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I make my tomato sauce a little bit differently, as the name of this recipe suggests, this roasted tomato bolognese is made with fresh roasted tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. This sauce tastes so amazing, you will ditch those canned tomatoes for good.

When I make a bolognese, I want it to be very meaty. This recipe calls for two pounds of tomatoes and one pound of ground beef. This sauce is simple and uncomplicated, it doesn’t require many ingredients and active preparation time is only about 30 minutes.

My recipe calls for only eight basic ingredients. I simply season the sauce with salt, pepper, garlic, and fresh basil. This lets the flavor of the roasted tomatoes and beef shine through. By using roasted tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes, the sauce has a bold fresh taste.

I love grape tomatoes, they have a natural sweetness and they roast very evenly. Of course, you can use any tomatoes you like. I let the tomatoes roast for 45-50 minutes, until they were roasted and not watery. This extra cooking time resulted in a thicker sauce once I pureed the tomatoes, and I did not need to add tomato paste.

I created this recipe to serve with roasted spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is a type of squash that breaks into spaghetti-like strands after it has been roasted. It is a healthy alternative to pasta, but it isn’t very flavorful. I made this roasted tomato bolognese to compensate for the blandness of the squash. Although, this sauce would be great on almost anything. I am guilty of eating several spoonfuls straight from the pot.

One important note is to use parchment paper to line the pan when you roast the tomatoes. This helps the tomatoes to cook more evenly and prevents the edges of the tomatoes from overcooking. I didn’t even bother to flip the tomatoes while they were cooking.

This recipe serves 4-6 but it would be easy to double it.

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Roasted Tomato Bolognese

I make my tomato sauce a little bit differently, as the name of this recipe suggests, this roasted tomato bolognese is made with fresh roasted tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes. This sauce tastes so amazing, you will ditch those canned tomatoes for good.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Grape Tomatoes
• about 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 10 Basil Leaves
• 1 small White Onion
• 2 cloves of Garlic
• 1 pound Ground Beef I used 85%
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice the tomatoes in half and arrange them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the tomatoes, and then generously sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let roast for 45-50 minutes, until there is very little liquid on the bottom of the pan.
2. Pour the tomatoes and any juices into a blender and puree until smooth. Add the basil leaves and blend until combined.
3. Dice the onion. Pour the last tablespoon of olive oil into a sauce pan. Once the olive oil is hot, add the onion. Season it with salt and pepper. Once the onion is soft, add the garlic and let sauté for 2 minutes. Then add the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break the beef up into small pieces as it browns.
4. Once all of the beef has browned, pour in the pureed roasted tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. The sauce should already be thick enough and shouldn't need to reduce. Stir in the cheese, then taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper as necessary.
5. You can freeze this sauce if you like.

Recipe Notes

One important note is to use parchment paper to line the pan when you roast the tomatoes. This helps the tomatoes to cook more evenly and prevents the edges of the tomatoes from overcooking. I didn't even bother to flip the tomatoes while they were cooking.

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