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!
Had a bumper crop of tomatoes this season, made this recipe and it worked out great! Roasting the tomatoes really intensified their flavor and I was able to freeze 7 quarts. Easy and delicious.
Glad to hear, Mary! Thanks :)
Wonderful, flavorful, easy to make sauce! I’ve canned a lot from my homegrown Romas! Thank you for the recipe!
So glad to hear, Myrrh. Thanks so much!
This marinara recipe is excellent. Easy to make and incredibly delicious.
So glad you enjoyed it, Krista! Thanks so much :)
Two for two, Jennifer! I’m working my way through your recipe list and you don’t disappoint.
This was my first foray into making any kind of tomato sauce. My only change would be to add a bit more salt. If I had known it was this easy and this good, I’d have started a long time ago.
Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed this sauce, Bill! Thanks so much :)
This is the best recipe I’ve tried for roasted marinara! I am really happy I found it because I am getting a bumper crop of bland Big Beef tomatoes. I wanted to give them a try but ick!
Not when they’re roasted though.I simmered a large pot of mixed kale until it was soft and added it to a quart of the sauce from the back of my fridge and served it over oven roasted polenta for a party of 13 eating family style in my backyard. We all loooved it! marinated green beans went really well with it too. Very easy way to eat out of the garden. High summer feasting.
Sounds lovely, Cindy! So glad you enjoyed it :) Thanks!
Made this today and added cream……it was a big hit in the house. Thank you
So glad you all enjoyed it, Emma :) Thanks so much!
Wow, what an incredible sauce that made. I will never make marinara any other way from now on. I could just eat spoonfuls of that by itself. Thanks so much for sharing and I really think adding the balsamic vinegar makes a huge difference in flavor.
I’m so glad to hear, Teresa! I love have packets of this in the freezer. A little taste of Summer all Winter long :) Thanks so much.
Amazing recipe! Thank you for posting it. I used the tomatoes you suggested plus beef steak that I grew. I did have to roast it longer because of the beefsteak tomatoes. When the juice at the bottom of the pan became about 1/4 of an inch thick I turned the oven down to 350 for about 20 minutes with the tomatoes still in it. I let it rest a bit then put the roasted goodness in my food mill with it’s fine grill. What I ended up with was seedless and skinless delicious marinara. I will NEVER make marinara any other way! The seeds and skin ended up in the compost. As an extra bonus my house smelled so good as it was roasting and there was no standing over a stove to stir.😊👍
What do you do with the liquid left in the pan after youve roasted the tomatoes?
Hi Barb, I don’t generally have a ton of liquid when using roma tomatoes (regular tomatoes would produce more liquid). That said, when you blend the tomatoes with an immersion blender or similar, the liquid incorporates with the tomatoes. If it seems like there is too much liquid, simply spoon off and discard a bit before blending.
I made this today and it is so yummy! I cooked italian sausage with onions and yellow peppers. My only thing is what type of pasta? I have spaghetti., noodles or penne pasta, decisions, decisions
So glad to hear, Judith :) Thanks so much!
Could this be made from frozen tomatoes? We grow our own and freeze them to process later 😊.
Also, can it be run through a food mill to remove seeds or would that change it significantly?
Hi Meg, I think you could probably roast the frozen tomatoes (from frozen or thawed) in the same way that the fresh tomatoes are roasted. As for running them through a mill, again, you could probably do that and then roast in a big pan, stirring often. You wouldn’t have to do the blending part at the end, obviously. If you try it, let me know how it works out.
This is a fantastic recipe! I use San Marzano tomatoes & with these few ingredients the sauce tastes amazing— no need to add anything else. I’ll be getting as many freezer bags in the freezer as I can. So easy & so tasty!
So glad to hear, Jill :) You will love having it in your freezer all Winter long! Thanks so much.
Hi Jennifer,
Can I use fresh basil and oregano? Maybe add them when blending vs. when roasting?
Thank you,
Donna
Hi Donna and yes, you can certainly use fresh herbs, though I would add when blending, as you suggest. Fresh herbs can burn in the oven and introduce a bitter flavour. Basil will also turn black when it gets warm, so if you want to keep the bright green colour in your sauce, add the basil once the sauce cools. Enjoy!
This is an amazing recipe. So easy and out of this world delicious. Thank you for sharing!
So glad you are enjoying it, Leslie :) Thanks so much!
I just made this sauce. It is very good. I used the 5lb tomatoes recipe plus I added 1 medium onion. I am canning my sauce. The 5lbs made 3 pints. I will be making more as soon as I have more tomatoes.
So glad to hear, Teri! You’ll be all set for the winter. Thanks :)
I haven’t tried this recipe yet. My freezer is small. Can I can this recipe? I have plenty of jars.
Hi Sandra, I can’t give canning advice, as I haven’t tried it myself and I am not a certified master canner. I suggest seeking out tomato sauce canning advice online from a reliable source.
Hi Jennifer.
I love this recipe. So easy and I was able to remove the skins as they were slipping off as I was removing them from the pan. So easy to make and very tasty. Thank you.
So glad to hear, Diana :) Thanks so much!