Unauthorized cooking with my unauthorized co-blogger!

Today we'll be cooking with my pal Mama in Wonderland and using her posted recipe for Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce. Her instructions are in black, my comments are in red. Why didn't I have this recipe earlier I ask you? This is WAAAAAY easier than the old boiling water/ice water peeling method.

First, we'll start with today's garden bounty: piles of tomatoes both plum and regular, four weird cukes, lots of little onions, two yellow peppers, and one red pepper. I will never grow these onions again. Too small, and too time consuming to peel.

Easy & Delicious Roasted Tomato Sauce
makes approximately 4 cups, depending on size/amount of tomatoes

3-4 lbs. fresh tomatoes, stems removed (I had so many tomatoes, I just kept slicing and seeding until I had filled a jelly roll pan)
1 medium onion, sliced (again, I followed the "fill the jelly roll pan" method)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (I used 7-8)
1/4 cup olive oil (Enough to drizzle over the whole pan full)
1 tsp. salt (I was more liberal)
1 tsp. sugar (I used more like 2t.)
ground black pepper (to taste, optional) (Oh Yeah!)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice tomatoes lengthwise and place cut-side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. (I lined the pan with parchment because I hate scraping off burned bits) (You may also double the recipe, use 2 baking sheets, and switch the pans around halfway through cooking time for even roasting.) If using cherry tomatoes, no need to slice; just spread in single layer on pan, as many as will fit. (Using my fingers, I seeded them after slicing. I'm weird and don't like seeds in there)

Scatter onion slices and minced garlic over the top of the tomatoes, then drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt, sugar, and pepper.

Place in oven and roast approximately 1-1/2 hours (Mine took longer - my oven is slow) for large tomatoes and perhaps 45 minutes for cherry tomatoes, or until tomatoes have collapsed and are browned in some places. (You may need to check occasionally to get the timing right; it varies, but do not let it worry you too much. Just don't let it all burn into a black mass.) Do not be concerned if partway through this cooking time you see the pan fill up with juices; this will cook down.


When roasted, carefully spoon/pour contents of pan(s) into blender (or food processor, if you have one, but I don't, so bear with me), including all juices. (I also added a handful of my basil, and some more garlic salt. Hmmmmmm this is so stinkin good you'll want some soon!)


Puree until smooth. Taste and add more salt and/or sugar if needed. Either use immediately for pasta or pizza, or let cool completely and then spoon into 1-cup containers to freeze. When frozen solid, you may turn out the blocks of sauce and place together in a labeled Ziploc freezer bag, which saves space in the freezer and frees up your containers again. (We're a hungry family of five, and that will perfectly dress a pound of pasta for Tuesday night's supper!)

Thanks Mama,
you are one awesome cook!