When I needed to figure out a creative way to use up the jumbo slicing tomatoes we had on our counter before leaving for vacation, this recipe was born!

Roasting the tomatoes before blending them gives this sauce a rich, deep flavor that you don’t get from the canned stuff.

We ended up putting it on top of some brown rice pasta, broccoli and sautéed eggplant, but you could also use it as a dipping sauce (like I plan to for the amazing eggplant “chips” we made this past week!

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Tomatoes are loaded with an antioxidant (antioxidant = anti-disease, anti-aging) called lycopene, which has been shown to have anti-cancerous properties. Lycopene is not naturally produced in our body, so it must be supplied through our diet.

The antioxidants and nutrients in tomatoes also contribute to our bone health and protect our heart and blood vessels.

It’s important to eat tomatoes with some fat (i.e., top them with a drizzle of an oil-based vinaigrette or enjoy them with avocado…something with fat!) since lycopene is what is known as a fat-soluble nutrient.  It has to be eaten with dietary fat in order to be properly absorbed by our body.

To read more about the awesome health benefits of tomatoes, click here or here.

The recipe is very simple to make and tastes delicious. Chances are, you already have all of the herbs and spices in your pantry!

Stay tuned for a recipe later this week for what my dad AND husband said is one of THE BEST things I’ve ever made…it’s pairs nicely with this tomato dipping sauce, too 🙂

Simply Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds tomatoes, quartered (see first pic above!)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sea salt, depending on your taste preference
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • Black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Place the tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt on top of the slices. Cook tomatoes in the oven for 60 minutes, flipping the tomatoes halfway for even roasting. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
  3. While the tomatoes are cooling, saute onions and garlic in your choice of vegetable broth, cooking oil, ghee, or grass-fed butter until the onions and garlic have softened, about 10-15 minutes (Click here for info on why grass-fed butter may be tolerated just fine on a dairy-free diet, as I’ve found it to be for myself…everyone is different!).
  4. Puree the roasted tomatoes, sauteed onions and garlic, herbs, and pepper in a blender until smooth. Season with black pepper and salt, to taste. Adjust the amount of herbs based on your taste preference.
  5. Heat sauce on the stove in a medium saucepan until ready to serve.