Simple Roasted Tomato Sauce

This roasted tomato sauce is made from scratch with fresh summer tomatoes! The tomatoes are roasted in the oven with basil and garlic before getting blended up into a super easy, flavorful sauce. Use it on pasta, pizza, meatballs, and more!

So let’s say your friend came over with an entire armload of fresh tomatoes and you’ve eaten all the bruschetta crostini that you can positively muster for the year. You would take those tomatoes and roast them with basically every amazing ingredient in the world (onions, garlic, olive oil, basil) and then you would blend it all up into a thick, rich sauce.

If you are so lucky to have such a friend, or you have a green thumb yourself, then I sure do hope you make some tomato sauce about it. I have been making this sauce ever since I was in culinary school and it goes well with everything from spicy soppressata pizza and spaghetti to fried burrata and meatballs.

Like honestly, this sauce will have you questioning why you ever bought a jar of store-bought sauce in the first place. It’s simplicity at its best.

This is the easiest homemade red sauce

I used to think the only way to make homemade red sauce was to peel, blanch, and core tomatoes and then simmer them on the stove for hours on end. But nope, not the case!

• This sauce takes 5 minutes of prep and has just a handful of ingredients.
• It’s 10x better than anything you’d buy from the store. So much fresher & flavorful.
• You can use the sauce on pasta, pizza, or anywhere else you would use red sauce.
• Use up all of your summer tomatoes and freeze it for later.

The ingredients are so simple

You honestly don’t need a ton of ingredients to make the everyday tomato into a caramelized, sweet, delicious sauce. I mean, yes, it’s basic but that’s why we love it. Here’s everything you’ll need!

• Tomatoes – you can stick to one variety but I recommend using a mix of different tomatoes for the best flavor.
• Garlic – and lots of it. The roasted garlic is one of the best parts of this recipe!
• Shallots – you can also use half a sweet onion if you prefer.
• Good quality olive oil – I know, I’m having an Ina moment. But honestly, good olive oil adds so much flavor!
• Spices – oregano, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, fresh basil, Morton’s Kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper. If you like spicy sauce, you can add more red pepper flakes. Or, leave it out!
• Unsalted butter – optional but also my secret ingredient. A little unsalted butter adds extra richness to the sauce.
• Sugar – only if necessary! If your tomatoes aren’t very sweet, this is the trick for faking it.

The best tomatoes to use

For the best flavors and textures, I like to use a variety of different tomatoes. You can stick to one variety if that’s all you have. But, if you have a handful of different kinds, throw them all in! These are just a few of my favorite tomatoes to use in this recipe:

• Roma – these are a classic. You can always find them in the grocery store and they don’t have many seeds, which makes them great for a smooth sauce.
• Beefsteak – another grocery store classic. Usually sold on the vine.
• Cherry – I like to add these for a pop of sweetness.
• Heirloom – the classic garden or the farmer’s market find. They have so many different flavors, textures, and colors which makes for a really fun, complex sauce.
• San Marzano – the crème de la crème of the tomato world. These make for the best sauce, especially in the winter when good tomatoes are hard to find. They’re usually imported from Italy year-round!

Roast + blend the sauce

Wait, have I mentioned that this recipe is like, really easy? In case you haven’t caught on yet, you basically just plop everything on a pan and go to town. But, in more elegant terms…

1. Start by prepping the tomatoes. Remove the stems, cut out the cores, and slice the big ones in half.
2. Place the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasonings.
3. Toss everything together until the tomatoes are well-coated.

1. Sprinkle the thyme over the tomatoes. Bake the tomatoes at 400°F for 40-45 minutes.
2. Toss the tomatoes with fresh basil and roast for another 5 minutes. Then, add the butter and toss until it’s melted and glossy.
3. Blend the sauce in a blender or food processor until it’s nice and smooth. Enjoy!

The tomatoes are ready when they’re softened, caramelized, and have released their juices. Make sure to add all of those juices to the blender, they add a ton of flavor!

Make it by hand

If you don’t have a blender or food processor, don’t even worry about it. You can totally make this sauce by hand!

1. Start by dicing the veggies and herbs. Since you’ll be crushing the sauce, you’ll want to dice the shallots and chop up the basil. Otherwise, you’ll have large chunks in your sauce.
2. Once the tomatoes are roasted, pull the peels off of the large tomatoes. Don’t worry about removing the peels from the small tomatoes.
3. Then, remove the seeds. You totally don’t have to but if you want a smooth sauce, make sure to scoop out the seeds!
4. Lastly, use a potato masher to crush the sauce. It’ll be chunkier than if you use a blender, but it’ll still taste great!

Cut the acidity

Tomatoes can be pretty acidic so if yours is tasting a bit sour, you can just throw in some sugar! Start with 1/2 teaspoon of regular white sugar. Taste and add more 1/4 teaspoon at a time until the sauce tastes how you like it.

Using the sauce

I love having a jar of this sauce in the freezer for last-minute dinners. But, you can use it in a ton of different ways! Here are just a few ideas.

• Serve it with pasta like spaghetti, bucatini, penne, or any other shape you like.
• Use it as pizza sauce on Sicilian-style pizza.
• Use it as a dipping sauce for fried ravioli, mozzarella sticks, and more!
• Add it on chicken parmesan, lasagna, meatballs, & other Italian mains.

How to store, freeze, & reheat

Before storing the sauce, let it cool completely. Pour it into a jar, seal, and refrigerate for up to 1 week. If you need to store it for longer than 1 week, I would freeze the sauce.

To freeze the sauce, place it in an airtight container or a freezer-safe jar. Leave some space at the top because the sauce will expand as it freezes. Seal the container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the sauce completely in the fridge for about 24 hours before using it in your favorite recipes!

When you’re ready to reheat the sauce, bring it to a boil in a saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened.

If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!

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