Easy Summer Roasted Tomato Sauce
Yield: 2 quarts
This recipe is a celebration of seasonal tomatoes and fresh herbs. Any variety of tomatoes will do although Romas (Italian tomatoes) tend to have more flesh and less water which is ideal.
Ingredients:
2 medium heads garlic
5 pounds garden tomatoes, cut in half or quarters depending on size
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
6 whole sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 fresh bay leaves (if available, dried will do the trick)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
Fresh torn basil for serving.
Method:
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place clean whole garlic heads on a cut 8-inch square of parchment. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Enclose the garlic in parchment and loosely wrap in tinfoil making a small bundle. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes. The goal here is to bake the garlic until it is very soft but not golden.
Place tomatoes on baking sheets in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and roast 20 minutes alongside garlic.
Remove trays from oven and add fresh herbs, tucking them into the tomatoes so they don’t char. Sprinkle tomatoes evenly with salt and roast 20 minutes more.
Remove trays from oven and allow to cool. Open garlic bundle and allow to rest until cool enough to handle, 5 minutes. You should be able to easily peel back the garlic skins to expose the soft whole cloves.
Transfer cooled tomatoes to food processor by picking up the corners of the parchment and allowing the tomato mixture to slide into the bowl. Add garlic and pulse until smooth and silky. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To Serve:
This is a versatile sauce. Serve it with pasta, white beans, polenta, as a bed for white fish, as a pizza sauce, in a soup with, for example, roasted fennel, cooked into white rice, even baked with chicken or fish. Yum.
Variations:
Pulse in the food processor for a shorter period if you prefer a chunky sauce.
Add a pinch or two of hot red pepper flakes if you like a bit of contrast and heat.
Add a teaspoon of sugar to the roasting tomatoes. Depending on the acidity of your tomatoes, it may help to round out the sauce.
Finish warm sauce with a tablespoon of cold butter for a creamier finish.
