Super tasty, additive free, real tomato sauce recipe

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Gluten Free, Imported, Lunch, Nut Free, Recipes, Savoury, Supper, Vegetarian

Learn to make home made, free from foodie tomato sauce from scratch. This week we’re sharing two recipes for the price of one and both are free to all of our lovely readers by way of thanking you for your continued support. We do hope you enjoy making one or both of these gluten free savouries. These recipes celebrate the union of nutritionally charmed tomatoes and olive oil.

First we’ll show you how to create oven roasted tomatoes which can be enjoyed just as they are. We’ll then demonstrate how they can be used as the base for the second recipe, namely, a free from, home made pasta sauce.

As you enjoy the gorgeous kitchen aroma of caramalised tomatoes and fresh thyme, you can imagine you’re in your very own Tuscan villa. So a free holiday thrown in as well; what’s not to love?

Both recipes capture the sunshine flavours of summer in a Kilner jar, in readiness for Autumn.

Both recipes are vegan, gluten free and free from added sugar and are adapted from the Honeybuns All Day Cook Book.

Take a look at Em’s bake-along video
For a step-by-step visual guide to making the Oven Roasted Tomatoes, please do check out my live video below.

These FAQs will help set you up for a successful kitchen experience

How quick is this recipe to make?

Both recipes are incredibly easy to make. The naturally gluten free ingredients are all pretty straightforward and so is the method. You will need to wander off and do some meditation or maybe tend your herb garden whilst the oven does its thing. You’ll need to commit to having the oven on for an hour and a half. Chopping, mixing and stirring things will take say 20 minutes total-.so not a lot of effort required overall.

Don’t do what I did and wander off and forget. My first batch were welded to the tin after an extra 40 minutes in the oven. Oooohps!

What is special about these recipes?

Both recipes intensify the flavour of the humble tomato. With standard store cupboard ingredients you can create gorgeous home made versions of shop bought roasted tomatoes and pasta sauce. You will be able to enjoy fresh, additive free, naturally free from versions of pricey shop bought alternatives. If you are lucky enough to grow your own tomatoes or you have a free source of them, then you will also save money compared to buying ready made. You do not need to buy uber posh olive oil either. Lidl do a lovely Spanish one at the moment which is cheap as chips.

What can I use the oven roasted tomatoes for, aside from using as a base for the pasta sauce?

These are naturally sweet yet savoury at the same time. They work beautifully served simply alongside salads. Why not also try:

  1. Stirring into soups
  2. As a (gluten free) toast topper
  3. Added to omelettes/ jacket potatoes/ stir fries/ curries
  4. As tapas

Is the pasta sauce recipe healthy?

Tomatoes are a fantastic source of the antioxidant Lycopene which contributes to heart health and can help protect against cancer. Tomatoes serve to protect our bodies from the rusting process that is oxidisation. They’re also packed with Vitamin C. According to the The Worlds Healthiest Foods website, ‘Researchers have long been aware of improvements in the absorption of food carotenoids when oils like extra virgin olive oil are included in a recipe or meal that features carotenoid-rich foods.’

Cartenoids are plant pigments behind those bright red, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. The research evidence supporting the consumption of tomatoes ( containing carotenoids) together with olive oil re -inforces the healthy reputation of our favourite Mediterranean diet. We’ve relished using olive oil, fresh thyme and black pepper not only for their health benefits but because they taste amazing together. The sunshine flavours deliver enough punch on their own without you needing to add any salt or sugar. So it’s a double win: beautiful flavours and super healthy to boot.

Can I substitute ingredients?

Not so much in these recipes as we’ve kept everything very simple and Mediterranean based. You can switch herbs around but the basics including tomatoes, olive oil and balsamic vinegar should be used as per the recipe.

How long will the tomato sauce keep?

The oven roasted tomatoes will keep for a couple of weeks if you store them in a Kilner jar in the fridge. You need to add oil to cover them and keep the air out. This oil can then be drained and re used for something else.

The tomato pasta sauce will also keep in the fridge for two weeks in a Kilner jar. No need to add oil to this.

What ingredients do I need to make these awesomely delicious items?

For the oven roasted tomatoes you’ll need:

  • 500g cherry tomoatoes (or baby plum) halved
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp gluten free balsamic vinegar
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for storing (virgin, extra virgin or regular olive oils are all fine)
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 4 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped (or fresh oregano or basil keeping with the Mediterranean theme)

For the tomato pasta sauce you’ll need:

  • 1 tsp black onion seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion (any onion to be fair), finely chopped
  • All of your oven roasted tomatoes as above, blitzed or finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp gluten free balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • ½ tsp cracked black pepper

What kit will I need?

As with all of our recipes we keep fancy kit to a minimum.

  • Tray bake tin measuring approx: 30cm x 23cm x 4cm
  • Saucepan

How to make your ‘better than shop bought’ oven roasted tomatoes?

Here’s my method:
  • Preheat oven to 100°C
  • Put all the ingredients in a your baking tray and mix up using your hands or a wooden spoon.
  • Pop tray of ingredients in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes until the tomatoes shrink in their skins and start to caramelise at the edges.
  • Leave to cool completely
  • Place mixture in a sterilised, glass lidded jar (a Kilner jar or similar), adding extra olive oil to cover.

How to make your ‘better than shop bought’ tomato pasta sauce?

Here’s my method:

1. Pop the black onion seeds and mustard seeds in a saucepan on a medium heat. Dry fry for 2 minutes, crushing the seeds against the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. This releases the flavour.

2. Add the olive oil, onion and tomatoes to the pan. Fry for 4-5 minutes then add all the other ingredients and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Top Tips

  • For an extra intense savoury hit try adding pitted black olives and/or capers to the tomato sauce recipe.
  • For a quick and easy snack, assemble a platter of tomato sauce and gluten free crackers and dip away.
  • For a vegan supper dish try adding the oven roasted tomatoes to home made dhal.
  • Check out Harts of Stur for a fab range of tray bake tins and other kitchen utensils and appliances.

If you like this video and recipe, then take a look at our easy peasy gluten free seeded loaf recipe with bake-along video

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About Charlotte McMillan