This easy roasted tomato marinara sauce starts with fresh Roma (plum) tomatoes that are oven-roasted with garlic, olive oil and herbs until sweet, jammy and deeply flavoured. After roasting, everything is blended into a simple roasted marinara sauce that’s perfect for freezing and using as a quick pasta sauce, pizza sauce, or in any recipe that calls for tomato sauce.
There’s no peeling or canning required, and you can keep the sauce basic here, then customize it later with onion, butter, chili flakes, meat or extra herbs depending on how you plan to use it.
What is roasted tomato marinara sauce
- It’s a marinara sauce made from oven‑roasted tomatoes, garlic and herbs, versus simmered raw tomatoes.
- It uses fresh Roma/plum tomatoes and is ideal for freezing and using on pasta, pizza, etc.
Easy roasted tomato marinara sauce at a glance
Turn boxes of late‑summer Roma tomatoes into an easy oven-roasted tomato marinara sauce that’s full of flavour and perfect for freezing.
- Starts with fresh Roma or plum tomatoes that are oven-roasted with garlic, olive oil and dried herbs for deep, concentrated flavour.
- No tomato peeling or canning required; just roast, blend to your preferred texture and freeze in meal‑sized portions.
- A basic roasted marinara sauce that you can keep simple or customize later with onion, butter, chili flakes, meat or extra herbs.
- Freezes beautifully for up to 6 months, so you can enjoy “fresh” roasted tomato marinara all year long.
- Perfect as a pasta sauce, pizza sauce, lasagna filling or for topping Chicken Parmesan, meatball subs and more.
- What is roasted tomato marinara sauce
- Easy roasted tomato marinara sauce at a glance
- Why you’ll love this roasted marinara sauce
- Oven-roasted marinara sauce vs. stovetop marinara sauce
- Ingredients and substitutions
- Variations
- Recipe tips!
- Roasted tomato marinara sauce FAQ
- 10 great uses for roasted tomato marinara sauce
- Storing and freeze homemade marinara sauce
- Get the Recipe: Easy Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce
- More tomato recipes to love!
Why you’ll love this roasted marinara sauce
- No canning necessary! Just portion, freeze and enjoy all winter long!
- No need to peel the tomatoes! Skip the labour-intensive process of peeling tomatoes and enjoy a chunky, homemade sauce.
- Made from fresh tomatoes, when fresh tomatoes are at their most economical (late Summer).
- Tomatoes are oven-roasted for sweetness and richness, so you can skip canned tomatoes and enjoy a deeply flavoured tomato sauce
- Freezer-friendly roasted tomato marinara sauce recipe, that can be enjoyed all Winter long.
- Homemade marinara sauce is so versatile! I’ve listed 10 Great Uses for Your Homemade Marinara Sauce below the recipe!
Love tomatoes? Browse more fresh tomato recipes in my Tomato Recipes Archive!
Oven-roasted marinara sauce vs. stovetop marinara sauce
Flavour Profile: Oven-roasting the tomatoes for marinara sauce caramelizes the natural sugars for a rich, sweet, and concentrated taste with minimal stirring, whereas the stovetop method cooks quickly over direct bottom heat to yield a brighter, fresher, and lighter tomato profile that highlights the natural acidity of the tomatoes.
Cooking Process and Effort: Oven-roasting tomatoes for marinara sauce is largely hands-off, as the tomatoes roast in the oven for about an hour, followed by blending or pureeing. Stovetop marinara sauce relies on long-simmering and requires regular stirring to prevent scorching.
Texture and Consistency: Oven-roasted marinara sauce is thicker, jammy, and concentrated due to significant water evaporation from all sides in the oven. Stove-top marinara sauce is lighter, smoother and less concentrated.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Roma or plum tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are the best tomatoes to use for homemade marinara sauce, as they have very little pulp and seeds.
Garlic cloves – Start with fresh peeled garlic cloves and adjust to taste.
Balsamic vinegar – I love a splash of balsamic, but you can omit it if you don’t have any on hand.
Dried oregano and basil leaves – The added dried herbs add a subtle flavour to the sauce and are a great base for any use.
Variations
I typically like to keep the oven-roasted marinara sauce as basic as possible, to allow for the widest variety of possible uses. That said, any of the following ingredients could be added to the roasting pan either before or after roasting …
- Add diced onion, before roasting
- Add crushed red pepper flakes, before roasting
- Add a Parmesan rind, before roasting
- Stir in some fresh chopped basil, after roasting
Recipe tips!
- I like to make this marinara without adding butter or onion, as it keeps the sauce as basic as possible and I can always add those things to the dish I use the marinara in.
- For an efficient way to make big batches, double the recipe and cook two pans at a time in the upper and lower third of your oven, rotating the pan position half way through cooking. Hopefully you have two large roasting pans to use (I sadly didn’t). If not, you can always do them one at a time.
- You may find large pieces of tomato skin as you blend the sauce that you can remove if you like. I just leave them in and process them down to smaller sizes.
- This sauce freezes beautifully. Simply portion into 1 or 2-cup freezer bags, seal and smooth flat, then freeze them all stacked up.
- I noticed that each batch ended with a little bit more or less liquid left in the pan. If there was a lot, I scooped the tomatoes out of the pan with a slotted spoon to leave most of the liquid behind in the pan. Alternatively, you could roast the tomatoes a bit longer to cook off more of the liquid, if you like.
Roasted tomato marinara sauce FAQ
This recipe is designed for fresh Roma or plum tomatoes, which roast down beautifully with very few seeds and lots of flavour. You can use canned whole tomatoes in a pinch, but you’ll miss the sweetness and depth you get from oven‑roasting fresh tomatoes. If using canned, drain well, roast just until lightly caramelized and adjust seasoning to taste.
I don’t recommend canning this roasted tomato marinara sauce as written, since safe canning requires tested recipes with specific acidity levels and processing times. For longer storage, I freeze the sauce in 1–2 cup portions and keep it in the freezer for up to 6 months. If you’d like to can tomato sauces, refer to a tested recipe from a trusted source, such as these Safe Canning Guidelines.
For a thicker roasted marinara, roast the tomatoes a bit longer so more moisture evaporates, or reduce the blended sauce on the stovetop until it reaches your desired consistency. For a looser sauce, blend in some of the reserved pan juices or a splash of pasta cooking water when you reheat it.
There’s no need to peel the tomatoes before roasting; they go into the pan skin‑on. After roasting, you can either blend the skins into the sauce for a more rustic texture, or remove any larger pieces you see if you prefer a smoother marinara.seasonsandsuppers
10 great uses for roasted tomato marinara sauce
- Use as a simple pasta sauce. You don’t even need to thaw the roasted marinara sauce first – add it to a skillet straight from frozen, warm gently over low heat, then toss with hot cooked pasta.
- Turn this basic roasted tomato marinara into another sauce. Add cooked pancetta and chili flakes for an Arrabbiata‑style sauce, or stir in butter and cream for a quick pink sauce. Add vodka and onions for a Vodka sauce or cooked ground beef and vegetables for a classic Bolognese sauce.
- Parmesan anything. Use as a topping for my Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches or Chicken Parmesan Pasta, or spoon over homemade eggplant Parmesan.
- Use as a filling for lasagna or as a sauce for meat‑ or cheese‑filled cannelloni or stuffed pasta shells.
- Add some to any beef, pork or chicken stew or ragout to give it an Italian, tomato‑rich twist.
- Use it as a pizza sauce. Spread a thin layer of this roasted marinara sauce over your favourite pizza dough, then add toppings and bake.
- Use as a base for tomato soup, minestrone or other Italian‑inspired soups – add stock, vegetables and beans for an easy meal.
- Serve warm as a dip for mozzarella sticks, cheese bread or garlic bread.
- Spoon over meatball subs or this cozy meatball sub casserole for an easy, family‑friendly dinner.
- Use it in this comforting Pesto Ricotta Pasta Bake or any baked pasta that calls for tomato or marinara sauce.
Storing and freeze homemade marinara sauce
For short-term use, you can refrigerate the marinara sauce for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, homemade marinara sauce freezes beautifully! I love to measure it out in “meal-sized” portions and transfer it to a freezer container or zipper freezer bags. If using freezer bags, once filled, label with the date and quantity and freeze flat and stacked. The marinara sauce will freeze well for up to 6 months.
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Get the Recipe: Easy Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 lbs fresh Roma or plum tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, optional
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F (regular bake setting – adjust accordingly for convection/fan-assisted)Cut the 5 lbs fresh Roma or plum tomatoes in half lengthwise. Place in a large roasting pan (mine is 11 x 16 inches and a couple of inches deep). The tomatoes should form one even layer, with just slight overlap. Scatter the 4 cloves garlic (peeled and cut in half lengthwise) over top. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional). Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves, 1 teaspoon fine salt and Freshly ground black pepper. Toss with a large spoon to coat.
- Place in the preheated oven for 60-70 minutes, stirring well halfway through cooking. The mixture shouldn't dry out completely, and some of the tomato skins will char slightly. Stirring well halfway through ensures that nothing gets too dark. Cook the tomatoes until the tomatoes look wrinkled and jammy, with some browned spots on the skins, and there should still be some juices in the pan (but not too much). You can cook a bit longer if there is a lot of juice, or simply use a slotted spoon in the next step.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow the tomatoes to cool slightly. Spoon the tomatoes from the pan (if there is a lot of liquid in the pan, use a slotted spoon to remove them, leaving most of the liquid behind). Blend the tomatoes in a food processor or use an immersion blender to create a sauce with your desired chunkiness level. If I'm making a large batch, I tend to do a few smooth and leave a few chunkier.
- Have a taste of the sauce, and add additional salt and pepper at this point, if needed.
- Portion the sauce into "meal-sized" portions (about 2 cups is a good size) and transfer to a freezer container or plastic zipper freezer bags, leaving room in the containers to allow for expansion when it freezes. If using freezer bags, freeze flat so you can stack them and efficiently use freezer space. Be sure to label the freezer containers with the date and the amount of sauce in each container.
- Thaw frozen marinara sauce in the refrigerator overnight, or reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop over low heat from frozen.
Notes
- I like to make this marinara without adding butter or onion, as it keeps the sauce as basic as possible and I can always add those things to the dish I use the marinara in.
- For an efficient way to make big batches, double the recipe and cook two pans at a time in the upper and lower third of your oven, rotating the pan position halfway through cooking. Hopefully you have two large roasting pans to use (I sadly didn’t). If not, you can always do them one at a time.
- You may find large pieces of tomato skin as you blend the sauce that you can remove if you like. I just leave them in and process them down to smaller sizes.
More tomato recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Why not add onion to this, I did not think of it in time for my first batch?
Hi Sue, I like to keep the sauce as simple as possible, as I never know what I will use it for. I may not want onion in the dish I will use it in, and I know I can always saute onion easily later on for specific dishes where I do want it.
Hi Jennifer,
I picked all the tomatoes from my Roma tomato plant and made this sauce. It is so delicious. We enjoyed it so much.
Thank you Jennifer,
Josephine
So glad to hear, Josephine! Thanks so much :)
This recipe makes the best marinara I have ever had! I am a gardener and have an abundance of several types of tomatoes so I used them all in this recipe. I love this sauce so much I have used it in my home grown eggplant parmesan and have frozen eight two-cup batches. I even have some in the oven right now. Just wanted you to know it’s a big hit in my house. Thank you!
So glad you are enjoying it, Erin :) Thanks so much!
Great flavour and texture. A taste of summer is now in the freezer for a cold winter night.
So glad to hear! I have a freezer full myself. It seems like a lot of work at the time, but it is so lovely to just grab a package all winter long :) Thanks!
There’s nothing better than a classic, homemade marinara! Your sauce looks absolutely mouthwatering!
Thanks so much, Laura :)
That. Photo. Oh my, that stopped me in my tracks! I mean that is the essence of summer tomatoes cooked down into sauce perfection. And yes! You had to bring all of the those gorgeous tomatoes home for that price. Loving this gorgeous sauce!
Thanks so much, Cathy. Those tomatoes made a beautiful, rich sauce!
Wow, 25 pounds of tomatoes?! You definitely made good use of them with this amazing looking sauce!
Thanks Sara and yes, it was a day’s work, but I’ll be thankful for it in January :)
If this sauce is crowding your cupboards Jennifer, feel free to unload some of it on me!!
I certainly have a lot of it, for sure :)
Omg I love love love the looks of this marinara. I’m sure the roasting makes this taste so wonderful. Great post!
Thanks so much, Sarah. And yes, it’s amazing what roasting does to a tomato :)
$7.99. For 25 lbs of roma tomatoes?! Pssh I would have bought that box too! That is SUCH a great deal! And this marinara is SUCH a FABULOUS way to use all those tomatoes! This marinara looks amazing, Jennifer! I could literally eat this by the spoonful! LOVE that you roasted the tomatoes! Cheers!
Thanks Cheyanne. Roasting is so easy and it really makes for a rich, tomato taste. Brings the best out of all those tomatoes :)
This sauce looks amazing! So jam packed with flavour!
Thanks Katrina :)
I love the way you think, Jennifer. No jars and stuff for me either. Definitely no tomato peeling! This is the perfect recipe and will somehow find the time to do this soon because there’s nothing better than homemade sauce in the winter months. Beautiful!
Thanks Robyn and yes, I’m not a fan of the canning this and the peeling thing, now that I think of it ;) Sometimes I’ll do those things if I need to, but if there’s a way not to do it, I’ll find it!
I love this recipe. Roasted tomatoes make a great sauce.
Thanks so much, Gerlinde :)
Perfect way to use up all those gorgeous summer tomatoes Jennifer! Looks delicious!
Thanks Mary Ann :)
I made homemade marinara the other day but wasn’t thrilled with the results. We have such a mis-match of tomatoes this year and I needed a way to use some of them up. I had mostly Roma tomatoes but even so, the color was orange instead of red – I should try your recipe next time. Love the addition of the balsamic. I don’t think you’re crazy – what a wonderful deal!
Thanks Tricia and yes, the romas make the most beautiful sauce, I think. Lovely colour and great rich flavour.