Yesterday Alix said her garden was exploding with end-of-the-season tomatoes. Here's what I do with my tomatoes. Last year I made tons of pints of this sauce and used it instead of commercially canned tomato sauce in my recipes. It's really good and, if your garden is producing a lot of basil, all the better.
I normally raise Roma tomatoes, but I've made the recipe using the same amount of non-Romas and it turned out just as good.
KATIE’S OVEN ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
(Makes about 3 cups)
5Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 lbs. Roma or plum tomatoes, cut
lengthwise in halves
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into
thin ribbons
Generously brush a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
Season the cut sides of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Place, cut side down, on the baking sheet. The skins will come off much easier if you slice off the stem end. Brush the skins with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bake in a preheated 450º oven until the tomato skins are lightly browned and the tomatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Keep and eye on the tomatoes to be sure they don't get too brown. The operative word here is lightly. Cool completely. Pinch the skins off the tomatoes and discard.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic and red pepper in a small skillet over medium heat until the garlic has softened but has not browned, about 2 minutes. (I tend to go easy on the red pepper.) Puree the tomatoes and garlic oil in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Process until the basil is uniformly distributed through the sauce. Note: The sauce can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated or frozen for up to 2 months. It can also be canned using a water-bath. Fill clean sterilized jars, leaving ½-inch head space. Process pints for 15 minutes.
I normally raise Roma tomatoes, but I've made the recipe using the same amount of non-Romas and it turned out just as good.
KATIE’S OVEN ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
(Makes about 3 cups)
5Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 lbs. Roma or plum tomatoes, cut
lengthwise in halves
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into
thin ribbons
Generously brush a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
Season the cut sides of the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Place, cut side down, on the baking sheet. The skins will come off much easier if you slice off the stem end. Brush the skins with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bake in a preheated 450º oven until the tomato skins are lightly browned and the tomatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Keep and eye on the tomatoes to be sure they don't get too brown. The operative word here is lightly. Cool completely. Pinch the skins off the tomatoes and discard.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic and red pepper in a small skillet over medium heat until the garlic has softened but has not browned, about 2 minutes. (I tend to go easy on the red pepper.) Puree the tomatoes and garlic oil in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Process until the basil is uniformly distributed through the sauce. Note: The sauce can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated or frozen for up to 2 months. It can also be canned using a water-bath. Fill clean sterilized jars, leaving ½-inch head space. Process pints for 15 minutes.
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