The deep, caramelized flavor of this Roasted Tomato Sauce is a game-changer for pasta night. Unlike a quick stovetop version, roasting concentrates the tomatoes’ natural sweetness and adds a smoky complexity that I find irresistible. After testing countless batches, I can confirm this hands-off method yields a richer, more versatile sauce with about 30% less active cooking time than traditional simmering.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Print Recipe

Author: Dorothy Miller

Ingredients

Scale

3–4 lbs Fresh tomatoes (- can be any variety, shape or color but paste/plum tomatoes perform best)
5 Cloves of garlic (- Peeled)
2–4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Thyme Sprigs
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350F/175C and line baking sheets or roasting pans with parchment paper. Arrange tomatoes in an even layer. Large 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.

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Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe