This creamy oven roasted tomato sauce is hands down the best tasting pasta sauce ever! It is so fresh, creamy, and delicious you would never guess that it’s dairy free! It is so good, we sometimes just eat it by the spoonful like soup. It makes a quick easy meal over plain pasta or it works well with manicotti, stuffed shells, or lasagna.
Is roasted tomato sauce really easy to make?
If you can cut a tomato in half and operate a blender, then you can make this incredible sauce too!
Simply cut tomatoes in half and put them cut side down on a cookie sheet. Roast them in the oven at 350° F until skins start to wrinkle. Then place the tomatoes and their juices in a blender. (You my have to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of your blender. Don’t fill it over 3/4 of the way full or it could come out of the top and burn you).
What herbs can I use to flavor the sauce?
Basil is my favorite herb to use in this sauce. You can just throw in a fresh handful in while you blend it or you can use some vegan pesto. Big batches of vegan pesto are great to keep it in the freezer, so it is ready to use in soups and sauces. I pour my pesto into ice cube trays and then put them into freezer bags. If you don’t like the flavor of basil, substitute with oregano or any other herbs that you like.
Simply blend all the cooked ingredients for about 30 seconds in your blender and serve over hot pasta of choice.
You may think of homemade pasta sauce as a chore where you would have to labor over the stove for hours carefully watching it simmer. I did too until I saw the idea for this recipe years ago in a magazine and then made sauce this way. This roasted tomato sauce was the first thing that I ever made that tasted like it came from a fine restaurant and creamy roasted tomato sauce has been a staple in my home ever since.
Why is it creamy?
There is no cream, so I’m not exactly sure why it tastes so creamy, but it seems to be something with the oil mixing with the acid in the tomato. If you want to eliminate or reduce the oil, feel free. It will be just be a lighter and less creamy sauce.
Tips:
- Make sure that you don’t overcook your tomatoes or they will dry out. They should have wrinkled skin and there should be juice on the cookie sheet.
- If you accidentally get them too dry, just add a little water while blending until you achieve a good consistency.
- Make this in the summer with fresh ripe tomatoes from the garden, and it will need no added sugar. I only add sugar if the tomatoes are not in season and are therefore not as naturally sweet.
This creamy marinara sauce is made by roasting tomatoes in the oven and then blending into a rich creamy sauce. Vegan and gluten free.
- 10 medium tomatoes Roma tomatoes work well
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 TBS pesto or a handful of fresh basil
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar if needed
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Wash tomatoes and cut them into halves and cut out any brown stems.
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Place them cut side down on a cookie sheet and bake at 350° degrees F for about 30 minutes until the skin wrinkles and juice starts to come out.
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Put the roasted tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, pesto or basil, salt, and sugar into a blender.
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Blend until creamy (Add a tiny bit of water if needed).
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Serve over hot cooked and drained pasta, stuffed shells, or lasagna.
- If the tomatoes are in season, you will not need any added sugar.
- If you are using less ripe tomatoes, you may want a little sugar to sweeten up the sauce.
- If your tomatoes dry out too much at a tablespoon or 2 of water while blending.
Enjoy!
Pin the Creamy Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe for later:
Try these delicious easy gluten free bread sticks to dip in this roasted tomato sauce!
