Roasted Balsamic Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes, basil, and oregano. Oh my!

Sometimes I dream about food and wake up with a new idea for a recipe or a twist on an old one. With all of the tomatoes I brought, it is not surprising that I dreamt about tomato sauce. In my dream I used balsamic vinegar. So I decided to create a new roasted tomato sauce by using balsamic vinegar as it focal point. I am using Balsamic Vinegar of Modena in this dish which is a commercially produced imitation of the traditionally made vinegar. Traditionally made balsamic vinegar is made from pressed grapes and is aged in a succession of smaller barrels. It results in a thick dark brown syrup with a sweet and sour taste with hints of the wood from the barrels it was aged in. Katie is crazy about balsamic vinegar and usually asks for a bottle for her birthday. She likes mixing it with olive oil and dipping her bread in it. Needless to say, I had her complete attention while making this sauce. She thought adding the honey was a great idea and wanted to lick the bowl when I was done.

Roasted tomato sauce over pasta

Roasted Balsamic Tomato Sauce

4 Lb (1.87 kg) of Tomatoes
1/2 C (120 ml) Olive Oil
1/2 C (120 ml) Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp of Honey
8 Cloves (20g) of Garlic, Sliced
1/2 C (10 g)  Chopped Basil
1 Tbsp of Chopped Oregano
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 400F/204C/ Gas Mark 6. Half tomatoes, then quarter, and then cut the quarters in half. Remove the stem end of the tomato. Combine the tomatoes with the remaining ingredients and place on a large cookie sheet.

Ready for the oven

Roast in the oven for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. You want the tomatoes to be soft and blackened.

Roasted goodness

Carefully remove from oven (there will be a lot of juicy goodness in the cookie sheet with the tomatoes) and cool. Once cool, process in a food processor.

Finished sauce

The bottom line: Will I make this again? Yes, it is an amazing sauce. I love the roasted tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar and a bit of sweetness from the honey.