Tomato sauce?

No, I don't intend to make my blog a cooking site, but to all my ladies that love cooking...or simply love good food...you have got to try this sauce. I am not a tomato sauce fan or a Lagasse fan, but this sauce was yummy and so simple. I used hot house tomatoes, my friend used roma tomatoes and they both yield a delicious sauce.

Try it and you won't be disappointed!


Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce:

3 pounds Romanita tomatoes, cored*

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

12 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large, 14-inch, oven proof frying pan, combine all the ingredients. Stir to blend then transfer to the oven and cook until the tomatoes begin to caramelize, about 30 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and stir well. Return to the oven and continue to cook until further caramelized and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from the oven, cool slightly, and transfer to a blender, in batches if necessary, and process sauce until coarsely pureed. If the sauce seems too thick, thin with a bit of water or chicken broth. Use immediately or cool completely and refrigerate for up to 4 days in a non-reactive, airtight container.

The sauce is great on pasta as well as pizza and even makes a great dipping sauce for hors d'oeuvres. If you prefer a less rustic sauce, puree completely as described above and strain.

Yield: about 4 cups sauce

* If Romanita tomatoes are unavailable, use a combination of Roma and grape tomatoes to approximate the sweetness of Romanitas, or use another type of sweet tomato, such as Amorosa.