Smoked Tomato Sauce Recipe

This smoked tomato sauce brings a deep, rich flavor to any dish by slowly smoking fresh tomatoes before blending them with garlic, onions, and herbs. The result is a smoky, savory sauce perfect for pasta, pizza, or as a base for soups and stews.

Why This Recipe Works

Smoky Yet Balanced: This smoked tomato sauce recipe features smoked tomatoes infused with a rich flavor that adds an extra layer of flavor. Mixed with smoked garlic, fresh basil, and minced onion, this sauce is well-rounded with the perfect balance of sweet, savory, and smoky flavors!

Versatile: I use this sauce like any other tomato or marinara sauce! It works beautifully on pizzas, and pasta, as a dip or can even be added to soups and stews. It requires minimal ingredients but leaves you with a tasty, flavorful sauce.

Supplies Needed

• Mixing Bowl
• Tongs
• Skillet
• Blender

Ingredients

• Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes work well here since they have a lower water content, but you can use any tomatoes you have on hand!
• Salt: I recommend salting the tomatoes before smoking them and then also adding salt to the tomato sauce to taste!
• Olive Oil: Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best results.
• Onion: White or yellow onion both work well here.
• Garlic: I used my smoked garlic confit for added smoky flavor. You can use this garlic in so many recipes! If you don’t want to smoke your garlic though, you can use regular garlic cloves.
• Basil: Fresh basil adds an herbaceous flavor to the smoked tomato sauce!

Smoke Infusing the Tomatoes

1. Preheat: Preheat the smoker to 225 F. and set for indirect heat. I used mesquite wood chips (not chunks) for this recipe.
2. Prep Tomatoes: Rinse the tomatoes well, trim any stems, and cut them all in half.
3. Season with Salt: Add the halved tomatoes into a bowl and toss with the salt.
4. Smoke the Tomatoes: Place the tomatoes cut side up directly onto the grill grates and smoke for 2 hours.
5. Remove from Smoker: Carefully remove the tomatoes with tongs (try not to squish them so they release too much juice) and place them all into a mixing bowl and set the aside to build the sauce.

How To Make Homemade Tomato Sauce

1. Sauté the Onion: To a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and the finely minced onion. Let this cook for 5-6 minutes.
2. Add Garlic & Basil: Add in the garlic confit (or fresh garlic if preferred) and the stems of the fresh basil and sauté an additional 1-2 minutes.
3. Add Tomatoes: Reduce the heat to low and pour in the bowl of smoked infused tomatoes and continue to cook over medium low heat for 5-10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to push down on the tomatoes to release the juices to create a sauce.
4. Season to Taste: Remove the basil stems and discard. Season the sauce to taste with salt and fresh basil leaves. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes.
5. Blend: Add the slightly cooled sauce into a blender (or use an immersion blender) to blend the sauce and tomato skins until smooth.
6. Serve & Enjoy: Serve the sauce or use as desired or store for up to 7 days in an air tight container in the fridge.

Expert Tips

• Basil stems have lots of flavor! I know it might seem weird to cook the basil stems with the onions, but it will infuse the olive oil with a basil flavor that builds extra flavor into the sauce. Just remember to remove them before blending the sauce!
• Blend until your desired consistency! Use a blender or immersion blender to create a smooth, velvety texture. You can also leave it slightly chunky if you prefer a rustic feel!
• If you are pairing your smoked tomato sauce with pasta, I recommend reserving some of the pasta cooking water to add to the sauce. This will help it to cling to the noodles better!

Ways To Use Your Smoked Tomato Sauce

This smoked tomato sauce recipe can be used in so many different ways! The most obvious choice, of course, is pairing it with pasta. But here are some other delicious ideas:

• As a pizza sauce: This smoked tomato sauce would add so much flavor to homemade pizzas or my cauliflower gnocchi pizza skillet!
• As a dipping sauce: Use it as a versatile dipping sauce for a variety of appetizers like my bison meatballs, ricotta stuffed eggplant rounds, or air fryer cheese curds!
• As a topping for meats: Drizzle over grilled chicken spiedini, onion crusted pork tenderloin, or even air fryer cauliflower steaks for an extra punch of smoky tomato goodness.

More Recipes To Try

• Mussels in White Wine Cream Sauce
• Pumpkin Pizza Sauce
• Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta
• Smoky Poblano Cream Sauce
• Chuck Roast Ragu