Awesomesauce!

Literally.... Awesome. Sauce.

I snagged a recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce from a friend and I'm so glad I did! It's super easy to make and tastes terrific. Making a batch of homemade sauce can seem pretty daunting, trust me. But the reality is, it can be quiet simple.

I don't have much of a green-thumb, let alone yard space. Because of that, I have created a miniature above ground garden that I made out of a cattle watering trough. In my very small garden, I have been able to pull off a lettuce plant (which has since gone to seed), one pepper plant and one tomato plant. My tomato plant has been very good to me this year. In past years I'm lucky to get 5 or 6 tomatoes; however, this year I have gotten 15+ tomatoes!! Yay :)

My solo pepper plant

It's not much, but it works for me!

With all these tomatoes I needed to find something to make. I'm the only one in my family who will eat tomatoes (and I only eat them on a sandwich/burger). So, homemade spaghetti sauce sounded perfect. Next time I think I will attempt homemade pizza sauce!

The first step in making the sauce involved washing and removing the stems on the tomatoes. This recipe called for 27 romas and I only had 13, so I cut the recipe in half.

After removing the stems, you will cut the tomatoes in half and discard the seeds into a bowl. Do not throw out the seeds/juice- you will use it! Put the deseeded tomatoes into an ungreased 9X13 dish. 

Next cut the onion and put in into the dish with tomatoes. Add the garlic cloves then sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. 

Now you need to strain the seeds and juice. For this, I used a mesh colander and simply squished the pulp/seeds through the colander, letting the juice run into a separate dish. I then tossed the seeds, and ran the juice through the colander once more to make sure I didn't miss any seeds. 

The recipe simply states "pour a generous amount of the juice over the tomatoes". It does not give an exact amount and honestly that's okay. The juice will ultimately not be a part of the spaghetti sauce. I poured about 3/4 of the juice over my tomato/onion/garlic concoction. Next, drizzle with olive oil and gently toss. 

All ready for the oven!! Doesn't it look pretty?! --> 

Bake for 35-45 minutes at 425* (uncovered). 

Once out of the oven, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Strain the veggies using a slotted spoon into a food processor. I do not have a food processor, but I do have a 'Ninja' and love it. For for this, it worked just fine. (I would think a regular blender would work as well- you may just need to run it through a couple times to get the texture you desire).

This is my spaghetti sauce after being blended in the food processor (Ninja) The thickness/texture of your sauce is to your own liking and can be adjusted by blending more or less. 

Blend in the food processor for awhile and then add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Blend some more until you have your desired texture/thickness. 

For this recipe, you can serve the sauce instantly or freeze it. I chose to freeze mine since spaghetti was not on the menu for tonight. I decided to freeze my sauce in Ziplock freezer bags, 2 cups per bag. I felt 2 cups was plenty for my family, but you can always freeze larger (or smaller) portion sizes if desired. 

Remember I said I cut this recipe in half? Well I ended up with just over 6 cups of spaghetti sauce! I was happy with this for a result considering this was my first time making homemade spaghetti sauce. Next time if I have the tomatoes to do it, I would love to triple the regular batch size and stock up on this super easy, super yummy sauce! I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as we do!


**Recipe credit: Kate from "Wonderful Life Farm" http://wonderfullifefarm.blogspot.com

Wonderful Life Farm's Homemade Roasted Spaghetti Sauce
27 roma tomatoes
1 medium onion, quartered
10 garlic cloves, peeled
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly cracked pepper
about 1/8 c. fresh basil leaves
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 t. to 1 T. balsamic vinegar

Wash and stem tomatoes. Cut them in half and remove seeds. Save seeds and strain the juice from the seeds.

Place the tomatoes in an ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Add onions, garlic, and basil leaves to pan. Pour a good quantity of reserved tomato juice over vegatables. Sprinkle all with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with your hands to combine.

Roast at 425 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove and cool for about 10 minutes.

Remove vegetables and herbs with a slotted spoon to a food processor. Whir to a fine texture. Add tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Whir to combine.

Transfer most of the sauce to a separate bowl and blend with an immersion blender to a smooth texture. Taste to test for the right texture. Add back in the reserved sauce, and stir to combine.

Serve immediately or freeze for later.

Yields about 4 cups of sauce.