The BEST Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce – Fresh or Freeze
You’ll want to eat this amazing roasted tomato sauce with a spoon, it’s that good! It’s also the easiest way to make tomato sauce you’ll come across – AND you can use the tomatoes that aren’t good for canning and any extra vegetables you have laying around, making it a great way to use up produce. Freeze it to use in recipes all year long because it’s better than anything you can get at the store!
✩ What readers are saying…
“This is the most brilliant method for making a super flavorful tomato sauce. The instructions were flawless so my end result was perfect. Thanks so much for sharing!” – Barb
How about an incredible, out-of-this-world, lick-the-spoon flavor roasted tomato sauce that’s as easy as it is good?
Next to Addictive Tomato Chutney it’s probably everyone’s favorite recipe and always trending here on the site.
Having this sauce in our freezer is like having a stash of organic, healthy, so good-it’ll-make-your-eyes-roll convenience food ready whenever you need it.
When I’ve got tomatoes in buckets and bowls all over my kitchen, visitors will always ask when they see them, “what are you going to do with all those tomatoes?”
Um, let me count the ways:
- Addictive Tomato Chutney
- Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil
- Thick, Canned Salsa
- Pizza Sauce
- Tomato & Feta Salad
- Zucchini, Corn & Tomato Saute…well, the list could go on and on.
However, the number one way I use our tomatoes is to make this incredible roasted tomato sauce that I freeze to use all year long.
Its also helps that it’s super easy to make, takes care of a lot of tomatoes at once, and even uses other vegetables that I have if I want to add them.
It’s a recipe that fits into almost any schedule – you can get going while you’re making dinner, then puree it and freeze it after.
Did I mention easy?
Ingredients
Since this is a fresh or freezer sauce only (NOT safe for canning – more on that below), the produce ingredients are truly flexible. This makes it a star for using up slightly old garden tomatoes, the zucchini that’s starting to shrivel, or the last bits and pieces in your veg bin or CSA box. You’ll want to keep the garlic, balsamic, herbs, and seasonings the same (adjusted to your taste if needed).
For each large roasting pan you will need:
- olive oil
- 6 pounds tomatoes, cored and cut in half (pounds are approximate – fill your roasting pan in one layer with tomatoes) – plum or paste tomatoes are great, but you can use any type.
- chopped onion
- Any other vegetables on hand, roughly chopped: zucchini peppers, carrots, celery (optional).
- garlic cloves, sliced or chopped
- balsamic vinegar – a KEY ingredient, no substitutions if at all possible.
- About 1 teaspoon each dried herbs of choice: thyme oregano, basil OR 1+ tablespoon fresh chopped herbs.
- teaspoons each salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional – I now add this all the time for that bit of spice we enjoy.
How to Make Roasted Tomato Sauce
Detailed quantities and instructions are included in the full recipe box below, but here are a few extra tips to help with each step:
Step 1: Gather Your Pans: Start with the number of baking pans that will fit in your oven (if you’ve got a lot of tomatoes – you can always do one pan at a time for smaller batches). For me, that is one large 15×10 roaster and one to two 13×9 pans.
Step 2: Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil into each pan you are using and add the dried and fresh herbs. I usually have basil growing and will use that fresh, then add dried thyme and oregano. This used be a step after the tomatoes, but I found adding the seasonings to the bottom of the pan meant less was wasted on the skins we pull after roasting.
Step 3: Add seasonings & red pepper flakes. Again, adding the salt and pepper at this stage helps more stay in the sauce. Adding the red pepper flakes is optional, of course, depending on your spice level, but it’s a must for us and one of the additions I’ve made to this sauce over the years that we enjoy.
Step 4: Prep and add tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the cores (when using tomatoes with more juice, like heirlooms, give a little squeeze to the tomato after cutting it in half and discard the seeds and juice). Place each tomato cut side down into some of the oil and slide it to the edge of the pan. Repeat with all the tomatoes until the pans are full with a single layer of tomatoes and the oil has been distributed evenly.
Step 5: Add vegetables & balsamic. Scatter chopped onions and the garlic over the tomatoes, tucking them into the crevices. Now, this is the part just between you and me – you can add other vegetables to the sauce and your spouse & kids won’t know they’re eating zucchini, peppers, carrots, or what ever. Actually, nobody does – and what they don’t know won’t hurt them, right? (The truth is – I wasn’t trying to be healthy when I started this, I was just trying to use up extra zucchini, ha!)
The ingredient I feel is the signature of this recipe? Balsamic vinegar. Adding 2-4 tablespoons to each pan really enhances the vegetables, and resulting sauce, when roasted.
TIP: Plum/paste tomatoes will yield a thick and meaty sauce, but this roasted sauce is usually thick anyway and I like the flavor of all my different tomatoes, especially heirlooms, so I use any ripe tomatoes I have. If I’ve got paste tomatoes ripe, I’ll try to do 1/2 paste and 1/2 slicing in each pan. If most of your tomatoes are slicing and you feel the sauce is too thin, you can add a small can of tomato paste and whir it in before freezing (or add it when heating and using).
Step 6: Roast. Roast in a 425 degree oven for about 45-60 minutes, switching the pans halfway through (if you’re using more than one) from top rack to bottom. Most of the skins should be browned and wrinkled making it easy to pull them off with tongs. I don’t bother with the ones that won’t come off easy, just the ones that pull off like the one pictured – usually thicker-skinned paste tomatoes.
Step 7: Transfer vegetables. You have two choices here – you can transfer the roasted veggies to a large stock pot like shown above to be blended with a hand-held immersion blender OR Let the roasted vegetables cool for a few minutes and then use a large spoon to transfer the vegetables (and liquid) into a blender or food processor. Choose whatever way suits you (and your equipment) best.
Do you have to remove the skins? The skins can be left on before pureeing and if they bother you, you can push the sauce through a sieve to remove them. Or you can just eat them. I’m all about easy and I find a sieve takes out some things I want like herbs, so plucking most of the skins is the easiest way to go for me.
Step 8: Blend sauce until smooth. After trying all the ways to blend the sauce, I find a stick blender to be the easiest and fastest. Plus, you don’t have to deal with hot splatters of juice and sauce as you transfer the vegetables.
However, if you need to use a blender or processor, try to get even amounts of vegetables and liquid in each blender batch, otherwise you’ll end up with containers of really thick sauce and one container of super liquidy sauce.
Each 13×9 pan is usually enough for one blender, but since I typically make three pans at a time, I add the contents of the two smaller pans to the largest, mix it evenly and then remove 1/3 at a time to blend.
Step 9. Use immediately or pour into freezer containers. Leave an inch or two for expansion when freezing. Date and label each container so you will know what you’ve got when you’re looking for dinner in February.
The pans I use (a 15×10 and two 13x9s) usually yields about 3 to 4 quarts.
TIP: I use quart glass canning jars to freeze all our tomato sauce. I can add hot sauce to them without worry and then thaw them in the microwave or a pot of hot water more easily. What about breakage? Make sure to leave 2-inches for expansion (as shown above) – I haven’t had a problem with breaking while in the freezer, though I’ve lost a jar while defrosting.
Oh, and any sauce that doesn’t fit in the quart jars? That’s my bonus which I usually eat right away like soup!
How to Use Freezer Roasted Tomato Sauce
Some of my favorite recipes to use this sauce include:
- Simple Baked Pasta with Cheese
- Easy Chicken Spinach Calzone – Ready in an Hour (sauce over the top)
- One Pot Italian Pasta with Sausage & Spinach
- Savory Tomato Seafood Stew
- As a soup on it’s own! Add a bit of chicken broth or tomato juice (or even cream if you like that) and you’ve got soup in about 10 minutes of heating up time.
If you’re like our family, you are going to be SO happy to have taken the time to make this roasted tomato sauce when you’re eating it long after the harvest has passed – and one that’s convenient, tasty, and healthy.
FAQs
I haven’t made this with frozen tomatoes, but you probably could! I’d let the tomatoes thaw about halfway to have some juice to pour off – but you do want some of it. Then I’d roast the other veggies first until tender and add the frozen tomatoes (with or without skins) for another 10-20 minutes or so. Whir it all up -I think it would be great!
No, this is not safe for canning (neither water-bath or pressure) with all the onions, garlic, and other low acid vegetables – most of which are not measured, just thrown in. The little bit of balsamic does not make it safe, nor would citric acid – there’s just too many other ingredients. And the joy of this recipe is that you can just throw things in. If you want a SAFE roasted tomato sauce, use this one that’s been tested and approved for roasting.
I know many people who use freezer baggies instead to maximize room in the freezer. I find it easier to use glass because I don’t have to wait for the sauce to cool down first and it’s easier to defrost. Do what works for you.
To thaw, you can leave containers in the fridge overnight, use a microwave if you used glass jars or place jars or baggies in a bowl of warm water until it’s thawed enough to get out of the bag.
That’s before coring and seeding.
You can pour it immediately into glass jars after blending and let the jars sit uncovered for 20-30 minutes, to cool a bit more before freezing. If you are using anything plastic to freeze the sauce, I would let the sauce cool to room temperature BEFORE adding it to the plastic, both for the integrity of the plastic and the fact that hot temps cause particle to leach from the plastic into food.
Reader Raves
“OH MY GOODNESS! I can’t believe how good this recipe is. I made a batch this afternoon with a mixture of Roma, San Marzano, and other heirloom tomatoes from our garden. It is DELICIOUS!” -Kimberly
“This roasted sauce is just about the best thing I’ve ever made/learned from the internet. If my garden doesn’t produce enough tomatoes (we live on the ocean, Oregon coast central) I will travel inland to buy boxes of tomatoes. It is delish!! Thank you.” -Carolynn
“This is wonderful! Have made several freezer batches. I’ve had a bumper crop of peppers this summer. This has been a tasty, quick and easy way to use my garden produce. Thank you!” -Amy
“I made this today and am so excited about it – delicious! I used San Marzano tomatoes from our garden and added zucchini, carrots, sweet peppers, and celery. So yummy, my kids wanted to eat it straight.” -Julia
“Just finished processing my roasted tomato sauce…WOW…it is so very good, simple, easy and tastes so much better than any of the stuff you buy in the store.” -Mrs. Kim
More Easy Recipes Like This
- Balsamic Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce (Freezer Friendly)
- Water-Bath Safe Canned Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Canning Diced Tomatoes – Easy Fire Roasted Water Bath Method
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The BEST Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe – Fresh or Freeze
Equipment
- large roasting pan (with sides)
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- 6-qt. stock pot
- hand-held immersion blender OR blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 pounds tomatoes, cored and cut in half* (pounds are approximate – fill your roasting pan in one layer with tomatoes)
- 1 teaspoon each dried herbs of choice: thyme oregano, basil OR 1+ tablespoon fresh chopped herbs chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped
- Any other vegetables on hand: zucchini peppers, carrots, celery (optional)
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Spread olive oil over bottom of roasting pan. Sprinkle any dried and/or fresh herbs over the bottom of the pan, then add the salt and pepper, and finish with the red pepper flakes, if using.
- Place tomatoes cut side down in a single layer in pan on top of the seasonings until pan is full. Then add onions, garlic, and any other vegetables, nestling them around the tomatoes, keeping the single layer. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar.
- Roast for 45-60 minutes or until vegetables are soft and tomato skins are puffed and most are browning/blackening. TIP: if roasting more than one pan, switch all the pans around at the halfway mark.
- Remove from oven and pluck the tomato skins off with tongs (if desired) – most should remove easily.
- If using a hand-held/immersion blender: Tip the pans, one at a time, into a large, 6-quart stock pot, scraping all the vegetables and juices into the pot. Use the stick blender to whir the vegetables into a smooth sauce.
- If using a blender or food processor: Let vegetables cool about 30 minutes and then evenly spoon vegetables and liquid into a blender or food processor. Process briefly for a chunky sauce, or more for a smooth sauce. Repeat until all your vegetables are blended.
- Use right away, or freeze for later by pouring into quart-size jars, freezer containers or baggies (when cooler), label and freeze for up to a year.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: This recipe was originally published in 2009 and has been updated in 2017 and 2023.
Have you ever made this from frozen tomatoes? I freeze all my tomatoes and then can in the fall when I have time. I am wondering how the thawed tomatoes would do with roasting and if it matters if the skins are still on (when I thaw them the skins slide right off and would be more difficult to cut through). Any changes you would make when starting from frozen/thawed tomatoes? Thanks! The recipe sounds amazing!
I haven’t tried that, Erika, though I’ve had people ask. Knowing what frozen tomatoes are like, I’m not they’d need the roasting stage at all, as they will have a cooked texture. I’d roast all the other ingredients and mix them together with the frozen tomatoes in a pot before blending.
I made this today and am so excited about it – delicious! I used San Marzano tomatoes from our garden and added zucchini, carrots, sweet peppers, and celery. So yummy, my kids wanted to eat it straight.
I’m eagerly waiting for more tomatoes to ripen to make more 🙂
Yes! Like your kids I often eat it straight from the spoon. 🙂
Have you tried canning this sauce. Freezing is great but toss of canned sauce make me feel more secure!
It’s not save for canning with all the onions, garlic, and other vegetables, Mike.
OH MY GOODNESS! I can’t believe how good this recipe is. I made a batch this afternoon with a mixture of Roma, San Marzano, and other heirloom tomatoes from our garden. It is DELICIOUS! I didn’t add any extra vegetables, none on hand, but I do grow basil and garlic, so those were in there. This recipe taste just like the tomato basil soup from Royal Caribbean. I labeled my 4 quarts, “Roasted Tomato Soup”, this is too good for pasta. Thanks Jami for another WONDERFUL tried and true recipe.
Yep, you pretty much describe my reaction to this, too, every single year I make it! I still can get over how good it is. And I often eat it with a spoon, so I guess it could be a soup, too. 🙂
Now this was a bit weird. I used up the last of the Roma’s I picked out at the farm (maybe 2-1/2 to 3 lbs). I used one disposable 13×9 pan and put the rest in my 8×8. I’ve got a small oven so they just fit. I added onion, garlic, sweet red and green peppers, and a wilting zucchini. Plus some oregano, thyme, and basil (and salt and pepper). Oh, and the balsamic vinegar (which works a charm!). I roasted both pans at 400 for maybe 40 minutes. The 13×9 pan contents cooked down and slid out perfectly. The 8×8, on the other hand, stuck and kinda caramelized (not exactly burnt). I scraped out as much as I could and immersion-blended the whole thing. Amazing tasting sauce! Considering the 8×8 pan situation, I doubt I could ever totally replicate this, but I know it’ll still be fantastic! I think I got about a quart, and I definitely will be making this again. Will it work with frozen tomatoes, do you think?
Glad you like this, Beth – it’s a winner for sure! I think it should work with frozen – they may put out more liquid at first and need more cooking. You’ll have to watch and see how they cook down. (The 8×8 stuck because it was so much smaller – next time you can pull it out early to prevent that.)
Got some tomatoes left from picking out at the farm late last week, so I’ll be doing this today or this evening. I was surprised to read you had a jar break when the sauce was defrosting! Was the lid still on, loosened, removed? My kitchen walls are a terra cotta color but, even so, doubt they’d be enhanced by tomato red! 🙂
Every once in awhile I have a frozen mason jar break (like once in 5 years or so, so rare). I have no idea why, other than there must be a weakness in the jar. Just recently it was a jar of frozen bone broth that was defrosting slowly in the fridge.
I think you’ll love this recipe, Beth – I just made some last night and I have no problem eating it by the spoonful as dinner. 🙂
Thanks so much
Can you can this sauce and if so how long is the processing time. It looks so good and I don’t have freezer space
Sorry this hasn’t been tested for canning and it uses a lot of low acid vegetables, so really isn’t meant for canning.
Just wanted to thank you for the article you did last year on the Harvest Pro Sauce Maker. I saved up and bought one this year, and I’ve processed 20 lbs of tomatoes in around 15 minutes. I’d still be grinding if I didn’t have this, and probably wouldn’t have known about it if it wasn’t for you! So, thanks.
I’m so happy to hear this Su – thanks so much for letting me know! What an amazing difference, and that’s exactly how I felt. 🙂
I make this wonderful recipe every year.
Are there any veggies you have used but wouldn’t add them again?
I have eggplants galore,
trying to find something to do with them.
I don’t grow eggplant, Janiece, but if you like the flavor of them, try adding some. I’ve found it’s a great way to use up veggies. I’ve used peppers, zucchini and other squash, celery, onion.
I love a great roasted tomato sauce, but I’ve never added balsamic vinegar! I’ll have to try that next time. Thanks for the recipe, Jami. 🙂
It adds amazing flavor, Michelle!
Just made some today and could eat it with a spoon right out of the food processor (which I use instead of a blender). So tasty! I often use it for making tomato soup by adding home-canned tomato juice to thin it a bit.
I always plan to have some for lunch as a ‘soup’ too, Sue, since I eat it from the spoon like you. 🙂
I feel like I can never have to much tomato sauce. There is truly nothing better than when it’s made fresh. You make it look so easy and delicious. I can’t wait to give this a try 🙂
Hope you like this, Angie!
Hi Jami,
I’m a great fan of yours and this recipe for roasted tomato sauce sounds outstanding!
I’m anxious to try today since I’ve got tons of tomatoes awaiting in the garden and a bag of local Walla Walla Sweets that would work wonderfully. I’m going to try roasting them in our pellet BBQ so I don’t heat up the kitchen so much and hopefully it might lend a nice smoky flavor too.
I was wondering if you or anyone has ever used quart size freezer bags for the sauce? And what is your opinion on using those versus glass jars?
I was thinking when it came time to use the sauce how do you thaw it to use for a meal?
Thank you so much for all of your wonderful ideas and recipes…love ’em!!
Marci Kay
Thank you, Marci – I’m so glad to know that. 🙂 I know many people who use freezer baggies instead to maximize room in the freezer – do what works for you. To thaw, I’d place in a bowl of warm water until it’s thawed enough to get out of the bag.
Wow! This roasted tomato sauce recipe is my kind of recipe! This looks like a keeper and also one to share. I do winter squash and pumpkin in the oven too. I’ve made apple butter in the oven…only way to go with that! Thanks so much. Happy harvesting. Are you helping your Mom put all goodies away against the winter months? I remember those days so well, back on our Iowa farm.
Yes, I love that roasted flavor on lots of things, too, Sydra. I actually like a slow cooker for apple butter though. 🙂 I’m hoping to get a good stash preserved this year even though during our moving transition I’ll have to buy vegetables!
I love roasted vegetables and I love how you can sneak in zucchini too. Right now we have an abundance of zucchini but no tomatoes yet. I’m hoping we get a few tomatoes soon so I can try this recipe.
Ah, frustrating that the tomatoes are taking so long this year, Shelly – you’d think they’d love all this sunshine we’ve been having and it would make up for the wet spring. 🙂
I LOVE how roasting the veggies intensifies flavor. Such a great standby in the freezer! It’s always nice to zip down to the freezer for handy sauces like this.
I must confess that I’m terrible about using things that I have frozen. However, the one thing I do use is my husband’s spaghetti sauce. It really keeps well for a long time in the freezer. So, I imagine that this yummy recipe would too and it’s one that I could see us using a lot. Thanks for the great idea. Now I know what I’m going to so with all the tomatoes I got from the CSA pickup.
I hope you like this, Patti!
This is really neat, when the kids were home I made freezer sauce all the time, just made like easier on those busy days when I didn’t really feel like cooking. I did it completely different. I love this idea and because my kids were picky eaters and not fans of veggies it was the perfect way to sneak in veggies so I grated the zucchini and chopped up mushrooms so they were very small. Green, red or yellow peppers are good veggie to incorporate too, nice flavor..
Love that idea, Carole. 🙂
I made a bunch of these last year and I LOVE them. And I get to use some of my zucchini up! I just now had to find the recipe so I can start on this year’s batch.
The only thing I did different is I further condensed the sauce on the stove top.
Because I used several different recipes I marked the cans OC for Oregan Cottage so I’d know… and the wife teased me about it, saying it meant Obsessive-Compulsive! HaHa!
Just wanted to add that I just roasted the veggies and added all the seasonings on the stovetop. I found the herbs often burned when in the oven.
And I saw the question about canning and yes I pressure canned all of mine and they turned out fine. If you’re concerned about the acidity you can add a dash of canned lemon juice (5% acidity) but since the recipe contains vinegar you should be fine IMO.
Good to know – thank you for updating, Manny!
To funny!