Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce

It’s the middle of tomato season here on the farm, and I usually process up a lot of them in various ways for year-round enjoyment.

I’ve dehyrdated roma tomato pieces and canned some tomato pieces for adding to a variety of dishes but, really, I had enough of those in the cellar from last year still. What I was flat out of was roasted tomato sauce and roasted tomato pasta sauce.

If I’d planned this blog post way in advance, I’d have taken a photo of the sauce over a plate of linguine or cooked spaghetti squash. However, I didn’t! (I reserve the right to add one later…)

Here’s how I make roasted tomato sauce, and, from that, roasted tomato pasta sauce. I have two large broiler pans that I use, but you can use any large baking sheet with sides. Remember this is more a set of guidelines than an actual recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

15 medium roma tomatoes (aka plum tomatoes or Italian tomatoes), washed and quartered (about 2 pounds)
1/2 medium onion, peeled, stem end removed, cut in 2-3 pieces
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper
Drizzle of olive oil

Coat the vegetables evenly with seasoning and oil. I use my hands. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the edges are turning brown, stirring once or twice. Remove to blender. Puree.

If you are looking for roasted tomato sauce, this is success! Pour it from the blender into hot washed pint jars, add one teaspoon lemon juice per pint jar, top with boiling hot snap lids, and hot water bath can for 40 minutes. I believe I should tell you to use a pressure canner because there are onions and garlic in the mix. I don’t, but don’t sue me if you are unsuccessful with the hot water bath method.

Want Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce?

Pour the roasted tomato sauce into a 5-quart slow cooker or large heavy saucepan until about half full. Add tomato pieces until the cooker is full. Add 2 bay leaves and allow to simmer on very low heat without a lid overnight, or until the sauce has reduced by about one third. Remove bay leaves. Add 1 cup fresh chopped basil (or 1/3 cup dry) and 1/3 cup fresh chopped oregano (or 2 tablespoons dry) and allow to simmer a bit longer.

Ladle into washed, hot quart jars, adding two teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar to each jar. Top with boiling hot snap lids, and hot water bath can for 50 minutes.

Sometimes I add chunks of eggplant, zucchini, peppers, etc to the roasting pans and include in the pasta sauce, usually left in chunks. I recommend pressure canning if adding these low-acid vegetables. If you are adding meat (ground beef or Italian sausage, for example) you definitely must pressure can. I saute the meat and simmer in the pasta sauce while the pasta is cooking instead of adding it to the jars.

I’m excited to have 17 jars of pasta sauce for the next 12 months! It doubles as pizza sauce, as well. Now I still need to can “plain” roasted tomato sauce for recipes that call for tomato sauce or tomato soup. The roasted sauce tastes SO much better!

Do you preserve tomatoes for winter? What ways do you do it?

This is a recipe Sadie from Raindrops on Radishes comes to enjoy early in her Trim Healthy Mama story!

Please Note: I am not an authorized Trim Healthy Mama coach or blogger, although I play one in fiction…