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    Home » Recipes » Mains & Sides

    Apr 17, 2021 · Modified: Nov 25, 2022 by Harriet

    Napoli Sauce

    Jump to recipe card

    Want a simple and delicious dairy-free pasta sauce? Make this Napoli sauce! It’s quick to make, full of flavor, and very healthy. Napoli or Neapolitan sauce is a very easy thick tomato-based sauce that is super quick to whip up.

    Closeup of spaghetti with tomato sauce on a white plate.
    Jump to:
    • 🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe:
    • 🥘 Ingredients In This Recipe
    • 🍳 Step By Step Instructions
    • ✏️ Recipe Notes
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🍴 How To Use
    • 📝 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🍲 More Easy Recipes
    • 📋 Recipe Card
    • 💬 Comments

    🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe:

    • With less than 5 minutes prep and a 30 minute almost hands-free slow simmer time, this can be made even on your busiest day.
    • This Napoli sauce is dairy free, gluten free, low calorie, low in fat, vegan and vegetarian.
    • Made with inexpensive canned tomatoes this is a budget friendly recipe.
    • Use this quick Napoli sauce recipe to reduce food waste by using soft and overripe fresh tomatoes – see recipe notes below.  
    • This tomato based sauce can be used make cheap easy meals on a budget - see our section on “What To Make With Napoli Sauce” for some great ideas.

    🥘 Ingredients In This Recipe

    The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

    Picture showing the ingredients needed to make Napoli sauce.

    Tomatoes - I prefer to use a can of diced tomatoes for this recipe, simply for convenience. It just means opening the can and pouring it into the pot with no messy chopping.

    However, if all you have is whole canned tomatoes, these can be roughly chopped before adding to the pot or just crush in the pan before cooking.

    Onion - use a large brown onion.

    Olive oil – use a mild-flavored extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil.

    Salt and sugar – the salt enhances the flavors of the sauce and the sugar helps to cut back the acidity of the tomatoes.

    Small red chili – you can use fresh or frozen chili or leave it out if you don’t like chili.

    • If you just want a hint of chilli in the sauce, leave it whole and remove it after cooking.
    • If you don’t mind a bit of a bite to the sauce, chop it up and mix it.
    • If you can’t get fresh chilli you can always use a whole dried chilli or chilli flakes.

    Parsley and basil – try and use fresh if you can but, if these are out of season or simply not available, it is okay to use 1-2 teaspoons each of dried basil and parsley.

    Dried herbs give a slightly different flavor but are ideal to use when fresh herbs are out of season.

    🍳 Step By Step Instructions

    This Napoli recipe is so simple to make, it really doesn’t need step-by-step instructions.

    However, I know that some of you would like to see the various steps involved so here they are:

    Three part image one showing sauteed onion, image two shows herbs added to the sauteed onions, image three show canned tomatoes added to the pot.

    Finely dice the onion and gently fry until soft, then add chopped parsley, torn basil leaves, salt, sugar, chili, and then the canned tomatoes.

    Bring everything to the boil, stir well, turn the heat down to low, put the lid on, and simmer for about 30 – 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Picture showing Napoli sauce before and after cooking.
    Cook the sauce in a covered pot over low heat for 30-40 minutes - it should be thick and not watery.

    After about 30 minutes you should be left with a thick creamy Napoli sauce.

    If the sauce looks a little watery continue to cook covered, over low heat for about 10 more minutes.

    Use this sauce to make spaghetti Neapolitan which is basically spaghetti with a simple tomato sauce like this one.

    ✏️ Recipe Notes

    Make A Smooth Sauce

    If you prefer a smooth sauce use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.

    Don't have a blender!

    Place the sauce into a sieve and use the back of a spoon to push the sauce through the sieve and into a clean bowl.

    Use Fresh or Bottled Tomatoes

    You can also use fresh tomatoes, passata, or a combination of fresh and tinned tomatoes to make this sauce:

    Fresh tomatoes - Fresh tomatoes can be used to make this sauce. I don’t bother peeling or removing the seeds. I will use a blender to either roughly chop them or puree them smooth before cooking. We don’t mind the tomato skin or seeds in the sauce.

    If you want a smooth sauce, you could cook the sauce as above, then pass the sauce through a sieve to remove the skin and seeds.

    Or, if you prefer you can blanch tomatoes to remove the skin, then cut in half to remove the seeds and process in a blender before cooking.

    • Note: The sauce when made with fresh tomatoes does need to be cooked a little longer, this is due to a higher moisture content. After 30 minutes of cooking covered, remove the lid and continue to simmer uncovered until the sauce has reduced and thickened.  

    Passata - is Italian bottled uncooked pureed tomatoes with the seeds and skins removed. You can use an equivalent amount of passata instead of canned tomatoes.

    Combination of fresh and tinned tomatoes - If you have one or two overripe tomatoes rather than throw them out use them in the sauce. You can roughly chop them and add these in with the tinned tomatoes.

    Throw in a few extra basil leaves and a little more parsley because you’ve added the extra tomatoes. When cooking is done taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to taste with salt.

    Top down photo showing Napoli sauce with pasta on a white plate, with a bowl of sauce in the top left corner.

    📖 Variations

    You can easily introduce other flavors to the sauce like:

    • Add 1-2 anchovy fillets when you are frying the onions. If using anchovies don’t add the salt, rather taste the sauce once you have finished cooking and add a little salt and black pepper (optional) if needed at the end.
    • You can add 2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped or grated. Add these to the onions in the last minutes of their cooking time and before you add everything else. Garlic only need 1-2 minutes of cooking, just to remove the raw taste.
    • You can stir in 1-2 teaspoons of drained and rinsed chopped capers.
    • Throw in a handful of sliced or whole black olives.
    • Use other herbs like oregano and sage.

    🍴 How To Use

    What To Do With Napoli Sauce

    There are a number of things that you can make with this sauce. You could use it to make any of the following:

    • Creamy Marinara Sauce- For a rich and creamy sauce stir in ¼ - ½ cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon butter at the end and gently heat through and serve with pasta.
    • Cheesy Napoli Sauce - For a cheesy sauce stir in a small handful of mixed cheeses like mozzarella, ricotta, cheddar or parmesan at the end of the cooking time. Allow the cheese to melt into the sauce before serving.
    • Napoli Chorizo Sauce - Remove the skin of one chorizo sausage. Break the sausage meat into small pieces as your fry it until golden brown. Drain away the excess fat, pour in the prepared Napoli sauce, simmer covered for 5 minutes before serving.  This sauce is great for plain pasta as well a meat-free ravioli.
    • Easy Meatballs In Tomato Sauce - While the sauce is cooking, make small meatballs with about 250 grams (8 oz) of lean ground beef. Seasoning the meat with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder before shaping.

      To avoid a salty sauce don’t add the salt to the sauce at the start, instead add it at the end.  

      This is because the meatballs are seasoned with salt and this should be enough to flavour the sauce. If not, you can easily add some salt to the sauce at the end.

      You could serve this as spaghetti and meatballs or serve the meatballs on skewers with a little sauce for easy party appetisers.
    • Lasagne - Use this sauce as a healthy alternative to bottled sauce next time you make lasagne.
    • Chicken Parmigiana - You don’t need to eat out to enjoy chicken param you can make it yourself, it’s so easy to do.
    1. Cut horizontally one small chicken breast to give two even steaks – which is enough for two servings. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt.
    2. Next prepare three containers one with plain flour, one with two well beaten eggs and the third with panko breadcrumbs.
    3. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip each into the flour evenly coating both sides, shaking of the excess.
    4. Next, dip into the beaten eggs, coating both sides.
    5. Then coat both sides with the breadcrumbs, gently pressing so that the crumbs stick to the chicken.
    6. You can crumb the chicken and store covered in the fridge for several hours before cooking.
    7. When ready to cook preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
    8. Line a baking tray with foil or baking paper and place a cake rack onto the tray. Baking the chicken elevated on the cake rack, will stop the bottom of the chicken from going soggy when baked.
    9. Fill a frying pan with about 2-3 cm (1 inch) of oil and heat. Carefully place 1 – 2 pieces of chicken into the pan, cook for 2-3 minutes or until the under side is golden brown, turn the chicken over and cook the other side until golden.
    10. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on the cake rack on the prepared tray. Cook the remaining chicken.
    11. Evenly spread about 2 -3 tablespoons of Napoli sauce onto each of the cooked crumbed chicken pieces.
    12. Top with slices of mozzarella cheese.
    13. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is just starting to turn brown.
    14. Serve hot sprinkled with chopped parsley or fresh basil leaves.
    • Napoli Sauce Pizza Topping - Use this as a pizza topping but do make sure that the sauce is thick and paste-like and not watery.

      If necessary, cook the sauce uncovered over a low heat until the liquid has evaporated.

      Stir the sauce often as it becomes thicker. Allow the sauce to cool completely before using.

    📝 Frequently Asked Questions

    Does Napoli sauce have dairy?

    A basic Napoli sauce is dairy-free. It's made with olive oil, onions, herbs and tomatoes.

    However, there are recipe variations where dairy products such as cream or cheese are added to make a creamy sauce.

    Can you freeze Napoli sauce?

    Yes, it can be frozen.

    Is Napoli sauce vegan?

    Yes, a basic Napoli sauce is both vegan and vegetarian.

    Is Napoli sauce spicy?

    Yes, it can be considered spicy if you are not used to chilli.

    If you are not used to eating chilli it can be left out or use half or a quarter of a large red chilli with the seeds removed.

    Large chillies are generally milder in heat when compared to small red chillies.

    Is Napoli sauce the same as passata?

    Napoli sauce and passata are different.
     
    Napoli sauce is a quick sauce made with tomatoes, onion, chilli and herbs, it can be made with canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes or passata.
     
    Passata is made from uncooked peeled and seeded tomatoes. The tomatoes are then processed in a blender until smooth.
     
    The pureed tomatoes are then poured into bottles, sealed tightly, placed in a hot water bath to be sterilized. Treated this way the bottle tomatoes can be stored for up to two years.

    Does Napoli sauce have garlic?

    The answer to this is yes and no, some recipes will have it some won’t. Ultimately it comes down to personal taste. This recipe does not have garlic, but it can be added to the recipe if you wanted to include garlic.

    How long does Napoli sauce last?

    When properly stored the sauce will last for about 4-5 days in the fridge.

    🍲 More Easy Recipes

    • Marinara sauce - a simple variation based on this recipe
    • Chicken Tinga (Mexican shredded chicken)
    • Slow cooker ground beef and pork ragu
    • Slow cooker Hungarian goulash
    • Slow cooker meatballs in tomato sauce
    • Hamburger soup with macaroni
    • Beef chilli bean soup
    Pasta with napoli sauce on a white plate with a white bowl in the background.

    So now you know how to make Napoli sauce, why not start with the basic sauce and then venture out and try one of the easy recipe variations above.

    I’d love to know what you are going to make with this Napoli sauce. Let me know in the comments below.


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    📋 Recipe Card

    Closeup of spaghetti with tomato sauce on a white plate.

    Napoli Pasta Sauce

    Napoli sauce is quick and easy to make. Low in calories and budget friendly too.
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
    Prep Time : 5 mins
    Cook Time : 30 mins
    Total Time : 35 mins
    Cuisine: : Italian
    Course : Mains
    Servings : 4
    Calories : 100 : kcal

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 large onion
    • sprig of parsley <- see notes
    • 10-15 fresh basil leaves <- see notes
    • 1 small red chilli <- see notes
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 x 400 gram (14 ounces) canned diced tomatoes
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon white sugar optional
    Tap button to prevent your screen from going dark while cooking.

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Peel and roughly dice the onion.
    • Finely chop the parsley.
    • Coarsely chop or tear the basil leaves.
    • Roughly chop the chilli.
    • Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan and fry the onion until they become translucent.
    • Add the parsley, basil, tomatoes, salt, sugar (if using) and chilli, bring to the boil.
    • Turn down the heat, put the lid on the saucepan and simmer over a low heat for 30 – 40 minutes, or until it become thick and cream like in consistency.
    • Taste for seasoning and adjusts if necessary. Serve with spaghetti.

    Notes

    Small red chilli – you can use fresh or frozen chilli or leave it out if you don’t like chilli.
    • If you just want a hint of chilli in the sauce, leave it whole and remove it after cooking.
    • If you don’t mind a bit of a bite to the sauce, chop it up and mix it.
    • If you can’t get fresh chilli you can always use a whole dried chilli or chilli flakes.
    ****
    Parsley and basil – try and use fresh if you can but, if these are out of season or simply not available, it is okay to use 1-2 teaspoon each of dried basil and parsley.
    Dried herbs give a slightly different flavour but are ideal to use when fresh herbs are out of season.
    ****
    Make a smooth sauce - If you prefer a smooth sauce use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
    Don’t have a blender!
    Place the sauce into a sieve and use the back of a spoon to push the sauce through the sieve and into a clean bowl.
    ****
    USING FRESH OR BOTTLED TOMATOES
    You can also use fresh tomatoes, pasata or a combination for fresh and tinned tomatoes to make this sauce:
    Fresh tomatoes
    Fresh tomatoes can be used to make this sauce. I don’t bother peeling or removing the seeds. I will use a blender to either roughly chop them or puree them smooth before cooking. We don’t mind the tomato skin or seeds in the sauce.
    If you want a smooth sauce, you could cook the sauce as above, then pass the sauce through a sieve to remove the skin and seeds.
    Or, if you prefer you can blanch tomatoes to remove the skin, then cut in half to remove the seeds and process in a blender before cooking.
    Note: The sauce when made with fresh tomatoes does need to be cooked a little longer, this is due to a higher moisture content. After 30 minutes of cooking covered, remove the lid and continue to simmer uncovered until the sauce has reduced and thickened.  
    Passata is Italian bottled uncooked pureed tomatoes with the seeds and skins removed. You can use an equivalent amount of passata instead of the canned tomatoes.
    Fresh and tinned tomatoes – If you have one or two overripe tomatoes rather than throw them out use them in the sauce. You can roughly chop them and add these in with the tinned tomatoes as the start of cooking.
    Throw in a few extra basil leaves and a little more parsley because you’ve added extra tomatoes.
    When cooking is done taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
    ****
    WHAT TO MAKE WITH NAPOLI SAUCE
    There are a number of things that you can make with this sauce you could make:
    Creamy Napolitana Sauce
    For a rich and creamy sauce stir in ¼ - ½ cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon butter at the end and heat through.
    Cheesy Napoli Sauce
    For a cheesy sauce stir in a small handful of mixed cheeses like mozzarella, ricotta, cheddar or parmesan at the end of the cooking time. Allow the cheese to melt into the sauce before serving.
    Napoli Chorizo Sauce
    Remove the skin of one chorizo sausage. Break the sausage meat into small pieces as your fry it until golden brown. Drain away the excess fat, pour in the prepared Napoli sauce, simmer covered for 5 minutes before serving.  This sauce is great for plain pasta as well a meat free ravioli.
     Easy Meatballs In Tomato Sauce
    While the sauce is cooking, make small meatballs with about 250 grams (8 oz) of lean ground beef. Seasoning the meat with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder before shaping.
    In the last 10 minutes of cooking add the meatballs to the sauce, gently pushing them under. Bring back to the boil, turn down the heat to a simmer, cover and continue to cook for the remaining time or until the meatballs are cooked through.
    To avoid a salty sauce don’t add the salt to the sauce at the start, instead add it at the end.  
    This is because the meatballs are seasoned with salt and this should be enough to flavour the sauce. If not, you can easily add some salt to the sauce at the end.
    You could serve this as spaghetti and meatballs or serve the meatballs on skewers with a little sauce for easy party appetizers.
    Lasagna
    Use this sauce as a healthy alternative to bottled sauce next time you make lasagna.
    Chicken Parmigiana
    You don’t need to eat out to enjoy chicken param you can make it yourself, it’s so easy to do.
    1. Cut horizontally one small chicken breast to give two even steaks – which is enough for two servings. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt.
    2. Next prepare three containers one with plain flour, one with two well beaten eggs and the third with panko breadcrumbs.
    3. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip each into the flour evenly coating both sides, shaking of the excess.
    4. Next, dip into the beaten eggs, coating both sides.
    5. Then coat both sides with the breadcrumbs, gently pressing so that the crumbs stick to the chicken.
    6. You can crumb the chicken and store covered in the fridge for several hours before cooking.
    7. When ready to cook preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
    8. Line a baking tray with foil or baking paper and place a cake rack onto the tray. Baking the chicken elevated on the cake rack, will stop the bottom of the chicken from going soggy when baked.
    9. Fill a frying pan with about 2-3 cm (1 inch) of oil and heat. Careful place 1 – 2 pieces of chicken into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the under side is golden brown, turn the chicken over and cook the other side until golden.
    10. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on the cake rack on the prepared tray. Cook the remaining chicken.
    11. Place 2 -3tablespoons of Napoli sauce onto each of the cooked crumbed chicken pieces. Layer on some slices of mozzarella cheese.
    12. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is just starting to turn brown.
    13. Serve hot sprinkled with chopped parsley or fresh basil leaves.
    Napoli Sauce Pizza Topping
    Use this as a pizza topping but do make sure that the sauce is thick and paste like and not watery.
    If necessary, cook the sauce uncovered over a low heat until the liquid has evaporated.
    Stir the sauce often as it becomes thicker. Allow the sauce to cool completely before using.
    ****
    Recipe makes about 400 grams (14 oz) of sauce.
    Nutrition Facts
    Napoli Pasta Sauce
    Serving Size
     
    100 grams (3.5 oz)
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    100
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    8
    g
    12
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Sodium
     
    436
    mg
    19
    %
    Potassium
     
    267
    mg
    8
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    8
    g
    3
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    277
    IU
    6
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    28
    mg
    34
    %
    Calcium
     
    41
    mg
    4
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Nutrition Disclosure

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sylvie says

      April 20, 2021 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      Such an easy and versatile recipe, I can imagine so many delicious ways to use that sauce!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Harriet! The face and photographer behind Recipe Pocket. I am a mother of two who is a cook by day and blogger by night.

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