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    Home » Recipes

    Easy, Quick and Delicious Roasted Tomato Sauce

    Published: Sep 7, 2020 · Modified: Feb 27, 2023 by Luay

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    When tomatoes are coming in hot and heavy from the garden and I can't keep up with eating them fresh, I turn them into roasted tomato sauce.

    tomato sauce in mason jars.
    Jump to:
    • Change up the recipe
    • Storage
    • How to use it?
    • How Long Will it Keep?
    • Other Delicious Tomato recipes
    • Roasted Tomato Sauce

    Canning (or preserving) tomato sauce can sound daunting. Sterilizing jars, special equipment and bad bacteria can scare even the most seasoned cook. Guess what? This Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe is not meant to be canned. It can be eaten straight away, stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen(!) for up to a year. It is versatile, adaptable and very easy to prepare. 

    Side Note: I don't like to share canning recipes personally as they can be technical and pose a health risk if not followed properly. Additionally, different countries have varying standards so I would recommend you research your own regional food safety standard when it comes to preservation and canning.

    Change up the recipe

    One way to adapt this recipe is by using different herbs and spices. No Thyme? No problem! Try roasting the tomatoes with rosemary or sage. Want to add basil flavor to the sauce? Blitz in a handful of basil at the end. I always have thyme on hand as it is one the main herbs I grow every year.

    cherry tomatoes and thyme in a baking tray.
    cherry tomatoes in bowls on a counter.
    juliet tomatoes sliced on a tray.

    Storage

    I like to freeze this sauce in reusable plastic deli containers and in wide mouth mason jars. A note about freezing mason jars. Wide mouth jars are a must as they prevent breakage. You also need to include head space to allow for expansion. I usually leave 1 inch of head space when freezing mason jars.

    You can also freeze this sauce in freezer bags. The great thing about using freezer bags is that they will freeze flat allowing to you really save space. They also defrost very quickly.

    How to use it?

    Although pasta sauce is probably the first thing that comes to mind, there's a plethora of ways you can use this roasted tomato sauce:

    • Pizza (flavorful base for your cheese and toppings)
    • Chili (why use canned tomatoes when you can use a roast-y tasty sauce instead)
    • Curries (many curry recipes call for crushed or pureed tomatoes... use this instead!)
    • Ratatouille
    • Eggplant Parmesan
    • And much more!

    How Long Will it Keep?

    This sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to a year.

    Other Delicious Tomato recipes

    • Bruschetta Pizza with burrata and cherry tomatoes sliced.
      Bruschetta Pizza with Burrata and Cherry Tomatoes
    • tomato tart
      Easy Tomato and herbed cheese puff pastry tart
    • Cherry tomatoes with dill and garlic in a pickling jar.
      Pickled Cherry Tomatoes
    • Sliced cherry tomatoes, with basil leaves and an open ball of burrata cheese.
      Burrata Caprese

    If you make this Roasted Tomato Sauce or any other recipes on Urban Farm and Kitchen, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more Urban Farm and Kitchen, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, visit the Urban Farm Shop, or subscribe for new posts via email.

    Roasted Tomato Sauce

    Roasted Tomato Sauce

    Easy, quick and Delicious. This Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe is meant to be enjoyed right away or frozen for future use.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian, pasta
    Servings 4 pint jars
    Calories 100 kcal

    Equipment

    • Baking sheets
    • Blender

    Ingredients
      

    • 3-4 lbs Fresh homegrown (or local) tomatoes - can be any variety, shape or color but paste/plum tomatoes perform best
    • 5 Garlic cloves
    • 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • Fresh Thyme Sprigs - As many or as little as you like/have on hand
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 350F/175c.
    • Line baking sheets or roasting pans with parchment paper.
    • Arrange tomatoes in an even layer. Cherry tomatoes do not need to be sliced. Larger tomatoes can be cut up into rounds or chunks.
    • Add peeled garlic cloves to roasting pans. No need to chop them up.
    • Place sprigs of thyme over the tomatoes evenly. No need to strip the thyme leaves.
    • Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper.
    • Roast in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
    • Remove from oven and let cool. Discard thyme sprigs. They did their job.
    • Transfer tomatoes, garlic and all the juices to a blender and blend on Med-high until smooth.
    • Optional - Sieve the mixture to remove seeds and skins
    • Optional – If your sauce is too thin, transfer to a pot and cook down to desired consistency.
    • Adjust seasoning and transfer to storage containers.

    Notes

    This sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to a year. It makes an excellent base for pasta sauces, soups and can even be eaten as is slathered on sourdough.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 100kcal
    Keyword pasta, pasta sauce, roasted tomato sauce, tomato sauce
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was! Or Pin it!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy

      September 19, 2020 at 4:00 pm

      5 stars
      Perfectly simple. Made a big batch and had some with linguine and froze the rest of it. Yumm.

      Reply
    2. Kimbal

      July 11, 2021 at 7:48 pm

      5 stars
      Wowy. Very easy to make. Delicious.

      Reply
      • Luay

        July 12, 2021 at 11:18 am

        thank you!

    3. Barbara

      July 10, 2022 at 5:31 am

      Sterilizing glass containers is actually not that hard. I´d like to share my method which I´ve been using for years to store my jam and not a single jar ever caught mould:

      1) make sure your containers are perfect (no scratches, dents etc.)
      2) boil the glass and the lids in water (drinking quality) for 10 mins in a big pot
      3) take them out of the water, place them on a baking tray and put them in the oven for 10 mins at 160°C

      Can´t wait to try your recipe with this year´s harvest.

      Reply
    4. Christine

      November 13, 2022 at 1:55 am

      Could you add onions and peppers? Do you roast them with the tomatoes, and if so, is blending then a problem? How best to do that?

      Reply
      • Luay

        November 17, 2022 at 3:33 pm

        You can do that if you wanted to. Roast at the same time with the tomatoes and proceed as directed.

    5. Denise Stevenson

      January 16, 2023 at 12:55 am

      5 stars
      Just made. Easy to do. Modify to what I had in the cupboard. Use garlic powder and mixed herbs. Did not sieve as don't mind seeds etc. Made enough for 5 meals for husband and me. Will just add extra with the meal. Will definitely make again.

      Reply
      • Luay

        January 19, 2023 at 2:52 pm

        Thanks for your feedback!

    6. Ruth Boonzaaier

      January 25, 2023 at 2:28 am

      Can I use frozen cherry tomatoes as I have a lot which I froze to preserve?

      Reply
      • Luay

        January 25, 2023 at 1:58 pm

        You can. I recommend pureeing the finished sauce and passing it through a sieve. The cherry tomato skins can be a little tough.

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