One of my favorite times of the year is when summer comes and the tomatoes begin to ripen. Tomatoes can be fixed so many ways. I like a big juicy slice on a piece of whole wheat toasted bread. With a dash of salt and pepper and a little no fat Miracle Whip, I am set for a summer treat.
The Benefits of Homemade Tomato Sauce
One of the benefits of traveling and working in the food world is that you meet people from all over the country who are food experts. One day as I was leaving the NBC Today show after a nightly rehearsal, I met a group of people from Boston who were also going to be on the show. Roger Burkowitz, the owner of Legal Seafood in Boston was there with his corporate, Chef Guida Ponte. If you can grow it, Guida can cook it. She is from the Azores Islands, a group of islands that belong to Portugal and are located out in the middle of the Atlantic.
We all went to dinner that night and what fun I had adding these wonderful people to my list of friends. Guida and I vowed that we would meet again and talk about food. That we have done for the past twenty years. One of my favorite recipes that I learned from Guida is how to prepare my own tomato sauce that I use for spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce in chili, tomato soup or just about any dish that calls for a tomato based sauce. The best thing about making this delicious sauce is I know the quality of the tomatoes, onions and garlic that goes into the sauce. There are no hidden fillers, sugar, or corn syrup in my tomato sauce.
Here’s Guida’s recipe. The calories are much less than prepared sauces that you buy in the store.
Roasted Tomato Sauce Recipe Outline
- Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare the baking sheet: Cover a large baking sheet with heavy-duty foil (ensure the foil has a good lip around the sides).
- Prepare the tomatoes: Cut the stems off approximately 15 medium to large tomatoes.
- Arrange the tomatoes: Place the tomatoes cut side down on the tray, leaving about ½ inch between them for airflow.
- Adding Vegetables
- Prepare onions and garlic: Peel and quarter 2 large onions. Place 5 cloves of garlic (unpeeled) onto the tray with the tomatoes.
- Roast the vegetables: Place the tray in the oven and roast the tomatoes, onions, and garlic until the skins of the tomatoes begin to slip off (approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour).
- Blending the Roasted Vegetables
- Remove the tray from the oven: Once the tomatoes are roasted, remove them from the oven.
- Peel the tomatoes (optional): Using tongs, remove the skins from the tomatoes. You can leave the skins on if preferred.
- Blend the vegetables: Place all the roasted vegetables (tomatoes, onions, and garlic) into a blender and process until smooth.
- Simmering the Sauce
- Transfer to a saucepan: Pour the blended mixture into a large saucepan.
- Simmer the sauce: Allow the sauce to simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally. Let it cook until it thickens to a consistency similar to spaghetti sauce (this may take a few hours).
- Add seasoning: Season with your preferred herbs and spices, or wait until you use the sauce in a dish.
- Storing the Sauce
- Cool the sauce: Once thickened, remove the saucepan from heat and let the sauce cool.
- Bottling: Pour the cooled sauce into pint or quart jars, leaving about ¾ inch of headspace at the top.
- Freeze: Seal the jars with lids and rings, and place the jars in the freezer. The sauce will last up to one year in the freezer.
- Important tip: Be sure to freeze the jars before applying the lids to avoid sealing while still hot.
I really like having this delicious tomato sauce on hand. All you need to do is thaw in fridge and use in your favorite dish. Remember, it’s makes a great spaghetti sauce, sauce in chili, and tomato soup. Have fun creating.
