This simple roasted yellow tomato sauce comes together in no time and tastes sweet and bright, truly like summer in a sauce. Use it in all of your favorite recipes calling for tomato sauce, or freeze it for a future day.

A jar of roasted yellow tomato sauce.

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.

A plate of yellow cherry tomatoes on the vine.

You’ll also need 1 onion, olive oil, salt, butter, and water.

A plate of sun gold tomatoes aside salt, butter, olive oil, and an onion.

Place the tomatoes and onions in a 9×13-inch pan and drizzle with olive oil and salt.

A 9x13-inch pan filled with yellow cherry tomatoes, onions, olive oil and salt.

Toss to combine, then transfer to the oven and roast…

A 9x13-inch pan filled with yellow cherry tomatoes and onions, tossed together with olive oil and salt.

… until the tomatoes begin to collapse and blister slightly, about 30 minutes.

A 9x13-inch pan filled with roasted yellow cherry tomatoes and onions.

Transfer the tomatoes and onions to a food processor or blender along with some water:

A food processor filled with roasted yellow tomatoes and onions.

Purée until smooth:

Pureed yellow tomato sauce in a food processor.

Add some butter:

A food processor filled with roasted yellow tomato sauce and a knob of butter.

Then purée again. Taste and adjust with salt to taste. Thin with more water if necessary.

Puréed yellow tomato sauce in a food processor.

Transfer to a storage jar or use immediately…

A jar of roasted yellow tomato sauce.

… on pasta (with some of the reserved pasta-cooking water):

… and pizza, of course:

A pizza topped with yellow tomato sauce, basil pesto, and basil.

Store the sauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

A jar of roasted yellow tomato sauce.
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A jar of roasted yellow tomato sauce.

Simple Roasted Yellow Tomato Sauce

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Description

Adapted from the tomato “butter” recipe in this roasted broccoli steak recipe.

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

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds sun gold or other small yellow or orange tomato, see notes above
  • 1 yellow or white onion, peeled and chopped to yield about 2 heaping cups (12 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, see notes above
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons butter, see notes above
  • flaky sea salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 475ºF.
  2. In a 9×13-inch pan, toss the tomatoes and onion with the olive oil and salt.
  3. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes. The tomatoes should be beginning to collapse and starting to lightly blister in spots.
  4. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the roasted tomatoes and onions along with the water to a food processor or high-speed blender. (If using a blender be sure to let the mixture cool briefly before puréeing, or be sure to start puréeing on low, with the small opening at the top removed and covered lightly with a tea towel to allow the hot air to escape.) Purée until smooth.
  5. Add the butter and purée again until smooth. Taste. Adjust with salt to taste. Add water by the tablespoon to thin. The sauce should be pourable.
  6. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Sauce
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: American, Italian