There are any number of different sauces you can top your pasta with. You can go cheesy or meaty, or herby, to name a few. The one sauce that stands above the others and the undisputed pasta sauce classic is tomato sauce.

You can make great tomato sauce with tinned tomatoes. You can also get top-notch jarred sauce at the grocery store, but sauce made with fresh tomatoes is a special treat that is best left for peak-of-the-season summer produce. At least, that’s what I thought until I discovered the simple shortcut for the easiest fresh tomato sauce — the oven. This sauce is the epitome of low-effort high-reward cooking. It’s wildly easy to make. No need to blanch tomatoes and peel their skins before even getting to the sauce-making. Just toss tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs on a sheet pan with some olive oil, roast, and blend. It’s been my go-to sauce for years now, and once you try it, I bet it will be yours, too.

Why you’ll love it

Key ingredients in sheet pan tomato sauce

Sheet Pan Tomato Sauce

Makes 3 cups; serves 4

1 1/2 pounds medium plum tomatoes (about 7), halved lengthwise

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves (about 2 sprigs)

1. Heat the oven to 400 F.

2. Place 1 1/2 pounds halved medium plum tomatoes, 5 peeled garlic cloves, and 1 quartered yellow onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss with your hands until the vegetables are coated in oil. Arrange into a single layer. Top with three to four fresh thyme sprigs.

3. Roast until the vegetables are browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Pick the thyme leaves from the stems and add to a blender or food processor; discard the stems. Transfer the vegetables and any juices on the baking sheet to the blender. Add 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves. Process until smooth.

Recipe notes

(AUTHOR TK is a writer for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

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