Roasted Fresh Tomato Sauce

I love this recipe, it is the perfect recipe when tomatoes are in season and a perfect way to preserve any glut of tomatoes.

When I was a young girl, my uncle had huge greenhouses and the smell of fresh tomatoes takes me back to a time of walking through them picking and eating fresh tomatoes.

Imagine in the winter tucking into a delicious tomato sauce that tastes of summer.

It is easy to rely sometimes on jars of pasta sauce but this is such an easy recipe to make when you have a couple of hours spare.

This sauce is

1. Delicious
2. Healthy
3. Rich
4. Fresh
5. Balanced

It is much healthier for you than the jars, it has less sugar and salt. It is fresher and you know what it contains.

Ingredients needed

• Tomatoes This recipe screams summer which is when the tomatoes are at their ripest. I recommend using a variety to get different layers of flavour into your sauce. Plum tomatoes are a good one to include.
• Fresh Herbs You can use a variety of different herbs in this recipe such as Thyme, Basil, Rosemary or dried oregano. Pick the ones that you like the flavour of.
• Fresh garlic When you buy garlic it is best to pick up nice plump bulbs.
• Roasted red peppers I add these to the sauce to add some sweetness. You could also roast a red pepper with the tomatoes. Once roasted place in a bowl and cover with cling film. This makes it easier to peel the skin off.
• Oil A variety of oils can be used in this recipe such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, avocado oil or hemp oil.
• Tomato Puree This helps to thicken the sauce slightly and ramp up your tomato flavour. I like to use a sun-dried tomato puree or a double-concentrated one.
• Red Onions I prefer red onions as they are sweeter and less harsh than the white ones.
• Stock For this use your favourite vegetable stock.
• Sugar I use brown sugar for this but white sugar works just as well. Sugar cuts through any acidity in the tomatoes and gives the sauce a more balanced flavour. (see notes below)

Roasted Fresh Tomato Sauce

Author: theglutenfreeveganalchemist Cooking Method:Stove Top, Slow Cooker Cuisine:Italian Courses:Dinner Recipe Keys:Fresh tomato sauce, Bolognese sauce, lasagne sauce, pasta sauce, vegan tomato sauce, gluten-free

Difficulty:IntermediatePrep time: 15 minutesCook Time:1 hour 30 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:1 hour 45 minutesServings:900 GramsCalories: kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

This Is a delicious recipe to make in the summer months when tomatoes are at their best. You may have a glut of tomatoes to use or you have bought some.
This recipe can be used on its own or for a lasagne, bolognese or in many pasta recipes. The sauce freezes well keeping in that delicious flavour for up to 4 months.

Ingredients
To roast

• 2 kg of red ripe tomatoes, I used a combination of different tomatoes
• 4 cloves of whole garlic
• A handful of fresh Thyme
• 2 sprigs of oregano
• 2 tbsp of rapeseed oil or olive oil
• Salt and Pepper, roughly 3/4 tsp of salt.
• 2 roasted red peppers from a jar

For the sauce

• 1 1/2 red onions thinly sliced
• 3 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• 2 tbsp of tomato puree
• A small handful of fresh basil leaves
• 230 ml of vegetable stock
• Seasoning to taste
• 1 tsp of brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C
   You will need a large roasting dish or 2 smaller ones
2. To the dish along with the cut tomatoes add the cloves of garlic, herbs, roasted peppers and seasoning. Pour in the oil and mix to ensure all the ingredients are kissed with the oil.
3. Place into the oven to roast for 45 minutes or until they have softened and begun to char.
4. Remove from the oven and set to one side.
5. Using a large wide pot on the hob add a dash of oil, once this is hot add the sliced red onions.
6. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes to soften. You do not want them to colour too much though.
7. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and shallot and cook for a couple of minutes and then add the tomato puree and let that cook out for a few minutes.
8. Next, add the contents of your roasting dish, throwing away any charred herbs and add the sugar.
9. Add the stock and basil leaves and stir through, turn down the heat to a simmer and let the sauce cook down and thicken for around 30 minutes. Once it has cooled lightly taste and adjust any seasoning.
10. You can leave it as a chunky rustic sauce but I like to make mine a little smoother. I use a handheld blender to do this.
    Blending all or half of the sauce will help to thicken it up a little more.
11. It is now ready to enjoy. You can eat it as it is with some pasta and vegan parmesan or use it to make other pasta dishes. I freeze mine in individual vacuum bags or freezer bags. Defrost before heating.

Notes

• 1. If your tomatoes are freshly picked in the height of the summer then you can omit the sugar.

Keywords:Tomato sauce, Lasagne Sauce, vegan dinners, pasta sauce, gluten-free

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If you like this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist I love seeing your versions of my recipes. Or I would love to hear your comments.