How to make an Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe
Easy roasted tomato sauce made with garlic, onion, herbs, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Smooth, flavorful, and freezer-friendly.
Save
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheets
- Large, wide pot (Dutch oven or wide sauté pan)
- Food processor or immersion blender
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Freezer-safe containers small jars, or freezer bags
- Sharp knife, cutting board
- Measuring spoons/cup
Ingredients
- 5 - 10 lbs tomatoes
- 5 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 onion thick slices
- ¼ cup olive oil plus more for topping jars
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 thyme
- 2 rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F / 135°C.
- Halve or quarter tomatoes. Peel and separate garlic cloves; slice one onion.
- Spread tomatoes cut-side up on rimmed sheet pans Scatter garlic, onion slices, and herb sprigs.
- Drizzle with ¼ cup olive oil, sprinkle ~2 tsp salt, and crack pepper.
- Roast 2–3 hours, until tomatoes are collapsed, jammy, and caramelized. Rotate pans once if needed.
- Let the pan cool for a few minutes, then scrape tomatoes, garlic, onion, herbs, and all pan juices into a large pot.
- Remove herb stems. Use an immersion blender or countertop blender to puree to your desired texture. If you want ultra-smooth, pass the blended sauce through a food mill or fine sieve.
- Taste and adjust: if needed add more salt, pepper, a splash of balsamic or a pinch of sugar.
- Simmer gently 20–30 minutes to marry flavors and reduce slightly. If you want a thicker sauce, simmer longer until it reaches desired consistency.
- Cool completely before portioning. For freezing in jars: use straight-sided jars, leave ~1 inch headspace, and don’t tighten lids fully until frozen. Or portion into freezer-safe containers/bags and freeze flat.
Notes
Use a mix of tomatoes - roma/plum give you body, but tossing in a few cherry, heirloom or grape tomatoes adds sweetness and complexity.
Don’t crowd the pan - give the tomatoes space so they roast and caramelize instead of steaming. Two pans are better than one.
Save the pan juices - all that caramelized goodness, scrape it right into the pot.
Cool before blending - let the roasted veggies rest a few minutes before blending.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 81kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 398mgPotassium: 470mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1592IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!