How to Make the Best Homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce

This super simple homemade roasted tomato sauce is the perfect base for everything from marinara to tomato soup!

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Homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce is such a staple in our pantry. It’s the foundation for so many of the dinners we make on a regular basis. Whether we’re having spaghetti, enchiladas, pizza night, chili, vegetable soup, etcetera, each begins with a trip to the basement to grab a jar of this delicious sauce. This year when July rolled around and with it a garden full of ripe Roma tomatoes, we had just welcomed our fourth baby and I knew the only way all of those beautiful tomatoes would get preserved was if I used a quick and easy method. I would not be boiling, peeling, or chopping tomatoes this year!

This recipe is a game changer! The simple method of roasting the tomatoes on a sheet pan and then using an immersion blender to turn them into a smooth sauce saves so much time and is so much more enjoyable than scalding and peeling tomatoes. Furthermore, I am always so happy with how this sauce turns out. The flavor is bright and fresh, and the texture is thick and perfect for everything from creamy soups to pizza sauce.

If you find yourself with a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, definitely try this homemade tomato sauce. It makes such a delicious and versatile addition to your repertoire.

Best Tomatoes to Use for Delicious Roasted Tomato Sauce

While meatier, paste varieties like Roma tomatoes or Amish Paste tomatoes will result in larger yields, I love throwing any extra ripe tomatoes onto the sheet pan when making this sauce. As they roast in the oven, the liquid will cook off so that even juicy tomatoes typically reserved for eating can be used without adding too much water. Toss in cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, whatever you have. After we’ve foundered on tomato sandwiches and bruschetta, I just start dumping in all of the fresh summer tomatoes I pull from the garden to create the most flavorful tomato sauce.

Choose ripe tomatoes that are firm and freshly picked. Make sure to get rid of any imperfections such as bug bites by cutting the blemished area off of the tomato. Mix things up and throw in tomatoes of varying colors such as yellow or purple. Often these varieties can add great flavor and sweetness, just be aware that they will alter the color of your final product.

Benefits of Roasting the Tomatoes

Roasting fresh tomatoes makes for such an easy recipe and yields the best tomato sauce. First of all, roasting any vegetable is a great way to bring out the most flavor, and tomatoes are no exception. After a bit of time in the oven, your sauce will have a depth of flavor that can’t be beat. Additionally, as the tomatoes roast the majority of the liquid will cook off resulting in a thick sauce that can be used for a variety of recipes. When I’m using my tomato sauce for spaghetti or pizza, I want a nice thick sauce that will stick to the noodles or spread nicely onto a pizza crust without running off the edges.

While you’re roasting your tomatoes, this is actually a great time to add some seasonings to your sauce. For example, if you are planning on making a marinara sauce you can throw some garlic cloves on the sheet pan and blend them right in. Onions and peppers are also great additions that can be roasted at the same time. Add some fresh basil or other fresh herbs to the roasted tomatoes before you start blending. Make this tomato puree your own and it will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.

How To Make Homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce

The first step in making your tomato sauce is to clean and prep your ripe tomatoes. This is so simple! Use a paring knife to core the tomatoes and slice them in half. Next, lay the tomato halves in a single layer, peel side up on a baking sheet or roasting pan. If you’re using cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or plum tomatoes, there’s no need to slice them in half. Simply make sure the stems are off and throw them on the pan. Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 400 degrees, and allow them to roast for 25-30 minutes, until the fruit is soft and wilted. If the tomatoes start to blacken, go ahead and lower the temperature to 375 degrees.

After pulling the tomatoes out of the oven, you’re ready to blend them into a smooth puree. I like to spoon the tomatoes into a large stock pot and use my immersion blender to create the sauce. It’s amazing how smooth this tomato sauce becomes without taking the tomato skins off! You will never know they’re still there. If you don’t have an immersion blender, I’ve also used a food processor or a standard blender. Each method works great!

I prefer to can my homemade roasted tomato sauce so that I have a shelf stable product. However, if you’re not into canning you can freeze your sauce in mason jars or freezer bags for up to 3-6 months. If freezing in mason jars, leave an inch of head space to keep your jars from breaking as the sauce freezes and expands. It will also last in the fridge for a week.

Using my Homemade Tomato Sauce

Use your tomato sauce in any recipe that calls for crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. Add some seasonings and a little bit of cream and you have a quick and delicious homemade tomato soup. I love turning my tomato sauce into pizza sauce, this family favorite lasagna with homemade noodles, or a pan of enchiladas.

Many of the soups that we make start with a quart of roasted tomato sauce including chili and vegetable soup. Trust me when I say that any soup made with this rich and flavorful tomato sauce will have a depth of flavor that in impossible to replicate with tomato sauce from the store.

Without question, the majority of our tomato sauce goes towards marinara for a spaghetti dinner. The following recipe is quick and easy and kid approved!

Canning Tomato Sauce

Canning your sauce is a great way to preserve those garden tomatoes and to have a from scratch dinner close at hand. For a full canner, or seven quarts, you will need about 35 pounds of tomatoes. As my tomatoes are roasting, I like to wash and sterilize my jars and lids. Tomato sauce is a low acidity food item, meaning it should not be canned without adding either bottled lemon juice or citric acid. You’ll want to add two tablespoons of lemon juice to each quart of tomato sauce. If you are new to canning, this is a great resource.

Bring your roasted tomato sauce to a simmer and then begin ladling it into your prepared quart jars, allowing for 1/4 inch of headspace. A canning funnel makes this process much easier! Use a clean rag to clean the rim of each jar before placing the lid and canning ring. Tighten the canning rings so that they are fingertip tight and then begin processing your sauce. Below are the processing times recommended by the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Table 1. Recommended process time for Standard Tomato Sauce in a boiling-water canner.
		Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	0 – 1,000 ft	1,001 – 3,000 ft	3,001 – 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Hot	Pints	35 min	40	45	50
	Quarts	40	45	50	55

Table 2. Recommended process time for Standard Tomato Sauce in a dial-gauge pressure canner
			Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time	0 – 2,000 ft	2,001 – 4,000 ft	4,001 – 6,000 ft	6,001 – 8,000 ft
Hot	Pints or Quarts	20 min	6 lb	7 lb	8 lb	9 lb
		15	11	12	13	14

Table 3. Recommended process time for Standard Tomato Sauce in a weighted-gauge pressure canner.
			Canner Gauge Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time	0 – 1,000 ft	Above 1,000 ft
Hot	Pints or Quarts	20 min	5 lb	10 lb
		15	10	15
		10	15	Not Recommended

We’d love to hear how your using your garden haul this year, or what ideas you have for managing a bumper crop of tomatoes! Can’t wait to hear from you!