This easy roasted tomato pasta sauce is rich, flavorful, and freezer-friendly. With minimal prep, fresh tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, you can make the best homemade Italian-style pasta sauce in under an hour.
I could honestly eat this roasted tomato pasta sauce by the spoonful. It’s simple, rustic, and full of flavor, the kind of recipe you make once and then keep coming back to.
All it takes is a tray of tomatoes, a bit of garlic and herbs, and some olive oil, and before you know it, you’ve got the most delicious pasta sauce with hardly any effort.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Ingredients: 5 + salt & pepper | Servings: 4-6 | Difficulty: Easy
Check out this Italian Tomato Sugo made with a bottle of passata, the Hearty Marinara Sauce, or this super-fast Neapolitan Pizza Sauce made with canned tomatoes.
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Recipe ingredients
Fresh tomatoes: I make this roasted tomato sauce every August, usually at least two batches - one we enjoy right away and the other goes into the freezer for later.
- For the best roasted tomato sauce, I buy fresh sauce tomatoes from a local farmer: 5 Euros for 5 kg of the sweetest, ripest tomatoes, perfect for roasting or turning into any kind of pasta sauce.
Aromatics & flavorings: Onion, garlic, basil (aromatics), plus sugar, salt, pepper, and a good glug of olive oil.
See the recipe card for detailed instructions and full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce?
Step #1: If the tomatoes are small, halve them. If they are larger, cut them into quarters. If using cherry tomatoes, leave them whole.
Step #2: Place them on a baking sheet with the sliced onion and garlic. Add all the other ingredients and toss to coat them.
Step #3: Roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft and shriveled.
Step #4: Place them in a bowl and let them cool slightly.
Step #5: Blend with an immersion blender.
Step #6: Transfer to jars or mix the sauce with cooked pasta and serve immediately.
Tips
Batch and freeze: Make double the batch if you can—one for now, one for the freezer. Freezes beautifully for up to 6 months.
Choose ripe tomatoes: The riper and sweeter, the better. Even mixing different sizes can add depth of flavor.
Adjust seasoning after roasting: Flavors intensify in the oven, so taste and adjust salt, pepper, or sugar before serving.
Storage
Refrigerate the roasted tomato sauce for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
Freeze for up to 6 months and defrost it on the counter.
Reheat it in a small pot on the stovetop on low heat or in the microwave.
Other uses for roasted tomato sauce
Pizza base: Spread it on pizza dough instead of store-bought sauce. Use it for this Sheet-Pan Pizza.
Soup: Blend with some vegetable or chicken stock for the quickest and most amazing tomato soup.
Polenta topping: Spoon over creamy polenta with a sprinkle of cheese. I absolutely love this way of serving it (my teenage daughter, too).
Sandwich spread: Use it on grilled sandwiches or paninis for extra flavor. I like to keep some of the tomatoes unblended just for this purpose.
Dipping sauce: Serve as a dip for breadsticks, mozzarella sticks, or roasted veggies.
Use the roasted tomato sauce in these recipes
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce – Flavorful and Freezer-Friendly
Equipment
- Baking dish
- Bowl
- Immersion blender or regular blender, Note 1
Ingredients
- 2 lbs tomatoes Note 2
- 2 medium onions quartered and sliced
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 2 sprigs basil Note 3
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt more to taste after blending
- ½ freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 190°C.
- Tomatoes: Wash and dry them. Halve small tomatoes, quarter large ones, and leave cherry tomatoes whole.2 lbs tomatoes
- Onions and garlic: Quarter and slice the onions. Crush the garlic cloves lightly, but leave them whole to release flavor while roasting.2 medium onions + 4 large garlic cloves
- Season tomatoes: Place the tomatoes, onions, and garlic on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, sugar, and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and toss everything to coat evenly.2 sprigs basil + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ freshly ground black pepper
- Roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on tomato size and your oven. The tomatoes should be soft, collapsed, and slightly shriveled. Remove the basil leaves and transfer the rest to a bowl. Let cool slightly (5–10 minutes).
- Blend the roasted tomatoes until smooth using an immersion blender or a regular blender.
- Serve: Toss with cooked pasta and enjoy immediately.
- To freeze: Let the sauce cool completely, transfer to an airtight container, and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost in the fridge before use.
Notes
- If using a regular blender, let the roasted tomatoes cool slightly and blend in batches to avoid splattering.
- Tomatoes: You can use any size of tomato, or even mix different sizes, just cut them as instructed in the recipe steps (according to their size).
- Herbs: I like to use fresh herbs like basil, oregano, or thyme when I have them. This tomato sauce is perfectly delicious with dried herbs, too - use about 1 teaspoon of dried herbs in place of fresh.
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