Slow-Cooker Tomato Sauce

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Our sauce makes a great pizza topper and is the base for three delicious variations served with pasta or rice.

Slow-Cooker Tomato Sauce
Photo: Alison Miksch
Hands On Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
5 hrs 5 mins
Yield:
13 cups

Ingredients

  • 8 pounds fresh tomatoes (such as plum or San Marzano)

  • 2 large sweet onions, chopped

  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions

  1. Cut a small "X" in bottom of each tomato. Bring 8 qt. water to a boil in a large stockpot; add tomatoes, and boil 30 to 60 seconds or until peel begins to separate from tomato flesh. Remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse immediately with cold running water, or plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain. Peel tomatoes, and discard skin. Cut tomatoes in half, and gently squeeze to remove seeds. Coarsely chop tomatoes.

  2. Stir together onions, next 7 ingredients, and chopped tomatoes in a 7-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or until tomatoes have broken down and are very soft. Cool 20 minutes. Stir in basil and thyme.

  3. Process mixture with a handheld blender until smooth, or process mixture, in batches, in a food processor or blender. Season with salt and pepper.

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