Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

I'm not sure if I've said it before, but I really don't like tomato sauce. Fresh tomatoes - yes. Ketchup - yes. Tomato sauce - nope. I'm sure your mind is buzzing with all the foods delicious foods that I rule out of my diet because they include tomato sauce: lasagna, pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, meatloaf...oh, the humanity!


Okay, but really, my dislike of tomato sauce doesn't affect my life negatively. I still eat more than enough white pizza and vegetarian lasagna, and I love pasta with garlic and olive oil. And I won't melt if I eat tomato sauce {I've matured since my youth}, but I really prefer to not do so. Meatloaf, however, is still off the table and one of my least favorite foods. Ever.


Anyway, back to the point - tomato sauce. This one is amazing. It's sweet. It's juicy. It's not a tomato sauce so much as it is a tomato topping. So maybe I should call this "Roasted Cherry Tomato Topping." Either way, it's good super delicious. Plus, it's good on everything! Aside from being the most delicious topping for pasta, it can be eaten warm or room temperature and it's great with crunchy bread or crackers, chicken, eggs - the possibilities are endless!


Oh and did I mention it's almost completely hands-off? Simply mix together the ingredients, pour them into an oven-safe dish, cook for an hour and voila! - deliciousness awaits! Mmm also, as I'm sitting here and eat the leftovers now, I can verify that it's still great (adapted from this recipe).

Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Yield: 2 cups | Prep time: 5 minutes | Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 22 oz. cherry tomatoes (nearly 1.5 pounds)

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried thyme)

• 2 tsp. packed brown sugar

• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix together tomatoes and garlic in a 9x13-inch baking dish. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, thyme, brown sugar and salt. Drizzle over tomato mixture.
3. Bake until tomatoes are soft and caramelized, about 1 hour. 

Nutritional information per serving (1/2 cup per serving);
Calories: 260
Total fat: 26 grams
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Weight Watchers points: 8

Enjoy and thanks for reading!