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    Home » Recent Posts » Dinner

    Creamy Roasted Tomato Sauce - Vegan, Gluten Free

    Published: Nov 11, 2019 · Updated: Aug 24, 2022 by Katy McAvoy

    I love when you share my recipes!

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    Roasted Tomato Sauce

    Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I make a small commission.


    This thick and creamy roasted tomato sauce happens to also be vegan and gluten-free. It’s a great recipe for your favorite pasta, tossed with gnocchi or used as pizza sauce.

    Roasted Tomato Sauce

    My garden has been growing a lot of tomatoes the past few years and oven-roasted tomato sauce is one of my favorite ways to use those tomatoes while stocking my freezer for the busy fall months. 

    Made with simple ingredients, this roasted tomato sauce recipe is the perfect way to enjoy those ripe summer tomatoes. Roasted tomatoes, garlic and onions blend together to create a smooth sauce with rich flavor. Besides a few minutes of chopping and blending, the oven does most of the work, which are the kind of recipes I like! 

    This delicious sauce is a favorite in our house and an easy recipe I often make during my weekend meal prep time. Just store the sauce in a mason jar in the refrigerator and use it during the week with your favorite pasta. There’s something so satisfying about using your own roasted tomato sauce that you made from scratch on a super busy night when you’d otherwise be grabbing take out!

    Ingredients

    • Roma tomatoes
    • Onion
    • Fresh garlic
    • Olive oil
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • Vegetable broth or chicken broth (optional) 

    How to Make Roasted Tomato Sauce

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. 

    Slice the fresh tomatoes into large chunks. Place in a 9x13” metal pan with high sides.

    Peel the onion and chop into large pieces, roughly the size of the cut tomatoes.

    Add the onion to the pan.

    Peel the cloves of garlic and either smash cloves with a knife or cut each clove into 2-3 pieces.

    Add garlic to the pan, as well as olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

    Toss together until tomatoes, onions, and garlic are coated with oil and spices.

    Vegetables chopped for roasted tomato sauce and ready for the oven.

    Place pan in 400 degree oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing veggies occasionally. You’re looking for the tomatoes, onions, and garlic to be super soft. (I like to roast mine until some charred edges appear on the tomatoes and onion in the pan.)

    Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. 

    Vegetables done roasting and ready to go into the blender.

    Your roasted tomato mixture should have lots of liquid in it. If your tomatoes weren’t juicy and the veggie mixture is thick, stir in ½ cup of broth. 

    Place the mixture into a countertop blender or food processor, and puree on high until a creamy consistency has been reached. (If your mixture is too thick to blend, add another ¼ cup of broth.)

    Add additional salt/pepper to taste.

    Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use your roasted tomato sauce within 7 days. 

    Enjoy!

    A jar of Roasted Tomato Sauce.

    Recipe Tips

    • Be sure to use a large baking dish or large roasting pan. Do not use a sheet pan or baking sheet. You have juicy tomatoes that are going to create even more liquid when you roast them. That liquid is key to this recipe, so you want to make sure you use a pan with high enough sides to contain it. 
    • Make sure you're using a metal pan for roasting the tomato mixture. Everything will cook just fine in a glass dish, but it won't achieve the caramelization you're looking for.
    • Any fresh ripe tomatoes will work in this recipe. You’re looking for 4 cups of large tomato chunks or 4 cups of cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
    • Don’t worry about the tomato skins. They’ll blend right up into the sauce and you won’t notice them. No need to peel your tomatoes or remove the skins before blending. 
    • This sauce is delicious on traditional pasta, zucchini noodles, or pan-fried gnocchi. We also enjoy it instead of red sauce when we make homemade pizza.

    Looking for More Tomato Recipes? 

    A bowl of Roasted Tomato Soup.
    Roasted Tomato Soup
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    Easy Blender Salsa

    Mix Ins for Roasted Tomato Sauce

    Looking to add something to your pasta dinner? Toss your favorite noodles with your homemade roasted tomato sauce and add in any combination of the following: thawed frozen peas, cooked mushrooms, caramelized onions, cooked bacon or sausage, fresh basil (and other fresh herbs).

    A plate of bacon, peas and mushrooms for sauce mix ins

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I freeze roasted tomato sauce? 

    Absolutely! I make multiple batches of this sauce every fall with my fresh garden tomatoes or tomatoes I picked up at the farmer’s market. I don’t have space for a lot of glass jars, so instead of canning my homemade tomato sauce, I freeze 2-3 cups of sauce in quart freezer bags. Cool the sauce to room temperature before you place it in the bags. Press out as much air as possible before sealing, and freeze them flat. Thaw in the fridge, or in a large bowl filled with cold water. 

    Can I use an immersion blender for this sauce? 

    Yes, but move the roasted tomato mixture to a large bowl before blending with an immersion blender. This will make it much easier to get a smooth consistency and be less messy. 

    Is this a chunky sauce? 

    No. This simple roasted tomato sauce is pureed into a silky, creamy pasta sauce. No chunks in it is one of my kiddo’s favorite things about this recipe. 🙂  

    What do I do if my tomato sauce is too thick and won’t blend? 

    Add chicken broth or vegetable broth to the blender, a ¼ cup at time. Blend in between each broth addition until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. 

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    Print the Recipe

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    Roasted Tomato Sauce

    Roasted Tomato Sauce
    Print Recipe
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    ★★★★★

    5 from 3 reviews

    Rich and creamy, this roasted tomato sauce is also vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.

    • Author: Katy McAvoy
    • Prep Time: 10 min
    • Cook Time: 30 min
    • Total Time: 40 min
    • Yield: 4 cups 1x
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 8-10 roma tomatoes*
    • 1 large onion
    • 4-5 cloves of garlic
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 Tbsp salt
    • 1 tsp pepper
    • ½ to 1 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth (if needed)

    Instructions

    Heat oven to 400 degrees. 

    Slice tomatoes into large chunks. Place in a 9x13” metal pan with high sides.

    Peel onion and chop into large pieces, roughly the size of the cut tomatoes.

    Add onion to pan.

    Peel cloves of garlic and either smash cloves with knife or cut each clove into 2-3 pieces.

    Add garlic to pan, as well as olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

    Toss together until tomatoes, onions, and garlic are coated with oil and spices. 

    Place pan in 400 degree oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing veggies occasionally. You’re looking for the tomatoes, onions, and garlic to be super soft. (I like to roast mine until some charred edges appear on the tomatoes and onion in the pan.)

    Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. 

    Your roasted tomato mixture should have lots of liquid in it. If your tomatoes weren’t juicy and the veggie mixture is thick, stir in ½ cup of broth. 

    Place the mixture into a blender, and puree on high until a creamy consistency has been reached. (If you're mixture is too thick to blend, add another ¼ cup of broth.)

    Add salt/pepper to taste.

    Store in the refrigerator.

    Enjoy!

    Equipment

    Image of Metal Baking Pan

    Metal Baking Pan

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    Image of Chef's Knife

    Chef's Knife

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    Image of Countertop Blender

    Countertop Blender

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    Keywords: tomato sauce, roast, roasted vegetables, veggies, pasta sauce, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, meal prep

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @katymcavoy on Instagram! I can’t wait to see what you made!

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    I love when you share my recipes!

    About Katy McAvoy

    Katy is the author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, and Michigander behind MittenGirl.com. Since 2017, she's been crafting easy-to-make cocktails and delicious meals, along with sharing her love of all things Michigan (a.k.a. The Mitten)!

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Andie

      November 20, 2019 at 6:10 pm

      This has got to be the BEST sauce EVER! I love roasting veggies anyway, and had never thought to make a roasted tomato sauce...until now! My husband even complimented me on it...wondering what tasted so sweet...I would guess, the sweetness comes from roasting the garlic. This will definitely be my NEW go to tomato sauce!

      Reply
      • MittenGirl

        November 21, 2019 at 9:18 am

        Thanks for the comment, Andie! I’m SO glad you liked it!! ????

        Reply
    2. Ruth Moore

      February 01, 2021 at 3:26 pm

      This is an easy way to make a delicious sauce. Roasting the tomatoes and veggies adds a lot of flavor. Thanks for the recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • MittenGirl

        February 01, 2021 at 4:36 pm

        So glad you like it!

        Reply
    3. Lauren @ A Nerd Cooks

      September 11, 2022 at 1:58 pm

      This sauce is so good and so so easy to make! I made mine with a mix of Roma, sun golds, and some red cherry tomatoes (not sure what variety). I'll be making another batch when I'm overrun with tomatoes again. *chef's kiss*

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Katy McAvoy

        September 11, 2022 at 4:31 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it, Lauren!!

        Reply
    4. Sarah Conklin

      September 18, 2022 at 8:59 am

      This recipe is the easiest and tastiest way to use up my garden tomatoes. My Romas have been on the small side, so I’ve increased to around 12-14 for this recipe. I add some chopped fresh basil just before blending. Freezes easily and thaws beautifully for weeknight dinners. Thank you, Katy!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Katy McAvoy

        September 18, 2022 at 10:41 am

        Adding fresh basil sounds delicious! So glad you like the recipe!

        Reply

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    Katy McAvoy

    Hi! I’m Katy (she/her). I’m an author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, Michigander, and lover of all things food and drink. I never turn down a good happy hour and believe that a couple hours of meal prep pays off for days. Follow me on Instagram to check out what I’m working on next!

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