Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce

When I finally got enough nerve to use my canner,

I picked an adventurous recipe: Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce.

It is amazing.

The recipe makes about 3 quarts or 6 pints.

Ingredients:

6 bulbs of garlic

3 Tablespoons olive oil

4 medium red, yellow and/or green sweet peppers cut lengthwise and seeded

12 pounds ripe tomatoes Peeled

(to learn how to peel tomatoes, go here)

3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons kosher salt 

(or 4 teaspoons regular salt)

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves snipped

1 cup lightly packed assorted fresh herbs

(such as oregano, thyme, parsley and/or basil)

6 Tablespoons lemon juice

• Preheat oven to 400 F
• Cut off the top (about 1/2 inch) of the garlic bulbs to expose ends of individual cloves
• Leaving garlic bulb whole, remove any loose papry out layers, place bulbs cut end up in a 1-1 1/2 quart casserole dish
• Drizzle bulbs with 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil cover dish
• arrange sweet pepper halves cut side down on foil lined baking sheet
• brush with remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil
• Roast garlic and peppers for about 40 minutes or until garlic feels soft and peppers are charred
• Cool garlic in dish on wire rack
• Bring foil up around peppers and fold edges together to enclose. Let peppers cool 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle Peel off and discard skins chop peppers and set aside.

•  Remove garlic cloves from paper skins by squeezing the bottoms of the bulbs and place in food  processor.
• Cut peeled tomatoes into chunks add some of the chunks to the garlic in the processor and process until chopped
• Transfer chopped garlic and tomatoes to 7-8 quart stainless steel, enamel or non-stick heavy pot.
• Working in batches repeat chopping the remaining tomatoes in the food processor.
• Add all the tomatoes to the pot

• Add brown sugar, salt, vinegar and black pepper to tomato mixture. Bring to boil
• Boil steadily uncovered for 50 minutes stirring frequently
• Stir in chopped peppers Boil for 10-20 minutes more or until it reaches desired consistancy stirring occasionally 
• Remove from heat and add basil and assorted herbs

• Spoon 1 Tablespoons lemon juice into each of 6 sterilized pint jars (or 2 Tablespoons in each 3 quart jars)
• Ladle sauce into jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace
• Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and screw bands.
• Process in boiling water canner for 35 minutes (time starts when water returns to boiling)
• remove jars and cool on wire racks.

The sauce looks gorgeous, smelled gorgeous while cooking 

and tastes amazing.

Note that I pressure canned my sauce at 11pounds of pressure for 15 minutes.

This is a time consuming recipe.

Because I really like the flavor of the sauce, 

I'm willing to take the time to make it

but I think I'll prepare the tomatoes one day

and assemble the sauce on another.