Sauce with Roasted Tomatoes

Original Recipe HERE

My mother grows all sorts of vegetables every summer.  And when the squirrels don't ravage her tomato crop, she brings me bags of them every time she visits.  Since I'm not a big fan of raw tomatoes, I never know what to do with them.  This will be a great way to use them up: make up a few batches of sauce and freeze them to use throughout the winter.

This made enough sauce for our family of four to have two complete meals with generous servings (apparently it makes 10 servings that are 1/2 cup each).

Ingredients
6-8 large tomatoes, cut into 8 pieces each

1/2 large red onion, roughly chopped

1 red chili pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, whole

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Freshly ground black pepper

1 can (15 oz) canned tomato sauce, no salt added

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine [I used cooking wine]

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

(2) Toss tomatoes, onion, chili, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, salt, oregano, and pepper together until well mixed.

(3) Spread onto large sheet pan. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until tomatoes just begin to char.  Set aside to cool slightly.

(4) In large pot, add roasted tomato mixture, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and wine. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.  Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(5) Add basil and parsley.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Puree sauce until smooth using an immersion blender or by adding in several batches to a blender.

Notes: Perhaps a few more garlic cloves, since I like a detectable garlic flavor in my tomato sauces.  I'll also try to time it for when we have an open bottle of red wine (not the cheap stuff from the condiment aisle).

Kid Participation:

* Toss tomato mixture before roasting (make sure the lid on the container is on tightly)

* Blend final product