High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Roasted Tomato Sauce
Jarred tomato sauce is one of the sneakiest places high fructose corn syrup hides, tucked right between the tomatoes and the spices on an ingredient label you almost didn't read. This roasted version sidesteps all of that by building deep, complex flavor entirely from whole ingredients — plum tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, and a handful of spices that you almost certainly already have on your shelf. The magic happens in a hot oven, where the tomatoes caramelize at the edges and collapse into something rich and jammy, the garlic turns sweet and mellow in its skin, and the onion wedges go golden and soft. Fresh basil and a pinch of turmeric go into the blender along with all those roasted pan juices, giving the finished sauce a brightness and warmth that no store-bought version can touch. Once it's blended smooth and simmered down, you have a sauce that's genuinely better than anything in a jar — and you know exactly what went into it. It's the kind of recipe that makes you wonder why you ever reached for the bottle in the first place.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 lbs plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- ½ tsp turmeric
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the tomato halves cut-side up on a large rimmed baking sheet. Scatter the onion wedges and unpeeled garlic cloves around the tomatoes. Drizzle with 3 tbsp of the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- 2
Roast on the center rack for 40–45 minutes, until the tomatoes are deeply caramelized at the edges, collapsed, and beginning to char in spots, and the onion wedges are softened and golden at the tips.
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