The flavors that come from roasting tomatoes are amazing and there is no need to simmer the sauce for hours to get that flavor. Our backyard garden was very generous this year and we have an abundance of tomatoes. It is December and I am still cooking with the green tomatoes that we picked before the frost. Back in New York, this oven-roasted tomato sauce used to be a common recipe that I would make often. It has been a while since I made this. When I made this tomato pasta sauce last week, my younger son fell in love with it. He has been asking me almost every night if we can have pasta with the delicious oven sauce.
Roasted tomato soup
Tomato pickle
Instant Pot Tomato Biriyani
Tomato Dosai
I made a decently big batch of the pasta sauce and I already gave him pasta for lunch box twice since. I will make this oven-roasted pasta sauce again when my next batch of tomatoes ripens.
Why is this roasted tomato pasta sauce the best?
Roasting brings out the best flavors from the vegetables. This roasted tomato sauce is no exception. When I first made this recipe, I roasted only the tomatoes and the garlic. Now I also roast onions along with it and that adds a beautiful sweetness in contrast to the tomatoes. There is no peeling the skin off and no blending of the sauce after it is roasted. So a quick and easy recipe to make for weeknight dinner. This roasted tomato sauce is a no-stovetop cooking recipe. Just place all the ingredients in a sheet pan and the sauce is ready. Vegan and gluten-free sauce with all-natural ingredients. Absolutely a kids-approved recipe. My boys love this over any pasta sauce. This oven-roasted tomato sauce can be made in bulk and frozen or canned for a later date. This roasted tomato sauce is Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients needed
Tomatoes - I have used an assortment of different tomatoes from the garden to make this roasted tomato pasta sauce. If I am buying tomatoes to roast them specifically, then I like Roma tomatoes the best. Having said that choose any meaty tomato kind that has thin skin and fewer seeds. Talking about stretching our homegrown tomatoes to last longer, try making this delicious and easy tomato relish recipe. Make a large batch and store it in the refrigerator to enjoy. If you have an abundance of Grape tomatoes, then you might want to check this post on how to cook grape tomatoes for pasta. Onion - This is kind of a new addition that I made to the recipe and we love it. I have used sweet onion in the recipe. Garlic Herbs - I have used freshly dried oregano from the garden. we could use fresh oregano as well. Salt, pepper, and red chili flakes - Along with salt and pepper, I have used crushed red pepper flakes for added heat. Skip the red chili flakes if needed. Olive oil - Use good quality oil for better flavor. To serve - Pasta and parmesan cheese to the top.
Step-by-step process
Prep work
Wash and remove the top for tomatoes.
Peel the skin and chop the onions into bite-size pieces.
Peel the garlic skin and smash each clove.
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Grease a large baking dish ( I used a 9 x 13) and keep it ready.
To roast
Chop the tomatoes into 1-inch pieces and place them in the prepared baking dish.
Add the chopped onion, smashed garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and olive oil along with the tomatoes.
Mix them all well together and spread them evenly.
Roast them for about 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan once in between. Check to see if the tomatoes are shriveled and soft.
I like to lightly mash the vegetable mixture with the back of my spatula to let them all combine and mix.
To serve
Cook the spaghetti based on the package instructions and then drain.
Toss the cooked pasta with the oven-roasted tomato sauce.
Tip - Reserve some pasta cooking water to add to the roasted tomato sauce when mixing the pasta with the sauce. This helps in better coating of the sauce.
Place the pasta on a serving dish and serve it with grated cheese.
Serving option
We can use this roasted tomato sauce as a pasta sauce. That is what I use mainly. But we can also use this in other recipes. We could blend the ingredients well and add more liquid to serve as Roasted tomato soup. I love using mashed-up roasted tomatoes as a topping for crostini. I love using this as a pizza topping or to make baked pasta. When serving a hearty pasta dish, I always like to have a salad on the side. This Italian potato salad is the best recipe to make. This is also a great recipe to use fresh green beans from the garden.
Storage options
The oven-roasted tomato pasta sauce stays good in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. They can be canned or frozen if planning to use them at a later time. I prefer to freeze mine as it is so much easier and they freeze well. Place them in freezer-safe bags and seal them well removing as much as air possible. I like to freeze them in 1 cup measurements, so it is easier to remove and thaw. I also like the option of the sealing machines as they vacuum seal the bags and it is easy to stack the bags in the freezer. If you are dealing with an abundance of tomatoes, I also freeze my tomatoes whole. Take a look at this post on ‘How to freeze tomatoes’.
Do you prefer a smoother pasta sauce?
This roasted tomato pasta sauce is chunky with pieces of onions and tomatoes throughout the sauce. If you prefer a smoother sauce, all you have to do is place the roasted ingredients in a bowl and run a hand blender. Alternatively, you could also process it in a food processor. Depending on how I feel, we either do chunky sauce or smooth pasta sauce. If I am using the sauce right away, I usually blend it with a little heavy cream to make the sauce creamy. Also if you don’t want to spend too much time roasting the tomatoes, then try this hearty marinara sauce from store-bought canned tomatoes. This saves time and is a much better choice than buying pasta sauce.
Expert Tips
I make this using different tomatoes. That gives a burst of flavor when roasted. If you don’t like pieces of onion, then skip it. Or else blend the roasted ingredients to make a smooth pasta sauce. Add more herbs like basil or sage to get a different flavor. Depending on what I have in hand, I use a mixture of herbs. If using the sauce right away, blend it with a bit of cream to make the pasta sauce creamy.
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