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This fuss-free Roasted Tomato Sauce transforms fresh tomatoes into a rich and savory pasta sauce to instantly upgrade your everyday dinner into a gourmet meal! Vegan and Gluten-Free.
This Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce requires only 15 minutes of hands-on work and will make your pasta dinner taste like it came from your favorite Italian restaurant. By blending fresh roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic with a few simple herbs and seasonings, you’re left with an easy and mouthwatering homemade tomato sauce you can enjoy immediately or freeze for later. A must-have recipe for tomato season!
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The Secret to Restaurant-Quality Pasta Sauce
I totally get it—grabbing a jar of pasta sauce from the store is so convenient. It doesn’t taste that bad, either. However, once you see how easy it is to make this Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce with fresh tomatoes, you’ll become just as picky as I am about the store-bought stuff.
The best part about making tomato sauce from scratch is just how easy it is. No fancy steps or complicated techniques necessary! Most homemade sauce is made on the stove, but I love to roast my tomatoes instead for a deeper flavor and less time sweating over a hot stove, which is always a bonus.
A lot of roasted tomato sauce recipes require either an extremely slow roast or a quick roast at a higher temperature. Personally, I prefer to roast my tomatoes with onions and garlic at 350°F for about an hour, as this is just enough time and heat to coax out the tomatoes’ natural sweet, umami-richness.
The last step is to blend the tomatoes with fresh basil (so it doesn’t overcook in the oven), and voila! You’re left with an intensely flavorful, restaurant-quality sauce that doesn’t require you to hover over the stove all day.
What You Need for Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce
This homemade tomato sauce requires less than 10 budget-friendly ingredients:
- Tomatoes: both Roma and San Marzano tomatoes are perfect for pasta sauce because of their lower water content and concentrated flavor. But don’t worry if you have a different type—just cut larger tomatoes into 2-3” chunks and roast them a little longer. Smaller varieties, like grape or cherry tomatoes, should be halved or left whole and checked around the 45-minute mark.
- Onions and Garlic: quartered yellow onions and garlic cloves caramelize alongside the tomatoes in the oven to give the sauce a sweet and savory depth. I typically use about six garlic cloves, but if you’re a garlic lover, no one’s stopping you from swapping them for a whole head of garlic.
- Dried Oregano: this robust, earthy herb is responsible for the classic Italian flavor.
- Cane Sugar: a small amount of cane sugar balances the tomatoes’ natural acidity. If your tomatoes are super ripe and naturally sweet, go ahead and skip the sugar.
- Olive Oil: use good-quality olive oil. It not only helps with roasting but also gives the sauce a smoother and richer mouthfeel.
- Fresh Basil: added at the end for a burst of herbaceous flavor.
How to Make Pasta Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes
- Place the tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the oregano, salt, sugar, and black pepper over top, then drizzle generously with olive oil. Massage the seasonings and oil into the veggies until they’re well coated.
- Rotate the tomatoes cut-side up and bake until they have crispy edges and the garlic is browned.
- Transfer the roasted veggies to a blender or food processor and blend to your desired consistency. To finish, add the fresh basil to the sauce and pulse until it’s finely chopped.
- Serve the sauce over cooked pasta right away or store it in the refrigerator for later.
- Place the tomatoes, onion, and garlic on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the oregano, salt, sugar, and black pepper over top, then drizzle generousl
Do I Need to Peel My Tomatoes?
Tomato sauce is typically made with peeled tomatoes, however I often skip this step as I find it to be a hassle (and I don’t mind occasionally encountering a small bite of tomato skin in my sauce). You can process this roasted tomato sauce in either a blender or food processor depending on your desired consistency.
- For Skin-Free Sauce: let your tomatoes cool down after roasting and peel them by hand. Then process in a food processor for a chunky texture, or a blender for a smooth marinara! This is the most time-intensive option
- For a Thinner, Smooth Sauce: If you still want a smooth sauce with no detectable pieces of tomato skin I recommend blending your sauce thoroughly in a high-speed blender. This will eliminate all pieces of tomato skin, and your final sauce will be slightly more orange in color because the blender adds a little extra air to the sauce.
- For a Chunky Sauce: If you want a chunky sauce, and don’t particularly care about tomato skins, don’t bother peeling your tomatoes and pulse or process everything in a food processor until it reaches your desired consistency.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- The riper the tomatoes, the better the flavor: I highly recommend making this sauce with the tomatoes from your garden or local farmer’s market. Vibrant red, shiny, and slightly soft garden-fresh tomatoes are picked at their peak, AKA when they’re the most flavorful, which transfers to your sauce. Grocery store tomatoes just don’t compare!
- Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper: Seasoning is key to bringing out the natural flavors of your roasted tomatoes and veggies. Once blended, taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Serving Suggestions
Serving this roasted tomato sauce with your favorite cooked pasta noodles is a no-brainer—gluten-free spaghetti, penne, fettuccine, fusilli, zoodles, spaghetti squash—you name it! A bowl of roasted tomato pasta is plenty flavorful and satisfying on its own, but I highly recommend topping it with a scoop of this Basil Gremolata or this Arugula Pesto for a gourmet experience.
To complement the summer goodness of the roasted tomato sauce, complete your pasta dinner with fresh, summery sides. I recommend this Tomato Cucumber Basil Salad or this Crunchy Cucumber Dill Salad.
Keep in mind that you’re not limited to serving this sauce with pasta. Try using it as a pizza sauce, spread it on crostini for vegan bruschetta, mix it into this Vegan Minestrone Soup, or serve it as a flavorful dip for warm breadsticks, these Baked Artichoke Fries, or these Healthy Vegan Onion Rings.
If you’re looking for more homemade vegan pasta sauce recipes, you’ll also love this Vegan Vodka Sauce, this Romesco Sauce, this Spicy Basil Tomato Pasta Sauce, and this Creamy Alfredo Sauce!
How to Store Leftover Pasta Sauce
Let the sauce cool to room temperature, then transfer it to one or two airtight glass jars. The sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
To freeze, divide the sauce into individual freezer-safe jars, leaving about 1” of space at the top. Freeze uncovered until the sauce has frozen solid and expanded, then seal the jars and freeze for up to 2 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy your sauce again, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then gently reheat it on the stove or in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until heated through.
Substitutions and Variations
- Basil Substitutes: Use fresh thyme, rosemary, and/or parsley instead of or in addition to the fresh basil.
- Veggie Add-Ins: Don’t hesitate to roast even more veggies alongside the tomatoes to play with the flavor. Red bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and eggplant will all roast and blend beautifully with the tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
- Flavor Enhancers: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a spicy kick, a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for a cheesy, umami element, or add a splash of balsamic vinegar for a hint of tangy sweetness.
Recipe FAQs
This can happen if your tomatoes are more acidic than sweet. To neutralize the bitterness, try stirring a small amount of sugar, coconut milk, or cashew cream into the sauce. A small amount of baking soda will also do the trick but don’t use too much or else the flavor and texture of the sauce will be off.
The best way to thicken tomato sauce is to simmer it in a saucepan on the stove until it’s reduced.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 lbs roma tomatoes see notes for other varieties
- 1/2 yellow onion ends trimmed and quartered
- 6 cloves garlic*
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cane sugar*
- Black pepper to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped *see notes for subs
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and set a large baking sheet aside. Trim the top portion (where the stem inserted) off each tomato and cut in half lengthwise.
- Combine: Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a baking sheet. Sprinkle the oregano, salt, sugar, and black pepper over the vegetables, then drizzle generously with olive oil. Use clean hands to massage the tomato mixture until every piece of veg is evenly coated in oil. Rotate all of the tomatoes so they are cut-side-up and spread evenly across the baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until some of the tomatoes have crispy edges and the garlic has browned.
- Process: Peel the tomatoes, if desired (I do not). Use a spatula to carefully transfer the roasted tomato mixture into a blender (smoother sauce) or food processor (chunkier sauce). Process for 45 to 60 seconds, or until a uniform sauce of your desired consistency forms. Add the fresh basil to the sauce and pulse until it becomes more finely chopped; the residual heat left from the roasted tomatoes will lightly cook the basil. This recipe makes around 2 1/2 cups of sauce as written.
- Serve & Store: Serve immediately over cooked pasta or as desired – the sauce should still be warm, but you can also warm it up briefly on the stove before serving. Store any leftovers in jars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this roasted tomato pasta sauce for up to 2 months – leave 1” of unfilled jar space at the top of each jar, then freeze uncovered and seal once the sauce has expanded and frozen completely.
Recipe Notes
- Tomato Varieties: Pasta sauce is typically made with fresh Roma or San Marzano tomatoes because of their lower water content and more concentrated flavor. That being said, you can still make this recipe with any variety of tomato – you may just need to roast the sauce a little longer. Cut any larger tomatoes into 2-3” chunks before roasting. You can cut smaller tomatoes in half or leave whole, but check for doneness around the 45 minute mark
- Garlic: I like to use 6 cloves of garlic for a subtle garlic flavor in this recipe. If you’d like a stronger garlic flavor, roast up to 12 cloves (1 head) of garlic.
- Cane Sugar: This recipe calls for a small amount of cane sugar to help balance the acidity of tomatoes, but if your tomatoes are on the sweeter side you can omit this.
I want to make a large batch and can it. How many oz do you think you get from the 2.5 servings? 20 oz or thereabouts? Thank you. The recipe sounds really good.
Hi Paula! This will vary a bit based on your tomatoes. The recipe makes around 2.5 cups (this was not super clear, so I just updated it!), which is 20 ounces.
My new Go To!!!!
This is the BEST recipe! I’ve been processing our Roma tomatoes into sauce for years, and decided to try a new recipe this time around. Super fast and straightforward, kept the skins on and processed in my Cuisinart.
Made two batches today and will make more as the plants continue to produce.
Thanks!
Sounds delicious with fresh garden tomatoes!
Absolutely delicious! I used fresh tomatoes, basil, and oregano from my garden. Topped with parmigiana Reggiano. So good!
sounds delicious! I’m so happy you enjoyed.