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    Home » Sauces & Condiments » Roasted Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes {Video}

    Roasted Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes {Video}

    Published: October 4, 2020 · Jill Baird · 24 Comments

    marinara sauce with fresh tomatoes

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    This Roasted Marinara Sauce is a simple way to preserve fresh, ripe tomatoes at their peak and bring out their natural flavor. We slow cook them with just a few basic ingredients, like onions, garlic and basil, to make the most delicious homemade marinara sauce.

    Jump to:
    • Roasted Marinara Sauce Video Tutorial
    • Roasted Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
    • How to Roast Tomatoes
    • Best Tomatoes to Use For Roasted Marinara Sauce
    • Uses For Your Homemade Marinara Sauce
    • Ingredients in Roasted Marinara Sauce
    • How to Make Homemade Marinara with Fresh Tomatoes
    • How to Store Roasted Marinara Sauce
    • Can I Freeze Roasted Marinara Sauce?
    • Roasted Marinara Sauce

    Roasted Marinara Sauce Video Tutorial

    Roasted Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

    The best time to make this fresh tomato marinara sauce is towards the end of the summer when tomatoes are at their peak.  If you have your own garden, you will definitely appreciate a tasty use for the abundance of tomatoes at this time!  If you don’t, you should still be able to find nice ripe tomatoes at your local grocery store.  Tomatoes in the winter just aren’t the same.

    If you have never tried, let us be the first to tell you that making homemade marinara from fresh tomatoes is much simpler than you might think.  Most of the time involved is babysitting your tomatoes and onions to make sure they don’t burn.  Otherwise, you’re basically just stirring and tasting!

    We highly recommend making enough to save some for later, whether you store in the fridge, freezer or jar.  Tomato season only comes once a year, so make the most of it!

    fresh onions and tomatoes, ready to roast

    How to Roast Tomatoes

    Roasting fresh tomatoes couldn’t be more simple.  We like the sheet pan tomatoes method, which involves just a few easy steps:

    1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
    2. Cut tomatoes into quarters and remove any stems.
    3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and any other fresh herbs you might want to use.
    4. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden brown on top.
    5. Remove from the oven and use in your homemade Roasted Marinara Sauce.
    roasted tomatoes and onions in a glass baking dish

    Best Tomatoes to Use For Roasted Marinara Sauce

    Our favorite grocery store tomatoes to use for sauce are Roma tomatoes, hands down.  They have very few seeds and their flesh is incredibly meaty and flavorful.  If you are a gardener and want to try to grow your own heirloom varieties, the following ripe tomatoes make excellent Roasted Marinara Sauce, but are difficult to find fresh in the store:

    • Amish Paste tomatoes
    • San Marzano tomatoes
    • Viva Italia tomatoes
    • Polish Linguisa tomatoes
    marinara sauce ingredients on a baking sheet

    Uses For Your Homemade Marinara Sauce

    Probably the most common use for Roasted Marinara Sauce is as spaghetti sauce for pasta.  However, there are so many other great uses!  This homemade version will really elevate any dish that you use it in.  Some of our favorite uses are:

    • Use for the sauce in our Easy Lasagna, Baked Ziti, 4 Cheese Stuffed Pasta or any other red sauce pasta dish you can think of.
    • As dipping sauce for Homemade Cheesy Breadsticks, Copy Cat Olive Garden Breadsticks or Soft Pretzel Bites
    • In any sort of Parmesan, including Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan and Homemade Chicken Parmesan
    • For pizza sauce or stuffed into Homemade Calzones
    • Served with chicken cutlets or Spicy Italian Meatballs
    Homemade marinara sauce in a pot topped with fresh basil.

    Ingredients in Roasted Marinara Sauce

    • Olive Oil - this lends a great flavor to the finished sauce.
    • Onions - we used a yellow onion, however you could easily substitute white onions.
    • Garlic - we like to use fresh garlic for marinara sauce, but you could also use ¾ tablespoon of garlic powder.
    • Tomatoes - we prefer to use Roma tomatoes, or any heirloom variation of these.  They have minimal seeds with meaty, flavorful flesh.
    • Sugar - a very little bit goes a long way in taming some of the acidity from all of the tomatoes.  You could also substitute maple syrup if you want to use a more natural sugar.
    • Basil - you want to use fresh basil if possible.
    • Bay Leaves - fresh bay leaves have the most powerful flavor.  A helpful hint is to store your fresh basil in the freezer since you won’t use it very often.  It will last for up to 6 months stored this way.
    • Onion Powder - this adds a nice sweetness.
    • Salt and Pepper
    • Baking Soda - a tiny amount of baking soda will help to mellow the acidity of all of the tomatoes by bringing the ph down a touch.
    • Balsamic Vinegar - this really rounds out the overall flavor of your sauce, but is entirely optional.
    baking dishes full of tomatoes in oven
    •  

    How to Make Homemade Marinara with Fresh Tomatoes

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
    2. Lay the quartered tomatoes on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    3. Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the tomatoes are golden on top. 
    4. While the tomatoes are roasting, heat a large sauce pot over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Once heated, add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have turned translucent and begun to caramelize.  Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking and stirring occasionally until they turn a deep, rich, golden hue, or about 20 minutes total.
    5. Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic and saute until the garlic is soft, about 2-3 more minutes, then remove from heat until the tomatoes are finished roasting.
    6. Once the tomatoes have roasted, remove from the oven and transfer them to the pot with the onions, discarding any watery tomato juice.  Mix with a spatula, then use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer to a blender or food processor in batches) and blend until there are no large chunks.
    7. Add the sugar, basil, bay leaves, onion powder, salt, baking soda and balsamic vinegar and stir to combine, then return to heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes to reduce slightly and to combine the flavors. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
    8. Use immediately, or cool completely and transfer to an airtight container to store in the fridge or freezer.
    Roasted tomatoes in a large pot.

    How to Store Roasted Marinara Sauce

    You are welcome to can your sauce if you would like, but here’s a little secret - you don’t have to.  Unless you have quart after quart of sauce, you will do just fine either storing leftovers in the fridge or the freezer.  

    Marinara sauce in a pot topped with fresh basil and bay leaves.

    To store in the fridge, transfer your cooled marinara sauce into an airtight container for up to 7 days.  

    Can I Freeze Roasted Marinara Sauce?

    Yes - we absolutely recommend making enough to freeze, especially if you have a surplus of fresh garden tomatoes to use up.  Just make sure and cool your sauce completely, then transfer 1-2 cups of sauce into each freezer bag, laying them flat in the freezer.  You can store frozen for up to 5 months!

    To reheat, transfer directly into a saucepot and heat over low, or else thaw in the fridge overnight and use as needed the next day.

    Other Tips for Roasting Tomatoes

    • If you’re using a metal pan, make sure it’s not made of aluminum, which can react with the acidity of the tomatoes.
    • It's best to use a  baking rack, you can roast tomatoes on parchment-lined baking sheets or glass baking dishes with a thin coating of olive oil.
    Print

    Roasted Marinara Sauce

    This Roasted Marinara Sauce is a simple way to preserve ripe tomatoes at their peak and bring out their natural flavor. We slow cook them with just a few basic ingredients, like onions, garlic and basil, to make the most delicious homemade marinara sauce.
    Course Sauce
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
    Servings 8 Cups
    Calories 65kcal
    Author The Carefree Kitchen

    Ingredients

    • 8-12 Large Roma Tomatoes stems removed and cut into quarters (enough to cover a baking sheet)
    • 3 Tablespoons Olive oil
    • ½ Tablespoon Pepper
    • ½ Tablespoon Salt
    • 1 large Onion diced
    • 4 Cloves Garlic minced
    • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
    • ¼ Cup Fresh Basil chopped
    • 2 large Bay Leaves
    • 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
    • ⅛ Teaspoon Baking Soda
    • 2 Teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Lay the quartered tomatoes on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    • Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the tomatoes are golden on top.
    • While the tomatoes are roasting, heat a large sauce pot over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Once heated, add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have turned translucent and begun to caramelize.  Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking and stirring occasionally until they turn a deep, rich, golden hue, or about 20 minutes total.
    • Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic and saute until the garlic is soft, about 2-3 more minutes, then remove from heat until the tomatoes are finished roasting.   
    • Once the tomatoes have roasted, remove from the oven and transfer them to the pot with the onions, discarding any watery tomato juice.  Mix with a spatula, then use an immersion blender (or carefully transfer to a blender or food processor in batches) and blend until there are no large chunks.
    • Add the sugar, basil, bay leaves, onion powder, salt, baking soda and balsamic vinegar and stir to combine, then return to heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes to reduce slightly and to combine the flavors. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
    • Use immediately, or cool completely and transfer to an airtight container to store in the fridge or freezer.

    Notes

    Tips for Making the Most Amazing Homemade Marinara Sauce:

    • Be sure to take the time to caramelize the onions before you add the other ingredients. They should reach a golden brown, transparent, VERY soft consistency. This is the secret to this simple marinara sauce recipe!
    • After you add the garlic, make sure it's golden too. Then you can add all your other ingredients.
    • This sauce freezes very well!  

    Nutrition

    Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 315mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1037IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

    Here are some more homemade sauce recipes that we love!

    • Easy Alfredo Sauce
    • Best Homemade Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce
    • Cranberry Orange Sauce
    • Homemade Marinara Sauce
    • Buffalo Sauce

    More Tomato Recipes

    • Parmesan Roasted Tomatoes

    If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest,  feel free to leave a comment and photo there too.  Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!

    pinterest pin for roasted marinara sauce

    This Roasted Marinara Sauce uses fresh tomatoes at their peak to make the most delicious and simple sauce. We slow cook them with just a few basic ingredients, like onions, garlic and basil, to bring out the best tomato flavor.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julie

      August 22, 2022 at 7:26 pm

      I tried this tonight using regular tomatoes from the garden. Doubled the amount of tomato and onion and left everything else the same.I pushed all the seeds out of the tomatoes first. Roasted 45 minutes or so and there was very little water, skins also dissolved easily with immersion blender. Added all of it and it is just delicious. It is thick but I’ll add some tomato juice if I need it. Great recipe.

      Reply
    2. Jenna

      August 15, 2022 at 10:15 am

      Sauce consistency was perfect. This recipe is a little sweet for my taste. I like my sauce a bit more on the tangier side. I would probably cut the balsamic and sugar in half if not more next time around. Still tasty though!

      Reply
    3. Jackie

      November 22, 2021 at 7:59 pm

      My marinara turned out very thick. I’m planning on thinning it out with some chicken stock. Did anyone else have this problem?

      Reply
      • Laura

        July 31, 2022 at 2:37 pm

        Yes mine was very thick also. Will probably only get about a cup of sauce. Would be helpful to have the weight of the tomatoes. Next time will leave out the sugar.

        Reply
      • Heather

        August 29, 2022 at 5:54 am

        Could you can this recipe while still hot?

        Reply
        • Jill Baird

          October 17, 2022 at 1:09 pm

          I haven't tried canning this, but I freeze it regularly.

          Reply
    4. Matt

      October 11, 2021 at 6:27 pm

      You know, as long as you are roasting tomatoes, you can put the garlic cloves (might as well use the whole head) on the roasting pan, then just pop them out of their skins and save a step. Otherwise great recipe.

      Reply
    5. Karen L Smith

      August 21, 2021 at 11:17 am

      Thank you! Love this sauce. It's a keeper

      Reply
    6. Mary Beth

      July 19, 2021 at 3:00 pm

      Can you use other tomatoes than Roma? I have grown Better Boy. They are very meaty like a Roma…. Is I can substitute, how many do you suggest I use? Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Jill Baird

        July 21, 2021 at 8:57 am

        Yes, you can definitely use a different tomato, just sub them out. I even use a variety of tomatoes, whatever I have ripe in my garden at the time.

        Reply
    7. Mary Beth

      July 19, 2021 at 2:51 pm

      Do you remove the skin after roasting or just leave on when using the blender?

      Reply
      • Jill Baird

        July 21, 2021 at 8:57 am

        I just leave mine on and blend it all up together. It makes the sauce so thick and rich!

        Reply
      • Juanita

        August 05, 2022 at 11:57 am

        Hi. Will the skins blend well when using the immersion blender? I don't want to have the skins "curling" up in the sauce. I guess I'm trying to keep from peeling the skins off of the tomatoes before cooking the sauce down. Thanks.

        Reply
        • Jill Baird

          August 10, 2022 at 3:08 am

          I don't know that an immersion blender will be powerful enough to dissolve the skins. I've had great success with a powerful blender.

          Reply
    8. Jill Selbach

      May 19, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      This was excellent!! The whole family really loved it. I should have made a double or triple batch. I still have tomatoes so I’ll be making more tomorrow.

      Reply
    9. Mel

      March 31, 2021 at 9:26 pm

      Your photos are always so yummy looking!! I had to try this. I can't believe how easy and delicious it is to roast tomatoes. Excited to try it again with fresh off-the-vine, in-season tomatoes later this summer. But it was really good with grocery store variety in March! lol Thanks again for such a great recipe.

      Reply
      • The Carefree Kitchen

        April 03, 2021 at 8:24 am

        So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    10. wilhelmina

      March 31, 2021 at 8:46 pm

      There is just nothing like fresh, homemade marinara! It is the best way to take a simple pasta dinner to another level. We loved this recipe!

      Reply
      • The Carefree Kitchen

        April 03, 2021 at 8:24 am

        I'm so glad to hear you loved it!

        Reply
        • Leslie

          November 27, 2021 at 2:37 pm

          I found this to be very thick and too sweet. I followed it exactly but had to change things up at the end. I added liquid and still found it too sweet. The technique is good so I will use that and just personalize.

          Reply
      • Melissa

        October 20, 2021 at 5:07 pm

        Can this recipe be canned?

        Reply
        • Kacy

          June 12, 2022 at 7:30 pm

          This tasted so great until the addition of the last items. Weirdly sweet. I think next time I would leave out the balsamic and lessen sugar

          Reply
        • Alison

          July 03, 2022 at 9:18 am

          Hi. I have a couple questions. I made this last summer and it was delicious. However after blending I still had small stringy pieces of tomato skin left in my marina sauce. What did I do wrong? Also I’m new to canning but have been told I need to add some type of vinegar or lemon juice/wine to make it safe. I don’t see that in your recipe- other than a small amount of balsamic vinegar. How can I make it safe for canning? Thank you!

          Reply
          • Jill Baird

            July 03, 2022 at 11:46 am

            As far as the stringy things go, I'd just be sure to blend it really well. Do it in smaller batches if needed. You can add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice but to be honest, I don't know how safe it is to can. I'm not an expert in this area. Sorry, I can't help you there. I have, however, been able to freeze the marinara sauce and it tastes wonderful after it's thawed. Best wishes!

            Reply

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