When friends call with extra tomatoes, I take them up on it. I love to make marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes. It’s actually not as difficult as it seems. You really don’t need to peel the tomatoes. My Fresh Tomato Basil Marinara is made with the traditional beefsteak tomatoes. This Roasted Tomato Blender Marinara is made with Plum or Roma tomatoes. The difference in the two is the moisture content.
Fresh Tomato Goodness.
Beefsteak tomatoes have far more juice than Plum or Roma. The meaty texture of the smaller Roma style tomatoes makes them perfect for roasting. They are sweet and caramelized without a lot of work or excess liquid. If you like a thicker and heartier pasta sauce, this recipe is for you.
I highly recommend using parchment paper on your sheet pans for this recipe. It makes the whole process smoother and will save your sheet pans from being ruined. The tomatoes really cook down and become kinda sticky. With the first test of this recipe, I didn’t use parchment. This was definitely a mistake. Other than making sure you use parchment, this is such an easy recipe. Forty minutes of roasting and you have a Marinara sauce that tastes like you slow cooked it all day long.
See that sticky goodness? This is why parchment is key.
I really hope you make this easy marinara recipe. This Roasted Tomato Blender Marinara is going to be my go to recipe when I come across a sale on Roma tomatoes. I was lucky enough to get the tomatoes for free this time, so it’s not only easy, but cost effective! I am using this sauce for pizza or pasta. You can even add meat and serve it over spaghetti.
Pin for Later! Make sure you tag me @freshfitkitchen on Instagram if you make it!
Roasted Tomato Blender Marinara
Ingredients
- 24 Plum Tomatoes quartered
- 2 tbsp. garlic minced
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp. Dried Basil
- 1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper optional
- salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- water for thinning sauce to your preference
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Cut tomatoes and garlic then toss with olive oil onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Make sure tomatoes are in a single layer. If not, use 2 pans. Do not salt the tomatoes at this stage.
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Roast the tomatoes for 20 minutes , toss and roast 20 more. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
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Add the mixture to a blender with the oregano, basil, and crushed red pepper if using. Blend it all up and add some salt. You'll want to add salt and pepper to your personal tastes. Keep some water nearby to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.
Recipe Notes
I find the tomatoes to sweeten so much from roasting that I don't need any sugar or honey to cut the acidity. If you do, add a little in the blending stage. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled depending on your tomato count.
Awesome! First batch complete. Added some sweet onions to the roasting pan too. Batches two and three are in the oven. What a simple, wholesome recipe!
Aerie! I am so happy you enjoyed it. The onions are a great addition. It’s a super versatile recipe. I am so glad it worked out for you!
Made this today its easy and good. No added sugar was necessary. Highly recommend !!??
That’s awesome ! I am so happy to hear this worked out so well for you. 🙂
YUM! I added some garlic and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, it was so good 🙂
Hi Gayle! I am so glad you enjoyed it! The addition of garlic and balsamic sounds amazing!