Last October, at the tail end of tomato season, when the sungolds were still arriving in droves at our little co-op, I made this sauce on repeat. It calls for minimal prep, a handful of ingredients, and a quick roast at high heat, but produces a sauce that tastes like so much more: sweet and bright and fresh all at once. Truly, summer in a sauce. If you’ve made these roasted broccoli steaks, you know this sauce. In that recipe it’s referred to as “tomato butter,” and it calls for cherry tomatoes. I love this sauce so much for its low-effort and high-reward, I included it in Pizza Night, and when I am pressed for time, it’s the one I make most often. Here, I’ve doubled the amount of tomatoes and, as noted, used yellow tomatoes, which produce a beautifully golden-hued sauce. At the height of sungold season, this sauce is exceptional, but it tastes nearly as delicious with off-peak tomatoes, too, so don’t be afraid to use what you can find. I love tossing this sauce with pasta (see below) and shaving lots of parmesan over the top, and I love it as a pizza sauce, too. But use it, of course, in any of your favorite recipes calling for tomato sauce. PS: Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce
Homemade Yellow Tomato Sauce, Step by Step
First, find some small yellow or orange tomatoes. As noted, I love using sungolds. You’ll also need 1 onion, olive oil, salt, butter, and water. Place the tomatoes and onions in a 9×13-inch pan and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Toss to combine, then transfer to the oven and roast… … until the tomatoes begin to collapse and blister slightly, about 30 minutes. Transfer the tomatoes and onions to a food processor or blender along with some water: Purée until smooth: Add some butter: Then purée again. Taste and adjust with salt to taste. Thin with more water if necessary. Transfer to a storage jar or use immediately… … on pasta (with some of the reserved pasta-cooking water): … and pizza, of course: Store the sauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 5 from 24 reviews
Notes:
Tomatoes: You can use red cherry tomatoes in this recipe, and the sauce will taste delicious, but it won’t be yellow 🙂 Salt: I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Use half as much if you are using Morton or fine sea salt Butter: I always use salted, but unsalted is fine
