Tomato sauces as a category are like little black dresses in a wardrobe. They pair with just about anything—spoon them over classic beef ravioli, serve alongside fresh homemade pasta, or tuck them into a sausage and spinach calzone.
What makes this particular tomato sauce extra special is that it starts with cherry or grape tomatoes and roasts them until they’re perfectly caramelized and bursting with the richest, sweetest flavor.
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It makes the perfect lazy Sunday cook.
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Roasted tomato goodness
Fair warning: this isn’t a quick tomato sauce time-wise—but it is a super easy one. All you need is a sheet pan for roasting the veggies and a blender to make the sauce smooth.
I love slow roasting all kinds of tomatoes because it coaxes out every last bit of flavor, especially from bite-sized tomatoes like cherry, grape, or any small variety. As they roast slowly, the juices reduce, the sugars concentrate, and what’s left is a super intense, jammy sweetness that a quick sauté can’t provide.
TIP: Cherry tomatoes do release some water as they roast, but once that moisture cooks off, their sugars caramelize into something rich and intense. Grape tomatoes aren’t quite as juicy, but their meaty texture makes them just as perfect for this slow-roasted sauce.
Sweet boosters
Carrots and garlic are roasted along with the tomatoes and while the carrots accelerate the sauce’s sweetness factor and add an orangey hue, the garlic adds the best mellow roasted bite.
Easy and slow roasted tomato sauce: step by step
The key to this sauce is roasting the tomatoes, carrots and garlic on a low temperature for a long time. After that, I blend the vegetables until smooth.
At this point, you could refrigerate or even freeze the pureed vegetables for a simple make ahead meal. Read on to see how to make that happen…
>> Safety tip <<
Be sure to remove the center cap of the blender and cover the hole with a folded towel to capture the steam. This helps prevent the contents of the blender from exploding and accidental burns.
Pasta water down the drain?
If you accidentally threw out all the pasta water, relax!
Pasta water has an important role in Alfredo sauce (and most pasta sauces) by emulsifying the sauce, thickening and making it creamy at the same time. But…you have options.
Here’s what you’ll do:
Add about 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch to a cup of boiling water. Tada! You made something with the same thickening properties of pasta water!
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Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce for Pasta
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Ingredients
- 1 lb grape or cherry tomatoes, any bite sized tomato works
- 1 head of garlic, cloves separated and unpeeled
- 1 cup baby carrots
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ lb fusilli pasta
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- fresh basil to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. On a large sheet pan, toss the tomatoes and carrots in the olive oil. Drizzle some over the unpeeled garlic cloves. Season with salt, pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves.1 lb grape or cherry tomatoes, 1 head of garlic, 1 cup baby carrots, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Roast the vegetables for about 1 hour or until caramelized, checking the garlic at the 25 minute mark (remove as needed). Squeeze the cloves out of the skins and add to a blender.Finish roasting the tomatoes and carrots until caramelized and golden, about 45 minutes.
- Allow the veggies to slightly cool before adding the remaining contents of the into the blender. IMPORTANT: Remove the small cap/ stopper covering the whole in the center of the blender and cover the opening with a folded dish towel. Turn the blender on low and puree the vegetables until smooth, ramping up the speed. This should take no more than a minute or two.
- Boil the pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente according to the package directions. Once cooked, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta in a colander. To the same pot, add the roasted tomato sauce and then pour over the pasta. Toss until coated adding any reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce as needed. Stir in 1/4 cup of pasta water and then ramp up to the desired texture.½ lb fusilli pasta
- Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese and basil leaves.freshly grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil to garnish
