Roasted Marinara Sauce

The tomatoes in NJ are amazing right now. They are big and juicy and begging to be canned, jarred and frozen so they can be enjoyed though out the year. Every family has their own way to make tomato sauce, and I won’t claim that mine is the best. However, this is a little bit different than your grandma’s recipe.

Roasting the tomatoes makes them rich and full of flavor. This also breaks down the tomatoes using their own natural juices so you don’t need to add as much extra liquid. Because of less extra liquid, you get more tomato flavor in the sauce.

I typically freeze this in ice cube trays. Once they are fully frozen, I pop them out and put them in a plastic bag that is labeled and dated. When I need one or two cubes, I pop them in the microwave and serve. This recipe also lends itself to canning for those of you who enjoy canning.

 

Roasted Marinara Sauce

12 large tomatoes quartered

2 medium onions peeled and quartered

4 cloves crushed garlic

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Small handful of fresh basil

1 cup semi-sweet white wine

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large 13x9 pan place the tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat. Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Add the cup of white wine. Stir to get all the bits up off the bottom of the pan and cook for 15 minutes.You should be seeing the tomatoes break down and the onions starting to turn brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Pour the tomato mixture and all the juices into the blender. Add the handful of basil. Set blender to the puree setting and blend to desired consistency. Allow to cool completely and pour into ice cube trays or freezer safe containers to freeze.