Description
A deeply flavorful, concentrated tomato sauce made by slow-roasting vine-ripened tomatoes and garlic until caramelized. This hands-off method preserves the taste of summer and is perfect for pasta, pizza, or canning.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (Roma, plum, or San Marzano preferred)
- 1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large bunches fresh basil leaves (about 2 cups packed)
- 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, if tomatoes are acidic)
- 2 tablespoons bottling vinegar (5% acidity) per quart jar (for canning)
- 6–8 quart jars or 12-16 pint jars (for canning)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Wash tomatoes, remove cores, and chop into quarters. If using an immersion blender, peel tomatoes by scoring an X, boiling for 30 seconds, and plunging into ice water.
- Cut the top off the garlic head to expose cloves, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast for 15 minutes until soft. Squeeze cloves out of skins.
- Spread chopped tomatoes evenly on large sheet pans. Drizzle with olive oil and add peeled garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Roast tomatoes for 2-3 hours, stirring every 45 minutes, until dark red, shriveled, and jammy with caramelized edges.
- Let tomatoes cool slightly. Puree using a food mill (to remove skins/seeds) or an immersion blender followed by straining through a sieve.
- Transfer puree to a large stockpot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
- Add squeezed roasted garlic and half of the chopped fresh basil. Simmer for 30-45 minutes until thickened.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in remaining fresh basil just before removing from heat.
- For canning: Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar per quart jar. Wipe rims, apply lids and bands.
- Process in a boiling water bath for 40 minutes (pints) or 45 minutes (quarts). Remove and let cool.
Notes
Do not crowd the pans; tomatoes must be spread out to roast rather than steam. Roast until jammy for best flavor. Add vinegar when canning for safety. This sauce freezes well if not canned.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Condiments
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ cup
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 15
- Fat: 1
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 2
Keywords: slow roasted tomato sauce, fresh basil recipe, homemade tomato sauce, canning tomatoes, Italian sauce, roasted garlic sauce, summer preserves