Preserving British tomatoes series: roast tomato sauce
Who doesn’t love a flavourful, simple tomato sauce? It is delicious as a pasta sauce, or with meat and fish - whatever you fancy really. And it freezes well!
Makes about 500ml
Prep 20 minutes
Cook ~30 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1kg British Tomatoes - whichever type you like
Optional: 1 bell pepper / courgette / aubergine / vegetable of your choice
1 whole bulb of garlic
2 red onions
Large handful of fresh basil, or herb of your choice - thyme, rosemary or oregano also works well!
1 tbsp tomato puree
1-2 tsp sugar
Optional: 2 tsp balsamic or red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C.
Cut up your tomatoes - cherry tomatoes in half, larger tomatoes into quarters
Cut up the onion and (if using) the additional vegetables into chunks. Add these and the tomatoes into a roasting tin, add the olive oil, salt & pepper as preferred and mix well.
Cut a little off the top of the garlic bulb to expose the tips of the cloves. Sit the bulb upright in a small piece of foil (big enough to wrap and cover the bulb) and drizzle a little olive oil over the top and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb in the foil and place in the roasting tray.
Add the tray to the preheated oven and cook for around 30 minutes. If using basil, add 20 minutes into roasting. If using other woody herbs add into the roasting tin at the beginning, removing any stalks.
Remove the pan when the tomatoes and veg are soft and slightly caramelised and the garlic bulb is soft. Allow to cool slightly.
Either tip the roasted tomatoes into a food processor or a pan/bowl suitable to use a handheld blender. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb into the mixture. Add the other ingredients - puree, sugar, vinegar.
Process the mixture until smooth, adding in a little water or stock if required to reach a good sauce consistency. Taste and add salt & pepper as preferred.
Reheat and enjoy with pasta or with whatever you fancy!
Alternatively, freeze into small portions for an easy, healthy and delicious last minute weekday meal.