Calling all tomato lovers! In this super simple sauce, three out of the four ingredients are variations of tomato: #1 ingredient is fresh or canned tomatoes, #2 is tomato sauce, and #3 is sun-dried tomatoes and their oil. The fourth ingredient is milk of your choice: make it vegan using your favourite unsweetened plant-milk, or vegetarian with cow milk.
Better yet, this recipe requires minimal prep work: you roast the tomatoes and then blend them with the remaining ingredients. Spoon over your favourite pasta and dinner is done!
PS: Check out Tips: Cooking for mixed groups if you have carnivores at the table.
Ingredients
Optional ingredients
About roasting tomatoes
Tomatoes can be roasted at different temperatures. The lower the temperature the longer the tomatoes will take, but also the more concentrated the flavour will get. In this recipe, we choose a middle ground, roasting them at 325F for about 40 minutes, but if you prefer a higher heat and faster cooking time, you can go as high at 450F. Be sure to watch them closely. You can also slow roast them at 200F to 250, for an hour or two, until soft and jammy.
About roasting tomatoes
Tomatoes can be roasted at different temperatures. The lower the temperature the longer the tomatoes will take, but also the more concentrated the flavour will get. In this recipe, we choose a middle ground, roasting them at 325F for about 40 minutes, but if you prefer a higher heat and faster cooking time, you can go as high at 450F. Be sure to watch them closely. You can also slow roast them at 200F to 250, for an hour or two, until soft and jammy.
Visual Overview: Making 4-ingredient Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce
- You need a blender to make this recipe.
- Note that the images show canned tomatoes. You can use diced fresh tomatoes as well.
- If you want to roast the tomatoes ahead of time, you can roast them and then refrigerate until ready to use.
Put a colander in the sink and pour in the tomatoes, letting the excess juice drain off.
Tomatoes draining in a colander
Put the tomatoes in an even layer on the baking sheet.
Diced canned tomatoes on a baking sheet, before roasting.
Roast for 20 minutes, stir, and then roast for another 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are starting to blacken slightly .
Roasted tomatoes on a baking sheet
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. gr
Making sun-dried tomato cream sauce
Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. If you want to add any of the optional ingredients, such as dried garlic powder, dried basil, or finely grated parmesan cheese, add them now. r
Sun-dried tomato cream sauce
Transfer the sauce to a pot and heat through.
Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
Combine with your favourite pasta. Optionally, garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese (plant-based or dairy).
4-ingredient Sun-dried tomato cream sauce
FAQ: Can You turn this into soup?
Yes, you can turn this into soup. It's very easy: just add more milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
FAQ: Can I turn this into soup?
Yes, you can turn this into soup. It's very easy: just add more milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
Tips: Cooking for mixed groups
This recipe is easy to make either vegan or vegetarian. The only difference is the type of milk that you use. If you want to make both versions, blend them separately.
If you have carnivores in the group, roasted chicken would work well with this sauce, as would spicy sausage meat - be sure to cook and drain it thoroughly before adding to the sauce. Alternatively, you could serve the sauce with tortellini or another stuffed pasta that contains meat.
Serving suggestion
Related Recipes
Here are some other quick and easy mains:
Recipe Card
4-ingredient Sun-dried tomato sauce
Ingredients
- 6 cups tomatoes, fresh or canned, diced
- 4 cups milk (dairy or unsweetened plant-based)
- 2 cups tomato sauce (We used plain, lightly salted sauce.)
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (from a jar packed in oil)
- 2 tablespoons oil from jar of sun-dried tomatoes (If you don't have any oil, replace with olive oil or omit)
- salt to taste
Optional ingredients
- pinch sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil for garnish
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
(Or 1-minute plant-based parmesan)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉
- If using canned, diced tomatoes, place them in a colander in the sink to drain out the excess liquid. If using diced fresh tomatoes and they are juicy, do the same thing.
- Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet and roast them for 20 minutes and then stir them around. Roast them for another 20 minutes, until soft and jammy and some black edges appear.
- Put roasted tomatoes, plus all remaining ingredients (milk, tomato sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and oil) in the blender and blend until creamy. If you want to include any of the optional ingredients (garlic, basil, parmesan cheese) add them into the blender. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If the tomatoes are a bit too acidic, add a pinch of sugar.
To make soup instead of sauce
- Follow the instructions above, but add as much milk as needed to make it your desired consistency.