Roasted Marinara Sauce
Sitting in a restaurant at the beginning of September, I overheard a waitress ask another customer, “How was your summer?”
He replied, “So far, so good.”
It made me smile. So far? Doesn’t he realize that school buses loaded with backpack-clad children are rumbling down the street as he speaks? Or maybe instead, kids have started their Zoom classes and online learning? #2020
The more I thought about it, though, the more I had to agree with his present-tense assessment of summer. Despite the fact that school has started, early September really is prime summer time here in the Northwest. The days are comfortable and hazy. And our gardens and produce markets are bursting with fruits and vegetables of every shape and size.
This tomato sauce recipe features fresh produce that can be pulled out of your garden or piled into your grocery cart right now: tomatoes, garlic, onions, and basil. The tomatoes can be those sweet little cherry tomatoes or the big ugly fellas (who still have great personalities). Or a combination of the two.
Drizzle in some olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt to round off the super simple ingredient list. Add a loaf of crusty bread and a fresh salad and dinner is served.
And the steps? They are so fast and easy. What? Are you rolling your eyes right now?
If making homemade tomato sauce calls to mind standing over a bubbling pot, stirring your afternoon away, think again. Other than piling all of the fresh ingredients into the pans, this recipe requires very little hands-on time. If you have a couple of 9×13″ baking pans, a knife, and a blender or food processor you are good to go.
You can adjust everything to suit your own tastes. If you prefer a thinner sauce, bake just until the tomatoes start to burst and break down. If you like a thick, hearty sauce, then keep the pans in the oven longer, stirring occasionally. The ingredients will simmer down to a slightly sticky, sweet sauce. Once it’s pureed with the fresh basil, the sauce will be bursting with flavor and you will be swearing off store-bought sauce for life.
Up to your eyeballs in tomatoes right now? This is a great recipe to make in big batches and freeze for later use as pasta or pizza sauce or soup base. You can freeze it in containers or bags pressed flat to stack easily in your freezer.
This is definitely one of my favorite things to have stashed away in the freezer to create hot pizza, lasagna, or soup on those gray winter days. It instantly takes me back to the best days of summer. You know, September.
Roasted Marinara Sauce
The amounts listed in this recipe are just a good place to start. Adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes.
Ingredients
8 c. cherry tomatoes or 24 medium tomatoes
2 medium onions, quartered
8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
olive oil
salt
basil leaves
1-3 cans tomato paste, optional
- Wash and stem the cherry tomatoes or wash and core the whole tomatoes. Split them evenly, in a single layer, between 2 9×13″ baking dishes. The larger tomatoes can be left whole; they will break down during the roasting process.
- Toss the quartered onions and peeled garlic cloves evenly between the two pans. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt.
- Roast at 425 for 30-40 minutes. The timing isn’t an exact science. The combination will smell incredibly fragrant, and the tomatoes and onions will look wrinkled, roasted, and slightly charred. For a thicker sauce, cook longer and stir occasionally to keep from burning.
- Remove the pans from the oven and set on the counter to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Place a large colander inside a large bowl and dump the pans into the colander to strain out the juice. Set the juice aside.
- Scoop the tomato mixture into the bowl of a blender or food processor; add the basil leaves. Puree until it reaches the desired consistency. Dump the pureed tomato sauce into the reserved juice and stir until thoroughly combined. Season with additional salt, if needed. (You could also add tomato paste if you desire a thicker sauce.)
- Serve immediately as pasta or pizza sauce or freeze in plastic containers or bags for later use.
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I just love this recipe and I’ve made lots in the last 2 years, but this year the drought has really hit my tomatoes and I’m only getting a few at a time. Can I freeze them until I have enough for a bigger batch?
Do you add tomato paste while cooking or at the end
I added at the end, tasted it first and decided to add for more flavor and thickness. Enjoy
I have always been a BIG batch canner, but with this year’s harvest coming in small, but continuous, I will be trying this route, and freezing instead of canning. Sounds super easy and a great way to make the good sauces for winter a little at a time.
Do you think you could can this tomato sauce? In pint sized jars?
I can’t say for sure and don’t want to give you bad advice, but this is a good article. It looks like you can! https://www.smells-like-home.com/2014/08/home-canned-marinara-sauce/
It also freezes really well!
Is this recipe able to be canned?
This sauce is delicious. baked for 1 1/2 hours in 2 large 9 X 13 Pyrex dishes.
Made 6 cups
Husband wanted it tonight, I am saving for the winter.
This is a keeper, Thank you
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Did you take the skins off after they baked?
The blender or food processor takes care of the skin 🍅
I have made this recipe several times. It always tastes good, but sometimes it has a light red almost orange color and other times it has a pretty rich red color. Any ideas on why this happens?
It depends on the depth of color of your tomatoes, or if you’ve added another vegetable, and how long you roast it. I always think a little longer is better. But if you close your eyes and it tastes the same— it’s no matter LOL enjoy
This was easy and delicious! Followed the directions every step of the way. Although next time I will simmer low for long periods of time for a thick rich sauce without having to add the additional paste! Thinking of growing my own tomato and basil garden next year after making this sauce with my friends garden ripe tomatos…so worth it.
Hi. Sorry this might be a dumb question but the ingredients liat says cherry or whole tomatoes but the picture shows both. Hiw much of each do you use if using both?
This marinara sauce is the bomb!! I have so many tomatoes and I love how easy this is to make!!
This sauce is the best! I have used this recipe for about 3 years and honestly I tell everyone that this is how you should make sauce! There is a process to it, but its absolutely worth it! I am on jar #20 this year using home grown tomatoes of various varieties. It delicious, healthy and very cost effective! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
This sauce is awesome! I added some homegrown mild red banana peppers to the roast. Sooooo good! With all of the tomatoes still coming in, I’ll be making another batch of this for the freezer. Since my sauce was plenty thick, I did not use the drained juices. I took your advice and strained the juice to be used in a tomato based soup this winter. Love eating clean, healthy, AND delicious! Win! Win!
Thanks for sharing! 🤗. ( All of this raving from one who does not like to cook! 😂)
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it, as I’ve never made my own sauce before. I have one question though, if you don’t mind? What is the purpose of straining out the juice before blending it, if you just add the juice back in afterwards? I’m sure there is a significant reason for this, I just can’t think of what it is.
Thank you for the recipe!
I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as I do, I have made it for 3 years now. The point of straining the juice is to control how thick the sauce is. I have found that I don’t want the juices added back. I do however freeze the juice and use it for vegetable soup later. Hope this helps
Yum! Such an easy way to make tomato sauce from all those fresh garden tomatoes. I used to blanch and peel — this is way easier (and very tasty indeed!)
I can’t wait to try this! My garden is on the verge of exploding with tomatoes!! Just one question if anyone can answer, can this recipe be canned or is it a freeze only kind of deal?
I only have frozen the sauce. Stays very well.
I have never roasted tomatoes before to make a sauce. Do I need to peel the skins off the tomatoes first or just leave them on? Going to try the recipe this week. Have lots of tomatoes from my garden I have to use up.
I peeled them if I left the tomatoes chunky, but you can pass the sauce through a blender to smooth it out if you prefer. Just drop them in boiling water after marking an X on the ends and it should peel easily after a couple of minutes. Place them in an ice bath after the boiling water.
I leave skins on. Once the tomatoes are roasted and pureed, you won’t even notice!
I have this sauce in my oven right now and it smells so amazing! Can’t wait to try it – thanks for the great recipe!
It looks delicious! We didn’t have a lot of tomatoes this time, but maybe next year…
Wonderful recipe. Simple and easy. dan
I just finished the sauce and wanted to tell everyone how easy the sauce was to make. I did end up straining the sauce so it was without seeds.
wow this was great I did the tomatoes and I added carrots when I cooked it and blended wow great tasting
Can this sauce be canned or do you have to freeze it?
You can can the sauce if you have a pressure canner. Very different from a pressure cooker. Otherwise, you can freeze them freezer zip-lock bags, jars (leave room for the sauce to expand, or Tupperware (again, leave room for sauce to expand). Hope this helps.
This was amazing! This is my first try at making my own sauce and it was delicious. I also added zucchini and jalapeno peppers as I am swamped with them from my garden. I love the comments from others to add carrots, bell peppers and other veggies to boost the nutritional content. That will be next time. I also used up all of the juice and added a ton more garlic and fresh herbs. I will not be going back to store bought since they have too much salt, sugar and other unnecessary additives.
Thanks for the great recipe!! I ended up with a ton of “Juliet” tomatoes–larger than cherry tomatoes, but smaller than Roma’s—this was the perfect way to use them up!!! I’m on my fourth batch and from the looks of my vines there will be several more!!! I added more garlic and a lot of fresh basil—soooo good!!!