This easy Multi-Purpose Tomato Sauce with roasted tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs is a kitchen staple for adding flavor and color to all your recipes. From soups to pastas, stews, tacos and pizza this sauce is the perfect go-to!

This Multi Purpose Tomato sauces goes well in this Fish Stew, this Chickpea (Vegetarian) Stew, and off course in this Beef Stew. You can also use it to make Pasta, Mexican Rice, Chicken Parmesan, Lasagna, Meatballs and so much more!

If you’ve got a passion for cherry tomatoes and want to make up a deliciously fresh tomato sauce, this Cherry Tomato Sauce is a great recipe.

A couple of glass jars of tomato sauce with a white towel on a cookie sheet with fresh rosemary and parsley.

This Multi-Purpose Tomato Sauce requires very little hands-on attention and is an ideal way to cook up a big batch of tomatoes. The perfect sauce to use up all those tomatoes from your garden and capture the essence of the season.

The tomatoes aren’t peeled or seeded, but they do get a ‘rough’ straining so we get lots of yummy tomato chunks which is what gives this recipe for tomato sauce it’s fresh look and taste.

Giving something a purpose is great, but giving something multi-purpose is even better! This fresh homemade tomato sauce is your convenient, oven roasted, deliciously fresh, homemade tomato sauce that can be used in sauces, pasta, pizza, soups, stews and pot roast, tacos, lasagna and so much more! You’ll be so glad you’ve got this sauce on hand and ready to go, making mealtime that much easier.

Why This Recipe For Great Tomato Sauce Works

  • Simple – With just a few ingredients and a few steps you can have a rich, robust sauce to use in so many dishes.
  • Versatile – Change up the sauce to suit your tastes, add more herbs, add some spice or throw in other vegetables.
  • Tasty – Roasting tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness.
  • Hands-off – This mostly hands-off recipe allows you to do other things while your tomatoes roast in the oven.
  • Practical -This tomato sauce is the best way to use up a batch of garden fresh tomatoes and have a ready-to-go sauce on hand.
Quarter slices of fresh tomatoes on a sheet pan with garlic cloves.

Ingredients

  • Tomatoes – Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the ideal flavor.
  • Olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil is great but any type will work.
  • Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves add loads of flavor to this sauce.
  • Kosher salt – Use kosher salt, sea salt or table salt to enhance the taste.
  • Herbs – Dried oregano, fresh basil and fresh or dried thyme add loads of flavor to this tomato sauce.

How To Make This Recipe For Tomato Sauce

  • Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 425F degrees. Set aside a large sheet pan or two medium size pans.
  • Step 2: Wash the tomatoes, cut the stem side off and place them cut side down on the sheet pan. Make an ‘x’ on the side of the tomatoes facing up.
  • Step 3: Pour the olive oil over the tomatoes and season with salt. Randomly throw garlic cloves on the sheet pan.
  • Step 4: Let the tomatoes roast 45 minutes. When they are done, broil them for a few minutes or until the tops start to brown.
  • Step 5: Remove the tomatoes from oven and let them sit so they eliminate the excess water.
  • Step 6: Place each tomato in a high speed blender using a slotted spoon so the liquid remains behind.
  • Step 7: Mix in the herbs and roasted garlic and pulse for a few seconds.
  • Step 8: After blending the tomatoes, pour half of the mixture through a colander or strainer to eliminate some of the seeds and keep most of the tomato chunks.
  • Step 9: Transfer sauce to jars and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
Cooked tomatoes in a blender with fresh basil. Roasted tomatoes and basil on a sheet pan.

Tips and Variations

  • Use overripe tomatoes instead of throwing them in the compost.
  • Add your favorite herbs and spices.
  • Roast onions and peppers along with the tomatoes.
  • Broil the tomatoes after roasting them!

FAQS

What is the difference between tomato sauce and tomato pasta sauce?

Tomato sauce usually just has tomatoes while tomato pasta sauce can have other vegetables in it.

Is canned tomato sauce just blended tomatoes?

Yes, canned tomatoes is usually a puree of tomatoes.

What is a substitute for two cups of tomato sauce?

If you’ve run out of tomato sauce you can use tomato paste and water in its place. You can use one part tomato paste to one part water.

Homemade tomato sauce in two glass jars with parsley and rosemary.

Make Ahead and Storage

This delicious tomato sauce recipe is the perfect make-ahead sauce. It will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.

Looking for more sauce recipes?

If you make this multi-purpose tomato sauce be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

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tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes with skins

Multi-Purpose Tomato Sauce

by Silvia Dunnirvine
This EASY Multi-Purpose Tomato Sauce is a kitchen staple for adding flavor and color to all your recipes. From soups to pastas, stews, tacos and pizza this sauce is the perfect go-to!
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Servings: 48 oz 2 Lg Jars

Equipment

  • Sheet Pan
  • Blander

Ingredients 

  • 6 lb ripe tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • fresh basil, thyme

Instructions 

  • Pre-heat oven to 425F degrees. Set aside a large sheet pan or two medium size.
  • Wash the tomatoes and cut steam side off. Place tomatoes on sheet pan, steam-cut side down. Cut an 'x' on bottom-side now facing up of larger tomatoes.
  • Pour oil over tomatoes and season with salt. Place whole garlic randomly on sheet pan
  • Roast tomatoes for 45 minutes. When done switch oven to broil and roast for an additional 3-5 minutes or until tomatoes start to brown up on top.
  • Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Let it sit for 10 minutes so the tomatoes will eliminate the excess water.
  • Using a large spatula, pick up each tomato and transfer to a high speed blander, leaving most of the liquid behind. Don't worry there will be plenty liquid in the tomato still. P.S. you might want to do this step in batches!
  • Add fresh herbs, dried oregano and the roasted garlic into the blender and pulse for a few seconds (about 30).
  • When done pulsing all the tomato, sift half the batch through a strainer with larger roles or a colander. The key is to eliminate some of the seeds and keep most of the tomato chunks. I found that sifting half the batch did the trick for me
  • Transfer sauce to jars and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 16kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Keyword: homemade tomato sauce, roasted tomato sauce, Tomato Sauce
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Italian
Like this? Leave a comment below!
roasted tomato sauce

Hi! I’m Silvia.

My goal is to make cooking simple and enjoyable.

Garden in the Kitchen is full of easy and balanced recipes for busy families. Classics get a healthier twist with additions of veggies or alternative ingredients.

I hope my recipes will inspire you to cook more home meals and above all have fun in the kitchen!

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