Looking for fresh tomato ideas? You'll LOVE this scrumptious Roasted Tomato Sauce! It's so easy to make (the oven does most of the work for you), and the fresh flavor is simply amazing!
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At this time of year, I try to use fresh tomatoes as much as possible, because I know that delicious, vine-ripened taste is only around for so long. And this Roasted Tomato Sauce is one of my favorite ways to use them!
I clipped this recipe out of a magazine many years ago, and it quickly became a favorite. Unfortunately, I lost that clipping in one of my moves, but I finally decided to recreate it ... and it turned out even better than I remember!
You are going to LOVE this homemade Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce! It has a wonderful slow-cooked flavor you'll crave, and it truly couldn't be easier to make. Your oven will do most of the work for you, no standing over a hot stove required.
This sauce is versatile, too! Toss it with pasta for an easy dinner, or use it to make baked eggs, purée it to turn the sauce into a soup, and more.
Ready to try this recipe for yourself? Then keep scrolling for all the details!
Ingredients
This homemade Tomato Sauce is simple, easy to find ingredients! Here's what you'll need:
- Tomatoes - Make sure to select the freshest, most flavorful tomatoes you can find for this recipe. I used heirloom tomatoes, however tomatoes fresh from the garden or farmers market are also a great option. You could even roma or plum tomatoes can in a pinch.
- Onions - A red onion provides a great flavor base for the sauce. Feel free to substitute yellow or white onions if needed.
- Olives + Capers - You'll use a combination of kalamata olives and capers for this recipe, both of which add tons of flavor and a wonderful richness that perfectly complements the fresh veggies. Non-pareil capers that are packed in brine are easy to find in most store. However, if you can only find salt-packed capers, rinse them to remove the salt, then soak them in water for 15 minutes before using.
- Herbs - This recipe calls for fresh thyme, however you can add other herbs (or use a combination), if you have them on hand.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic adds a rich, savory layer of flavor to the pasta sauce.
- Olive Oil - Extra virgin olive oil adds richness to the fresh sauce. You'll use it to roast the tomatoes and other sauce ingredients.
- Salt + Pepper - I recommend using kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper for the best flavor.
This Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce is naturally vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, and gluten free ... which means everyone you invite to your table can enjoy it!
You'll Also Need
You'll need a sharp knife to prepare the vegetables, an 8 x 8-inch square pan (I used this beautiful Emile Henry Square Baker) to bake the sauce, and a food processor or blender to puree the sauce.
How to Make Roasted Tomato Sauce
This delightful baked sauce is one of those go-to recipes you'll want to keep in your back pocket! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Combine sauce ingredients. Start by mixing together the onion, garlic, olives, capers, olive oil, salt, and pepper in your baking pan. Top this mixture with a few thyme sprigs.
- Add tomatoes. Next, you'll core the tomatoes, then cut a shallow "X" in both ends. Slices the tomatoes in half, then place them on top of the onion mixture (cut side down). Drizzle the tomatoes with more olive oil. Tip: Once you've roasted the tomatoes, the skins will slip right off ... no need to peel them in advance!
- Roast the sauce. Transfer the baking dish to your oven, then roast the sauce ingredients until the tomatoes skins are shriveled and beginning to brown, and the onions are tender. It should take about 35 to 40 minutes. Tip: For a more concentrated flavor, roast the sauce a little longer (until the onions start to brown).
- Blend the sauce. Remove the pan from your oven, then carefully remove the tomato skins (they should come off easily). Use a pair of tongs, if needed. Place the tomatoes in your blender or food processor. Discard the thyme sprigs, then scrape the remaining ingredients into your blender / food processor, too. Pulse the sauce a few times, just enough to create chunky sauce. To finish the sauce, stir in the fresh thyme leaves, and season it to taste with salt and pepper. Tip: If you prefer a smoother texture, feel free to blend the sauce until it's totally smooth.
And that's really all there is to this Fresh Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe! So simple, but no one will guess how easy it is to make after tasting it.
Variations
This Roasted Tomato Garlic Sauce is perfectly delicious as-is, but it's also easy to customize! Here are some ideas for you to try:
- Vegetables - You can easily add extra veggies, such as eggplant, zucchini, artichokes, red peppers, mushrooms, and more, to the sauce. If you don't mind them getting chopped in the blender / food processor, roast them with the tomatoes (use a larger baking dish). If you'd prefer to keep the veggies whole, then bake them in a separate pan (tossed with extra olive oil, salt, and pepper). You could also stir in some chopped spinach (or sautéed greens) after blending the sauce.
- Herbs - Try adding other fresh herbs in addition to the thyme (or in place of it), like basil, rosemary, oregano, flat leaf parsley, or chives. You can add tougher herbs, like rosemary, to the veggies before roasting the sauce. But more tender herbs should be mixed in after blending.
- Spicy - If you prefer your sauces spicy, mix in ¼ to ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, or some Crushed Calabrian Peppers, to the veggies before baking.
- Olives + Capers - Kalamatas work great here, but other gourmet olives (such as Castelvetrano olives) can also be used. Feel free to add extra, if you'd like. If you're not a fan, you can leave the olives and capers out, just keep in mind that they do add tons of flavor. My husband (who hates capers and doesn't like olives very much either) absolutely LOVES this pasta!
- No Blender / Food Processor - If you don't have a blender or food processor, you can mash the sauce with a fork instead. Just take your time so you don't burn yourself, and keep in mind that the sauce will have a chunkier texture.
How to Use
This versatile sauce can be used in so many different ways! Here are a few to try:
- Pasta Sauce - Of course, you'll love it tossed with pasta ... it makes a great spaghetti sauce. I used it to make this Roasted Tomato Pasta! You could also use it for baked pasta or even lasagna.
- Baked Eggs - This tasty recipe makes a flavorful sauce for baked eggs. Once you've blended the sauce, transfer it back to your baking pan, then make a six wells in the sauce. Add eggs to the wells, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Bake the eggs just until the whites have set (or to your desired level of doneness).
- Soup - You can easily turn this sauce into soup! The blended sauce already has a soup-like texture, so you can enjoy it chunky, or blend until totally smooth. Add a splash of creamy, if you'd like.
- Dipping Sauce - It also works great as a dipping sauce for Garlic Bread, Halloumi Fries, Calzones, Grilled Cheese, Crostini Toasts, and more!
- Pizza - You could also use this recipe as a fresh pizza sauce (puree it until mostly smooth). Try it on this Broccoli Pizza or this Summer Veggie Pizza!
Storage
Store any leftover Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to four days.
Related Recipes
Looking for more fresh tomato recipes? Try one of these delicious dish next:
- Fresh Tomato Sauce
- Halloumi Tomato Pasta
- Baked Feta Dip
- Fresh Tomato Toasts
- Spanish Tomato Toasts
- Caprese Skewers
- Heirloom Tomato Galette
- Burrata Caprese
- Tomato Pie
- Caprese Freekeh Salad
- Baked Feta Pasta
Frequently Asked Questions
Roasting tomatoes concentrates their flavor by reducing the amount of liquid in them. They end up tasting sweeter and take on a softer texture, too.
You do not need to peel tomatoes before roasting. Just cut a shallow "X" on the top and bottom. Then once the tomatoes are roasted (the skin will be crinkly and browned in spots), you should be able to easily peel the skins right off.
While some recipes call for seeding tomatoes when making sauce, it's not 100% necessary, and you do not need to seed them before making this Roasted Tomato Sauce. You will barely notice the seeds once the sauce is blended.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- ⅓ cup halved kalamata olives
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- pepper
- 4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 large tomatoes (about 1 ½ pounds / 680 grams)
Equipment
- 8 x 8-inch Baking Dish
- Blender (or Food Processor)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Mix onion, olives, capers, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds pepper in an 8 X 8-inch baking dish.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil, then top onion mixture with thyme sprigs.
- Core tomatoes, then lightly score an "X" on both ends. Cut in half, then place cut side down on top of thyme sprigs. Drizzle tomatoes with remaining tablespoon olive oil.
- Bake until tomato skins are shriveled and onions are tender (about 35 to 40 minutes).
- Peel off and discard tomato skins, then transfer tomatoes to blender (or food processor). Remove thyme sprigs, then add onion mixture to blender as well.
- Pulse sauce a few times or until chunky. Stir in 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve sauce tossed with pasta, as a dipping sauce, and more. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
