, or 3 tablespoons dried

• 4 tablespoons 4 chopped fresh basil leaves, or 2 tablespoons dried

• 2 tablespoons 2 fresh oregano leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried

• 1/4 cup 1/4 lightly packed brown sugar

• 4 teaspoons 4 salt

• 3 teaspoons 3 black pepper

Instructions

• Tomato Prep with Food Processor: Blanch tomatoes to remove skins if using Beefsteak or other large tomato. If using Roma tomatoes, which have thinner skin, you may choose to leave the skin on and skip blanching altogether. Cut tomatoes into quarters and run through food processor. Drain some of the juices if you prefer a thicker sauce, otherwise you may leave as is and simply add a small can of tomato paste down the road when preparing a meal for your family. Set aside.
• Tomato Prep with Food Mill:  Core and quarter tomatoes, place a small amount of tomatoes in large stainless steel stock pot. Place on high heat and crush using a potato masher. Slowly add more tomatoes and crush each new addition until all tomatoes have been added. Work quickly to avoid scorching the tomatoes. When all have been added, reduce heat to simmer and boil gently for about 10 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft. Working in batches, press tomato mixture through your food mill. Discard and peels and seeds. Drain some of the juices if you prefer a thicker sauce, otherwise you may leave as is and simply add a small can of tomato paste down the road when preparing a meal for your family. Set aside.
• Chile Puree: Take 14 dried California chili peppers and remove the stem and any excess seeds. Place in a stainless steel bowl and cover with boiling water. Place a bowl on top of the chilies to keep them submerged. After 15 minutes, remove the rehydrated chilies and a 1/2 cup of the soaking water. Place rehydrated chilies and the reserved water into a food processor. Blend on high to produce the puree. Set aside.
• In a large stock pot, brown hamburger and/or sausage, until cooked though, about 8 to 10minutes. Drain excess fat. Add onions, peppers, garlic, mushrooms (if using), parsley, basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt and black pepper. Add a splash of water to aid in softening the onions/peppers. Cook on medium heat until onions are clear and peppers are soft, about 6 minutes. 
• Add the pureed tomatoes and Chile puree to the meat mixture and mix well to blend the ingredients together. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and boil for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is heated through. Be sure to stir the sauce often to avoid scorching the sauce.
• Using a funnel, ladle the spaghetti sauce into jars leaving a 1-inch head space. Wipe the jar rims with a washcloth dipped in vinegar. Add lids and rings and hand tighten.
• Process in a pressure canner at 10 PSI, or according to your elevation and canner type. Process quart jars for 70 minutes and pints for 60 minutes.

Notes

• **I have learned that it takes approx. 10 average sized canning (Beefsteak) tomatoes to equal approximately 6-8 cups of pureed tomatoes. So approximately 30 averaged sized canning tomatoes will yield about 20 cups of pureed tomatoes.

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Related Recipes & Resources

Looking for more inspiration for your pantry? Explore these recipes and guides:

• 🍅 Canning Stewed Tomatoes Recipe – another classic tomato preservation method.
• 🌱 Jackfruit Sloppy Joes Canning Recipe – a plant-based twist on a hearty favorite.
• 🐟 Pressure Canning Salmon – preserve protein-packed meals for your shelf.
• 🥫 Home Canning Tuna – control salt and seasonings with your own jars.
• 🍲 Smoky Bell Pepper Soup with Tequila – bold, savory, and perfect for meal prep.
• 🥬 Pressure Canning Okra – great for adding to soups and stews.

📚 Want to stock your pantry with full meals in jars? Check out my book Meals in a Jar, packed with practical, delicious canning recipes you can enjoy year-round.

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About the Author:
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva®, is an internationally recognized food preservation expert, author, and educator with over 30 years of home canning experience. She’s the author of multiple top-selling canning books and teaches workshops across the U.S. Learn more at TheCanningDiva.com.

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