Roasted Vegetable Sauce

I admit it, I love roasted vegetables. It enhances the flavor, and with just olive oil and some salt and pepper you get a very honest flavor. One of my favorite sauces is a simple puree of roasted vegetables. It is great on pasta or as a base for soup. The recipe makes a large batch of sauce so I would have some to freeze, but the recipe is easily halved for those who do not want to stash sauce away.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Yields: 1 large batch

Ingredients

• 30  roma tomatoes, halved, cored, and seeded
• 2  onions, halved
• 6  carrots, peeled and cut into half to an inch chunks
• 4  stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 2  heads garlic, peeled and woody ends removed
• 1⁄2 cup olive oil
•  salt and pepper
• 1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
• 2  teaspoons dried basil (or 4 teaspoons if using fresh)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss prepared vegetables in a very large bowl. Add the olive oil, and a healthy amount of salt and pepper. Mix until all vegetables are completely coated with oil and seasoning.
2. Transfer the vegetables and the oil to two separate baking sheets. Roast in the oven for an hour, rotating rakes half way.
3. Once roasted transfer the vegetables, including the juices and oil, to a large bowl and puree with am emersion blender until smooth (or do in batches in a food processor.).
4. Stir in the vegetable broth, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.