ROASTING TOMATOES IS A QUICK AND EASY WAY TO MAKE FRESH, delicious tomato sauce. The high heat partially dehydrates the tomatoes and their skin becomes charred, enhancing the flavor.
This recipe produces an all-purpose tomato sauce for homemade pizza, pasta, or grilled chicken, or you can use it as the base for any number of more complex sauces. Press it through a fine-mesh strainer and add cream for a rich, smoky tomato soup. Roast some onion or garlic along with the tomatoes and add them to the blender. Use butter rather than olive oil. Add a tablespoon of minced fresh oregano. Any of these variations will give you a slightly different flavor, but the basic method is the same. I also include instructions here for turning the roasted tomatoes into a habanero salsa for chips.