Description
Homemade roasted tomato pasta sauce delivers rich Mediterranean flavors from sun-drenched Italian kitchens. Ripe tomatoes caramelize with herbs, creating a silky sauce that elevates simple pasta dishes you will savor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (adds depth and sweetness, optional but recommended)
- 2 lbs (900g) fresh tomatoes (Roma, cherry, or heirloom, halved or quartered)
- 1 small onion (quartered)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled, whole or smashed)
- 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
- Fresh basil (chopped, for garnish)
- Grated Parmesan cheese (optional but delicious!)
- Cooked pasta of choice
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Heat oven to 400F (200C), establishing an optimal roasting environment for vegetable transformation.
- Vegetable Arrangement: Spread whole tomatoes, quartered onions, and unpeeled garlic cloves across a baking sheet, ensuring even distribution for consistent caramelization.
- Seasoning and Coating: Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over vegetables, then generously sprinkle salt, cracked black pepper, dried oregano, crushed basil leaves, and red pepper flakes to create a flavor-packed coating.
- Roasting Process: Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, allowing vegetables to develop rich caramelized edges and subtle charred characteristics.
- Blending Technique: Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender or food processor, pulsing to create a desired texture – from silky smooth to rustic and chunky.
- Flavor Enhancement: Introduce a splash of aged balsamic vinegar, stirring to integrate and elevate the sauce’s complexity.
- Final Refinement: Adjust seasoning to taste, then simmer sauce in a pan for 10 minutes to concentrate flavors.
- Serving Presentation: Combine sauce with selected pasta, garnishing with freshly torn basil leaves and delicate Parmesan cheese shavings to complete this Italian-inspired culinary creation.
Notes
- Maximize Tomato Flavor: Select ripe, deeply colored tomatoes at peak season for maximum sweetness and intense roasted notes.
- Control Caramelization Technique: Spread vegetables in single layer without overcrowding to ensure even browning and prevent steaming instead of roasting.
- Customize Texture Flexibility: Adjust blending time for desired sauce consistency – quick pulses for chunky sauce, longer blending for silky smooth texture.
- Herb Enhancement Strategy: Fresh herbs can replace dried ones, but use 3x more quantity and add them after roasting to preserve delicate aromatics.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg