Goût de France: Provencal Tomato Sauce

I’m an Artist-Foodie-Creationista who likes instant gratification. And although I prefer eating fresh, homemade, all-natural foods, I don’t want to spend hours slaving in a hot kitchen. So I’m always seeking ways to simplify my recipes without sacrificing quality and flavor.

For instance, I’m generally against buying premade or packaged sauces. Nothing beats the fresh taste of homemade. But when it comes to making traditional tomato sauce, the extra steps of boiling, shocking, peeling, and seeding makes me want to run for the hills of Les Alpilles.

My Provencal Tomato Sauce recipe using sweet grape tomatoes is easy because there’s no need to spend time removing the skins, and their natural sweetness is unmatchable. Just roast them with some extra virgin olive oil and a little seasoning. Then grind them up in a food processor with some herbs. Don’t let the anchovy paste in this recipe scare you. It adds tons of flavor without a strong anchovy taste. Bon Appetit!

(Step 1) Provencal Tomato Sauce Ingredients

2 lbs. red sweet grape tomatoes cut in half (about 4 cups)

2 garlic cloves in skins

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

(Step 2) Provencal Tomato Sauce Ingredients

1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ tablespoon anchovy paste

2 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Provencal Tomato Sauce Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half. Toss Step 1 ingredients in a bowl to distribute oil and seasoning. Spread the mixture out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Roast for about 15 minutes or until bubbly. Garlic will be soft.

When cool enough to handle, remove the skins of the roasted garlic. Transfer roasted garlic and tomato mixture to a food processor and add Step 2 ingredients. Pulse until well combined and smooth, scraping the edges with a spatula as needed. Pour sauce into a small saucepan and simmer on medium heat about 10 minutes, careful not to burn.

Before serving, make sure to taste your sauce to see if it needs any extra seasoning! Use on top of my Rustic Provencal Pizza or toss with your favorite pasta. Sauce makes about 1 ¾ cup.

Related Links

Rustic Provencal Pizza 

Provencal Chicken Sausage

Goût de France: Thanks, Mom!