This beautifully delicious sauce comes from Annabel Langbein, The Free Range Cook. You can use store-bought tomatoes or I like to use our fresh garden tomatoes in the summer and then freeze the sauce. A true pleasure in the middle of winter when we warm it up and put it over pasta, meatballs, or chicken. It is like a little kiss from our past summer. 

 

3 lbs. tomatoes, cored and sliced into wedges

2 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into eighths

1 large onion, sliced into wedges

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tsp rosemary, chopped

¼ cup tomato paste

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

 

Preheat oven to 320℉

 

Place the tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic on a baking sheet. 

 

In a small bowl, mix the rosemary, tomato paste, sugar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the vegetables and mix them lightly to coat. 

 

Bake for two hours until the vegetables start to caramelize. 

 

Remove them from the oven and let them cool. Once cooled to room temperature, place them in a food processor or blender and puree. 

 

Before serving, pour the sauce into a medium-size pot on low heat to warm. 

Yield 8 - 10 meatballs

Baked Meatballs

These are my favorite meatballs that come together quickly and can be eaten alone or with sauce. 

 

1 lb. grass-fed ground beef

½ cup red onion, finely chopped 

¼ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs, or regular breadcrumbs

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 egg

¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus more for garnish

3 Tbsp. *Paleochef Ketchup

1 tsp salt 

¼ tsp pepper

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

 

Preheat oven to 400℉

 

In a large bowl, gently mix all of the ingredients. Form into 1½ inch balls and place them on a baking sheet. 

 

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are lightly browned and cooked through. 

 

Plate the meatballs in individual portions or on a large platter and spoon the warm Roasted Tomato Sauce over the top and garnish with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

 

* I like the flavors in the Paleochef Ketchup and it is gluten-free. You can also use regular ketchup if you prefer. 

 

Just Salt It, and enjoy!