Simple Roasted Tomato Basil Sauce

Most years, I attempt to grow tomatoes in the garden.  In the past, I’ve never had luck with anything but cherry tomatoes.  I’ve been lucky to get one or two ripe tomatoes off of my plants throughout the entire summer.  This year, however, I seem to have developed a knack for tomatoes.  I started heirloom tomato plants from seed in the spring and then moved them outside to a new raised bed that my hubby built for me.  The plants are now about 6 feet tall and full of tomatoes.

For the longest time, none of the tomatoes were ripening. I figured that was just my usual luck wth tomatoes.  But, naturally, after returning home from Yellowdog’s surgery last week (we were out of town for two days), I had about 10 ripe tomatoes on the vines.  And, they keep on coming. Between the heirloom tomatoes and yellow grape tomatoes growing in my garden, along with our two CSAs, I’ve had more than my share of tomatoes in the last week.

Of course, now that I actually have lots of tomatoes, I haven’t had much time to deal with them.  So, I’ve been roasting them to make a simple and easy tomato sauce that works on all sorts of recipes.  The recipe is so simple that I almost didn’t share it.  But, I’ve made it a few times now, and we’ve really enjoyed it (both for a pizza night with friends and on some roasted veggie lasagna).   In fact, I have a batch of tomatoes roasting in the oven as I’m writing this blog post.  This time, I plan to freeze the sauce so that we have plenty left to enjoy throughout the winter.

I’ve included approximate measurements for the recipe, but this is one where you can really just wing it.  There’s no need for exact measurements.  Use whatever tomatoes you have on hand and feel free to throw in extra herbs or other veggies you may have from your garden or CSA.  The great thing about this recipe is that roasting the ingredients brings out great flavors and thickens up the sauce without any work on your part.  Then, just throw it in the blender, and you’re good to go!

Roasted Tomato Basil Sauce
Makes 4 – 5 cups of sauce

• 12 cups roughly chopped tomatoes
• 1 sweet onion, cut into large chunks
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Combine the tomatoes and onion in a large roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast the tomatoes and onion in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours.

Let the mixture cool slightly. Then, transfer the roasted tomatoes and onion to a blender.  Add the basil and puree until smooth. Adjust seasonings and serve as desired.