Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce (freezable!)

Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 3 -4 lbs ripe tomatoes, stems removed
• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1/4 teaspoon dried herbs (optional- i use an italian mix, or 1 teaspoon fresh herbs)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or more)
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Recipe

• 1 heat the oven to 375ºf. core and slice the tomatoes in half, then arrange them cut-side down, in one layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet or baking pan, lined with parchment paper, if you like, for easier clean-up.
• 2 arrange the onions, garlic and herbs over the top, then drizzle the whole thing evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, sugar, and pepper.
• 3 bake for an hour and a half to two hours (or so), until the tomatoes are browning in spots and have fully collapsed.
• 4 now you have choices: put the contents of the pan (including all the juices), through a food mill: this will make a smooth, skinless and seedless sauce. or else remove the skins and either blend it all in a blender or food processor, which will make a good but more roughly textured and seedy sauce, or mash with a fork for a chunky sauce.
• 5 taste it: it will likely need a bit more salt, and more sugar too, if it seems acidic. use it, or allow it to cool completely, then spoon into labeled freezer bags and freeze, or (my favorite) spoon in 1/3 or 1/2 cup amounts into muffin tins and freeze. i use a silicon muffin pan. when they're frozen, pop them out and into ziploc bags and store in the freezer.
• 6 the measured amounts frozen in muffin tins make it simple to get out just what you need when you're making pasta, pizza, tamale pie, or other recipes.