This Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce comes together easily, with no chopping or constant stove monitoring. Just pop it in the oven and let the roasting process intensify the flavor of canned tomatoes.
If I could have a stockpile of something in my cupboards – It would be canned tomatoes.
Like, it would be my dream if I could be one of those extreme couponers who has some magical way of leaving the grocery with three carts full of free tomatoes in tow… I’m not normally a hoarder, but I could make an exception.
There are so many things you can make with canned tomatoes – Lasagna Soup, Quick 5-Minute Avocado Salsa, Turkey Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce, Shrimp Fra Diavolo – The list goes on and on.
Plus, of course, there’s always pasta sauce!
My standard go-to recipe my Nana’s Sunday Gravy. I absolutely love this sauce – Tomatoes slow-simmered with all kinds of cuts of meat, until they’re tender and falling off the bone, finished with some fresh basil. It just brings back food memories – You know? When you taste one bite of something and you’re whisked away to some random point in your life?
As much as I adore Sunday Gravy, it really is a bit time intensive – Hence the name “Sunday” gravy. It really needs to simmer all day to get that great flavor.
So, I’ve been on the hunt for a great sauce recipe that’s more suitable for everyday cooking. I found this recipe for butter roasted tomato sauce in Bon Appétit and thought I’d give it a whirl.
The first thing I loved about this recipe – No chopping.
The second thing, stress reliever – You get to crush the tomatoes with your hands, smash the garlic cloves, and pop it all into the oven while you drink wine… That’s a winner in my book!
What Ingredients are in Roasted Tomato Sauce?
- Canned Whole Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Anchovies
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Butter
That’s it.
Do not let the anchovies throw you into a panic attack. These ‘lil guys lend such an extra element of flavor to this dish – I can’t imagine it without them. Nutty, salty, umami-ness. Plus, I guarantee you – They dissolve by the end of the roasting process. You won’t even know they were there.
Before Roasting ⬆ – Hello Mr. & Mrs. Anchovy.
After Roasting ⬇ – Anchovies gone!
What I was a bit skeptical about was the butter – Why do I need all that extra fat in an otherwise healthy tomato sauce? The butter lends a sweetness, the dairy helps to tenderize the tomatoes, and when it all condenses together, it really helps the sauce to coat those noodles perfectly.
I think of it this way – there’s no meat in the sauce, so I can spare a few extra calories for the butter. It really is worth it!
What Tomatoes are Best for Roasted Tomato Sauce?
I like to use canned tomatoes for my roasted tomato sauce. I love that they’re already peeled and ready toss in the roasting pan.
How Do you Make Roasted Tomato Sauce?
Just toss all the ingredients into a large baking dish. Let it roast in the oven for about 45-minutes and then mash it all together. The garlic becomes like butter itself, and the flavor of the tomatoes really concentrates and becomes extra delicious.
Be sure to save your pasta cooking liquid once the cooking time is up. You’ll want to add a splash of that in when you’re tossing your pasta with the roasted tomato sauce.
Do you have a go-to tomato sauce recipe that you love? I’d love to hear in the comments below.
Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 10 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
- 3 anchovy fillets (packed in oil )
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (plus more for serving)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- Finely grated Parmesan (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them, and their juices to a 13x9” baking dish, along with the garlic, anchovies, butter, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing halfway through, until the garlic has softened, and the liquid has reduced, approximately 40-45 minutes.
- Use a fork, or potato masher, to break up the tomatoes and garlic.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta coking water. Return pasta to pot and add tomato sauce, and reserved cooking water. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing the pasta and sauce, until pasta is well coated, about 3 minutes.
- Serve topped with parmesan cheese, and additional red pepper flakes, if desired.
Nutrition
If you loved this Roasted Tomato Sauce I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
Tips for Making Roasted Tomato Sauce:
- The sauce can be made up to four days ahead, and kept covered in the refrigerator. Just reheat before mixing with the pasta.
- If you are sensitive to heat, or serving this dish to children, feel free to omit the red pepper flakes, and just sprinkle on the finished dish.
Wine Pairings for Pasta with Tomato Sauce:
Because this sauce (like all tomato sauces) is high in acid, you’re going to want to pick a wine that can match that acidity. Stay away from heavy, tannic wines, and those flavors will clash with the tomatoes.
- A light-bodied Pinot Noir, Barbera or Dolcetto will pair well with this dish.
- Pinot Grigio has a crisp, vibrant flavor that will work also if you’re looking for a white wine option.
Looking for more pasta recipes? Be sure to try these too:
Chicken Linguine with Figs & Goat Cheese
Half & Half Linguini with Zucchini Noodles, Herbs & Fried Capers
Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole with Gruyere Cheese
Yum! Looks divine.
It’s a really decadent dish, that’s easy to prepare – Thanks Kristyn!
YUM! This looks great.
Thanks Melissa!
Mmmmm, butter. You know, I might make this my birthday dinner. My husband has already vetoed corned beef and tuna casserole (why he gets to veto my birthday dinner, still unclear, haha).
That’s funny Cyra! I always used to ask for Corned Beef on my birthday too!!! Food twins 😉
This looks great! “My” spaghetti sauce recipe is pretty labor intensive and makes A LOT. I might try this one when I want something simpler for fewer people.
Great point Melinda – This is a good sauce recipe to make when you don’t want a lot of leftovers. It makes just the right amount for a table of four.
oh my gosh, so good and so easy. Love the addition of anchovies.
http://www.dawnehanks.com
I’m very pro-anchovy – Love the flavor that they give! 😉
Maybe I will try it without the anchovies (sorry!). I’ve been wanting to make my owns sauce, but I don’t have time to monitor a pot.
As a vegetarian, you could definitely leave out the anchovies Kelley. You may need to add a bit more salt at the end, but it would still be absolutely delicious!
This looks delicious and I love the idea of adding anchovy fillets to the sauce! I bet it’s amazing with a dolcetto wine.
Dolcetto WOULD be amazing with this dish Marlynn! With its light acidity and low tannins – Great choice!
I love Spaghetti! And that Looks for good!!!
Thanks Raz! I’m a HUGE pasta fan too! It’s my Italian roots!
This sounds amazing! I would never have thought to use butter in a tomato sauce, definitely trying this! Thanks for posting 🙂
This sounds wonderful! I would never have thought to use butter in a tomato sauce, definitely trying this! Thanks for posting 🙂
The butter gives that extra bit of richness and really helps the sauce to cling to those noodles! It’s a good thing. (Remember when Martha Stewart used to say that?)
A hands-off sauce I can toss in the oven? Sign me up! I’ve seen butter added before, but not anchovies. I’m the one who would be scared of that, but I also love Caesar dressing so I know they add to flavor, same thing with fish sauce – the idea sounds gross but the final taste is amazing, haha!
This is right up your alley then Sarah! I promise, you won’t even know they were swimming around in there 🙂
Pasta with tomato sauce is one of my all time favorites. I love your buttery sauce! Cant wait to try this.
Thanks Lisa – I hope you love it as much as I did. Cheers!
Oooooooh! How have I not added a ton of butter to my spaghetti sauce before????! Total genius, Erin!
Butter makes everything better – Right Trish?! Really, it’s great for helping the sauce really cling to the noodles.
I am the same with canned tomatoes! This sauce looks sooo good, and I love that you added anchovies to them. What a brilliant flavor addition!
It’s so yummy Marlynn! The anchovies really add an extra layer of flavor!
I would love to make this for dinner tonight, but I don’t have anchovies on hand. Is there something other than salt I could use as a substitute such as capers or green olives?
This sounds delicious and I will definitely try it with anchovies in the future!
Hi Brook – You could leave out the anchovies. But I also like your idea of adding in olives or capers! Maybe don’t add them until halfway through so they don’t overcook though!