This spicy smoky tomato sauce develops layers of flavor from roasting in the oven. It only takes 15 minutes to put together before sliding it into the oven, and can be used for many recipes.
Adding one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce adds a touch of smokiness and heat to the sauce, making it unique from any store-bought sauces. And a little balsamic vinegar increases that umami flavor we all crave.
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When you have some thick, flavorful tomato sauce on hand, you are minutes away from lots of meals. So, whether you have guests coming in, or know a busy week is coming up, make this sauce ahead of time to make your life easier.
This recipe uses canned tomatoes, but I have another Roasted Tomato Sauce that's best in the summer since it uses fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes at their peak.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Yellow onion - A white onion is fine, but don't use a red onion. It will be too sweet.
- Crushed tomatoes - Be sure to get San Marzano tomatoes that are certified as grown in the San Marzano region, if at all possible.
- Diced tomatoes - I use fire roasted diced tomatoes in this recipe.
- Whole peeled tomatoes - same comment as above for the crushed tomatoes.
- Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce - I've tried several different brands, and don't have a preference. So, just pick up what's convenient for you.
- Dried oregano
- Balsamic vinegar - Any balsamic vinegar will do. You won't need much.
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot
- Chef's knife
👩🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Using 3 kinds of tomatoes - whole peeled tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes - results in a tomato sauce with just the right amount of texture, without it being too smooth nor too chunky. You can slice up the whole peeled tomatoes, but I like to gently squeeze them and tear them apart for some irregular shapes in the sauce.
- Adding a little balsamic vinegar sharpens the flavors and increases the umami satisfaction we all crave.
- The chipotle pepper in adobo sauce adds a touch of smokiness and heat to the sauce, making it unique from any store-bought sauces.
- San Marzano tomatoes are worth the extra money, and purchasing particularly the whole peeled tomatoes grown in this region of Italy makes this a high-quality tomato sauce.
- The long roasting concentrates the flavors, making this a very special tomato sauce. Additionally, by surrounding the pot with 400˚F in the oven, it heats the sauce more evenly than on the stovetop, and prevents the sauce from cooking too much only on the bottom and possibly burning. Roasting it in the oven allows you to slide the sauce in, and walk away for an hour.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- If you like your sauce a little spicy instead of smoky, nix the chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, and instead add a couple pinches of red pepper flakes and add some garlic.
- For a southern Italy or Greek approach, add ½ cup sliced Kalamata olives. They are a fabulous addition.
- Add chopped celery, carrot and / or mushrooms to make it even heartier. It's plenty thick already after roasting, so add some water or vegetable broth if you take this path.
- Play with the herbs and swap out oregano for basil, or add 3 large garlic cloves, minced.
- If you want the smokiness without the heat, substitute 2 dried chipotle peppers for the chipotle peppers in adobo to make the sauce less spicy.
- Nix the smoky flavor and go with the clean flavors of tomatoes, onions, fresh oregano, and basil with this Spicy Marinara. A sprinkling of dried red pepper flakes adds some heat to this sauce.
- Simplify the recipe by using this one for San Marzano Tomato Sauce.
👩🍳 Ways to Use Homemade Tomato Sauce
- A super easy way to use this sauce is this spaghetti and chickpeas pasta dish.
- Use it on pizza, in quesadillas with some cheese, or ladle over roasted eggplant slices with some provolone cheese slices.
- Or, combine it with these Beyond Beef meatballs for a meatball casserole dinner with or without pasta.
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Smoky Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced about 2 cups diced
- 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, left whole
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed, oven-safe pot. The pot should be able to hold 8 cups, or 1 quart, of sauce comfortably. Add the onions and sauté for 5 - 7 minutes, or until softened.
- Stir in all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer, about 7 - 8 minutes. Slide the pot, uncovered, into the oven. Place a baking sheet on a rack below the pot, in case it boils over - although I've never yet had this happen.
- Roast for 1 hour, and remove from the oven. Correct for any seasoning, and cool before ladling into jars.
- The sauce can keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and in the freezer for up to 6 months.
mjskitchen
Adding a little smoky chipotle to a tomato is a great way to spice it up as well as making it a little different than a normal sauce. We're all about changing things up once in a while. 🙂
Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season Susan!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thank you so much, MJ! That' totally what we're all about! I add a dried chipotle to all my beans when I cook them up too - love them! I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season too!!! Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂