Make this slow cooker tomato sauce to use up all those garden tomatoes! This is an easy recipe that’s perfect for freezing, too!
Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes! That’s been my life these past couple of weeks. Trying to figure out how on earth to deal with all these tomatoes. What a fabulous problem to have. :)
We’ve been eating lots of tomatoes with sandwiches and such, and I also made lots of oven dried tomatoes, and I’ve made lots of marinara sauce, too. And I’m excited to share with you my new favorite way to make marinara sauce – in the slow cooker.
This is such a nice way to make marinara sauce. I do still use the oven to roast the tomatoes slightly so that the skins wrinkle and I can peel them easily, but then I just throw everything in the slow cooker and let it go. Â And while it cooks, the house smells like an Italian restaurant – yum!
You can make this slow cooker marinara sauce with any kind of tomatoes – I have mostly been using large beef steak tomatoes. I also have used a few yellow tomatoes, and some small red tomatoes as well. If you have another way to remove the skins, you can use your preferred method. I know some people like to score them and put them in boiling water – use whatever way you’re comfortable with.
We love this slow cooker marinara sauce over pasta, or as a dipping sauce for breadsticks. If you want to add ground beef or turkey to this to make a ragu sauce, you can do that as well!
Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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Core the tomatoes and slice in half. Roast for about 15-20 minutes, or until the skins wrinkle up.
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Remove from the oven and set aside until the tomatoes are cool enough to handle.
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Once the tomatoes are cool enough to touch, pull the skins off, and squeeze the seeds out.
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Place the peeled tomatoes in the slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and sugar.
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Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or on high for 3 hours.
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Once the sauce is cooked, use an immersion blender to blend it to your desired consistency. I blend until it is completely smooth.
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If you aren't serving it right away, let it cool completely before refrigerating. You can also put it in freezer bags and freeze it. Makes 4 pints.
This is such a great way to use up those extra tomatoes. I’m so happy to have fresh tomato sauce – I know I’ll be glad to have a stockpile once winter is here.
Ann
The recipe is really amazing! It looks taste good with the pasta! I really love pasta and gonna try out this recipe! Thanks a lot!
Sabrina Zaragoza
Yummy. Really love eating tomato, so happy to find how to make a tomato sauce here. Thanks for sharing, Kelly and have a nice weekend.
Kelly Roenicke
Thanks, Sabrina! Hope you enjoy it!
Pat C.Wilson
homemade tomatoes is the best, we don’t need to go the the supermarket to buy it anymore. but your idea is very cool. i’ve never ever think about making it by slow cooker. all i have to do now is just buying more cans and tomatoes. i’m ready to do this. :D
Julia Mueller
Homemade tomato sauce is THE BEST! I’ve never made marinara in a slow cooker, and am in love with this idea! I can definitely see making a big batch and freezing it for use in all my winter pastas and soups :D
Kelly
Thanks, Julia!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
I’ve never even thought to make marinara sauce in the slow cooker before! I love this recipe, Kelly! Sounds so flavorful and easy to make!
Kelly
Thanks, Gayle!