Can I tell you a secret?
I don’t like tomatoes.
But I really wish I did. I long to love a toasted tomato sandwich on homemade bread with a vine-ripened, garden fresh tomato. For some crazy reason, uncooked tomatoes taste like dirt to me.
*scratches head and thinks to self* But Kristen, I’ve seen your garden videos. . . you grow an awful lot of tomatoes. What’s up?
I need them for making the best pasta sauce. Because this family goes through a crazy amount of pasta sauce and it needs to be good for freezing.
Tomato Sauce for Serious Tomato Lovers
Last year I made batches upon batches of tomato sauce. I didn’t have tons of time, so every morning I would throw tomatoes and whatever other vegetable I thought would taste good into the slow cooker. Every night I blended it up and either canned it or stored it in the freezer.
I had a wheelbarrow full of tomatoes and made what felt like a ridiculous amount of sauce. Guess how long our sauce lasted?
November.
All that tomato sauce and only two measly months to show for it.
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The good news is, I have a pretty good idea of what I like in a pasta sauce.
I’ve done my best to give you some measurements, but please know that you don’t have to use my exact amounts. Quite frankly, I don’t make my tomato sauce exactly the same way twice.
Related: Tomato Bacon Zucchini Quiche
Grow the Best Tomatoes
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The Secret is in the Roast. . . the Oven Roast
The only thing that matters is that you roast your veggies.
No added sugar, no tinkering with multiple different spices. But if you want to, you can.
What happens when you make 20 batches of pasta sauce? You discover the perfect one. Get the recipeClick To Tweet
I roasted my vegetables at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for around 90 minutes. Oven temperatures can vary wildly, so judge the doneness in comparison to the vegetables in this picture.
The tomatoes should be shrivelled, all vegetables tender, and everything with just a kiss of black.
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**I did not add the basil in the oven!!** I knew that if I did, it would just burn up. Instead, I added it to my finished vegetables, covered them with tinfoil, and let them cool for an hour.
Blend, Cool, and Serve
Once the mixture cooled, I blended everything in a blender on high until it was quite smooth. Blend less for a chunkier texture. As Chef John would say, “you are the boss of your sauce.”
I personally put some in a jar for immediate use and freeze the rest. In my research on canning, I’ve read that basil is not recommended for canning by home canners. Maybe it is fine in small amounts like in this recipe, but I personally don’t want to mess with botulism. So please, for your safety, do not can this recipe.
That said, it is fantastic on your favourite pasta. Use it in soups, chilli, or really anywhere you need tomato sauce.
Use any leftover sauce for freezing.
Be watching the blog this week for an easy way to turn it into delicious tomato soup.
Homemade Garden Fresh Roasted Tomato Sauce5 cups
Ingredients:
10 large ripe tomatoes,
2 medium onions,
1 clove garlic,
1 medium summer squash or zucchini,
1 large bell pepper,
1 large carrot, peeled,
oil,
salt and pepper to taste,
2 sprigs basil, approximately 1/3 cup.Instructions:
Roughly chop all vegetables and put in a roasting pan. sprinkle with oil, salt, pepper, and mix. Roast at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until all vegetables are tender and a tiny bit black, approximately 90 minutes. Remove from oven and add basil. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Blend and serve or freeze in containers for later.
Grow the Best Tomatoes
Subscribe and get your free 10 page guide to Tomatoes. I'll show you how to start them from seed, the best care practices, and how to harvest them. Plus, you'll get 4 tomato recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
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Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots. She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden. She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.
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