What luck that I checked your site today for a tastey tomato inspiration. I’m growing these goldens for the first time and was wondering how a yellow sauce would look. It’s beautiful! I’m excited to try this out. Many thanks!

Oh Heidi–this sauce was a complete and utter homerun 🙂 I wasn’t sure exactly what type of tomatoes to buy at the farmer’s market so I just went for a selection that felt and smelled ripe and had the best colour. I ended up with about 2lbs of various heirlooms in lovely shades of gold and yellow and collectively they turned out what was likely the best tomato sauce I’ve ever made!
This recipe is perfect, you’re exactly right that the olive oil adds the perfect richness and the hit of chilies just the right amount of zing. It tasted just like summer–especially after I sprinkled over some finely chopped fresh basil before tossing the pasta.
Cannot wait to hit up the Tomato Festival at our local market in the next couple of weeks so I can make up a couple more batches for freezing. This will be the perfect sauce for a chilly fall night–and I’m dying to try it blended up as a soup, also.
Thanks Heidi!! 🙂

Heidi,
I just wanted to let you know that I wrote about you (and your buttermilk farro salad recipe!) today on my blog. Thank you for the constant inspiration and information that you provide your readers… and myself:). Here is the post, if you’d like to read it!
And BTW, I cannot wait to make this sauce- and ‘surprise and delight’ guests, as you wrote about- w/ the change of tomato color!
HS: Thanks so much Torrie, it looks like you did a beautiful job with the salad. Looking forward to spending more time on your site!

I tried this recipe with bruschetta and my guests loved it. They were surprised by the color at first but loved the flavor. It was so fast and easy to make too. Loved it.

I made a delectable version of this on Saturday night using a bunch of odd-looking yellow & yellow-green heirlooms. I added a bit of oregano, in memory of my grandma, who loved the herb far more than I do. A pinch blended nicely. Served pools of the sauce under lightly pan fried, airy gnocchi (made sans gluten by mixing 2 tablespoons of Bette’s Rice Flour Blend of with three baked-and-raked potatoes and one farm fresh egg). Basil and Parmesan on top. Summer perfection.
Thanks for the inspiration. Again!

I made a similar sauce with a combo of tomatoes left over from my CSA share. The only thing is if you use yellow and red and zebra tomatoes in one sauce, it turns out kind of muddy orange in color. The aesthetic may turn off some people Then again, if you’re putting it in a lasagna, especially a veggie lasagna, no one will mind.
I also don’t bother peeling my tomatoes for sauce, but sometimes I puree the sauce. The peel just gets mixed in, adding a little texture and thickness to the sauce.

This looks divine!

Oooh! I’ll take this sauce in any of the ways you described above!! Especially with gnocchi!

Made this with some pretty orange tomatoes we got with our CSA share this week. Delicious. Thanks, as always!

This sauce looks wonderful, and so perfectly timed as I have a bounty of heirloom yellow tomatoes ready for harvesting!

Oooh this looks good! All my tomatoes are sitting green on the vine cos we’ve had a lousy summer for tomatoes, but a certain UK retailer has just started selling yellow san marzano tomatoes in cans so I think I’ll try it with those! Btw…..you may remember me from Souperior on Blogger – I’ve had a revamp and refocus and moved over to WordPress and am now back into both blogging and following all my favourite bloggers like you again! xxxx

As a follow-up to my earlier comment… The pizza dough was a huge success! Definitely the best we have ever made. Thank you Heidi!!

I’ve been going pretty crazy with red tomatoes lately. I have three or four new recipes up if anyone is interested. 🙂 The tomato bread pudding is so fantastic!

Your blog continues to be an artwork of inspiration to me. I too have so many cookbooks and an obsession with collecting them. You inspire me to cook more. I love to create, but rarely use the cookbooks I own. I belong to 4 cookbook clubs and I simply like reading them! I’ll make it a point to cook from them more:)
Thanks for your blog! I recommended it on my website:)
Heather McClees
The Soulful Spoon

What a great idea – I never thought o make atomato sauce with anything other than regular red tomatoes! It’s so beautiful!

Wow. This looks fantastic – Great recipe. Tomato Sauce’s can very so much and it’s always great to try out as many recipes as you can, adapt and choose which one suits certain dishes. Great stuff!

This recipe looks great – I love the simplicity of it, and the versatility!
By the way, I just made a batch of your pizza dough last night and can’t wait to try it out tonight. I make pizza all the time, but have never tried your dough recipe. Too bad we already made a (red) tomato sauce for the pizza; otherwise I would make this one today! Ah well… next time!

I found your site after reading a summary at delish. I’m glad I came! We definitely have the same mission about food. 🙂

This is beautiful. I saw yellow tomatoes for the first time in my life at a fancy restaurant last summer. I did not know that they even came in yellow until thin. I ordered some to grow in my garden next year. I will try to make this recipe then.

Heidi, did you go to Tartine Bakery this morning? I saw someone looking just like you but I’m not sure if that was really you, maybe I was wrong…
It was! I popped in there with the hope that I might be able to put in a bread order. But the line was a bit long and I was short on time – I always feel bad jumping the line to pick up/ place order, so I skipped it 🙁

Could this recipe be adapted into a canning recipe? I would like to preserve this delicacy for the winter!

This looks like a great recipe that might work well with these yellow and orange striped tomatoes I bought at the farmers’ market this week.
I also like that you were brewing beer. My husband and I have brewed one successful batch. It was a Belgian Golden Ale. Friends said that it tasted like a Trippel.

Hi from a first-time commenter, but avid fan for year(s?) now!
I just had to gush over this pretty golden tomato sauce!
I’ve had so many experiences where a “vegetarian dish” at a restaurants ends up being one of their pasta dishes with the meat taken out. Thanks for recipes like this that actually highlight the vegetable and don’t make one feel like she’s just eating some dish with the meat removed 🙂

How funny – I have made yellow tomato sauce three times this week!
It somehow seems to fit with summer better than red sauce. I like to do it with lots of garlic and white wine and some pasta water for thickener. It is delicious with orecchiette, if you haven’t tried that combo yet.

I am a great lover of golden tomatoes (particularly those with an orange-tint) and I can not wait to try this sauce….
But, I must confess… I hope you will share more about (and photos of) your adventures in brewing…
Pretty please? Oh so curious…
xo M

Couldn’t be easier, but so unexpected. I love those yellow tomatoes.

Molly, Which River Cafe cookbook is the ricotta gnocchi in? It sounds just to good!!

Such a beautiful, elegant and simple recipe. Love the versatility.

Your site is extremely informative and the photos are incredible. I came across your site a few months ago and have been amazed every time I log on. Thank you!

this is gorgeous!

For some reason making my own tomato sauce is always very intimidating. I’ll have to give this one a whirl.
I helped some friends with brewing last year. Few things are more exciting than putting in the work and enjoying your brews with friends and family. I know it’ll turn out delicious 🙂

So funny, I had the same cravings over here on the East Coast–I made Capellini with Roasted Yellow Tomatoes this week!
When you roast the cherry tomatoes whole, they burst, and it becomes a sauce of sorts as well, albeit a slightly tangy one.
I’ll definitely be giving this sauce a try!

The color of this sauce makes me want to make it and eat it right now!!

So simple, but it sounds so delicious. I was eying some yellow tomatoes last week–I think I need to buy some because I’m so curious about this recipe now!

Thank you lovely woman for the inspiration. My husband and son returned from the farmers market today with a glut of over ripe green zebras.
Now I know what I am doing tonight!
Green/yellow tomato sauce!!!!

Hi Heidi, I know other people have asked this, but I’m also curious–can this sauce be frozen? I’ve made tomato sauce once before that I froze but that was from cooked tomatoes. I love to freeze things since cooking for one means lots of left overs!
Thanks!

looks heavenly!

I have never tried a yellow tomato sauce before. Since yellow tomatoes are generally low in acidity, it would be great for those with sensitive stomachs.

Thank you for the great recipe! I’m a new blogger, and of course, your blog was one that everyone raved about. I feel like this recipe could be adapted to so many different, beautiful, tomatoes. It’s right up my alley!

Could this be frozen? I just got a ton of tomatoes from my farm share and wanted to make some sauces to keep in the freezer…

i’m in love with the golden hues! just brilliant. my husband has been obsessed with making his own beer for years. he’s getting ready now.

Heidi, You photographs are an inspiration to me. This sauce looks great, and I just picked some Gold Medal tomatoes, all of which weigh more than two pounds each! This sauce will be happening here today. Thank you for all of your great work.

Ryesundeschein = Rise and shine? Cute.

I love this sauce! great color and taste. thanks for sharing

Heidi – I’d love to see the recipe for your whisper-thin lasagne with the golden tomato sauce.
I make one from Patricia Wells’ “Trattoria” with fresh noodles, red tomato sauce and bocconcini. This simple style is my favourite and one of the lovely flavour notes is that the oiled pan is sprinkled with freshly grated lemon zest.

I’ve never seen yellow tomatoes like this; we’re lucky to get some decent red tomatoes in Colorado much less some of the exquisite heirloom varieties!
But even with red ones, I can attest to my favorite sauce being simple and easy and delicious so I’m sure this is fantastic.
And have to say re peel or no peel – I just did a post about a peach crisp that I made a pointing of noting I did not peel the peaches for…appears I’m not alone. This step seems meaningless to me; especially with any kind of cooking time so here’s to a new movement of ‘No Peeling!’ 🙂

This is so beautiful!! And so much more fun than the typical red sauce. I love it!

Homebrew and yellow tomato sauce…now this is my kind of day! Yellow tomatoes are my favorite, but I’ve never been compelled to do much else but eat them fresh or just roast them. Sauce is the next step…thanks!

This lookd delicious; I am trying this for sure:)

Oh gosh this looks lovely!!!

your five minute tomato sauce has become a staple around here. we call it the “monday night special” no matter on which night we eat it.
as soon as i get myhands on some yellow toms i’m gonna try this variation. mmmm…

Yes, we have no tomatoes–still weeks out here in Seattle. I’m printing your tomato photo, and taping it on my fridge for a little inspiration (and to keep me from crying).

what about freezing a sauce like this? I have made yellow sauces for freezing because I too love the color and subtly different tomato taste, but never with such a brief cook time.

Sounds great! Where could I find the lasagna recipe? I only see the tomato sauce one…

Thanks–this is perfect timing for the tomatoes I need to use up!

Wow! That is so easy and sounds delicious. I have never been please with my pasta sauce from fresh tomatoes, but I will have to give it another chance.

Perfect timing; I have many beautiful heirloom tomatoes from my local market and this is going to work perfectly with my tomatoes. Thank you, Heidi!

This looks wonderful! I just canned tomato sauce, but with red, Juliet tomatoes. I def will have to try this recipe!

Can this sauce be canned? I only have one heirloom yellow tomatoe plant this year and I can tell I’m going to be able to make tons and tons of batchs of this sauce =)
BTW: for those wanting heirloom yellow tomatoes (or other colored heirlooms) check out seedsavers.org
all their seeds are heirloom and they have just about every tomatoe you can imagine

When I saw that first picture I actually thought it looked like dal, Indian curried lentils, and I was kind of confused. Then the “golden” sank in, and I figured it out!
I’ve been making a lot of tomato sauces lately – my standby is Marcella Hazan’s tomato, butter, and onion sauce, but Sunday I roasted some mixed heirloom tomatoes with pecorino, herbs, and a bit of butter, and it was fantastic. I never met a (ripe) tomato that I didn’t like, but there’s just something about heirlooms.
And I love the idea of yellow tomato sauce for lasagne – I’m sure the color popped beautifully.

This is so beautiful! What kind of yellow heirlooms are those? I’ve never seen them that long or so peanut-shaped…
HS: Eeek I feel bad, I totally forgot to write down the varietal here. They are comparable in size to San Marzanos. I can check next week at the farmers market, and will report back. For SF locals, I bought them at the Happy Boy farm stand.

Are those yellow San Marzanos? I’ve never seen a long yellow heirloom before! I have to know the variety for next year’s garden! 🙂

Heidi, I’ve been following your blog for years and have hooked a number of other foodie friends on it! I love your approach to cooking and eating.
One request: I am always printing out your recipes, and I love to include your photos when I do, but they always end up being two pages, taking up too much room in my cooking binder! Is there any way you could do a printable version with the photo that’s just one page?
I know it’s silly, but food and photography just go so well together! Thanks!
HS: HI Michelle, let me look into it. I think I might be able to shrink the font size by a point or two, that could help.

This looks great, and definitely fitting for all these summer heirlooms that are popping up everywhere!
This is a response for Cara Mae, regarding the removal of the tomato seeds before chopping the tomatoes. It’s been my experience that when the seeds cook up, they can tend to turn a little bitter…therefore taking away from the natural sweetness and tomato-ey flavor. Also, it’s a texture thing for me. I like a smooth sauce, not one with the occasional crunchy, stuck-in-your-teeth, little seed.

Mmm, yes, tomato sauce. I’ve been canning it by the pint-case this year, and though I’ve thrown a few golden tomatoes in, I haven’t made any that’s exclusively yellow/orange yet. I find those tomatoes to be less acidic, not a bad thing, but I like my sauce to have more bite (though with yours, the heat you add will take care of that). These are lovely photos, as always.

Heidi, it sounds great. I’ve been trying to use your sauce recipes and I have a question, when you say the tomato should be cored, is it that all the bits in the middle should come out, seeds and the middle piece?
HS: Hi Dawn, I take out the hard part, around where the stem connects with the tomato. And Any other sort of paler, harder flesh that exists in that area. Each type of tomato seems to be different, and ripeness affects what I take out too.

Perfect and simple idea for the last of our tomatoes coming in from the summer garden. Not yellow heirlooms, but I think the substitution will work OK. Thanks!

YUM!!! My garden is exploding with golden cherry tomatoes right now. Will have to give this a try! 🙂

That would be awesome with polenta!!

Gorgeous! It would be fun to pair this with some shredded purple basil.

I went yesterday to the farmers market and bought myself some yellow tomatoes will try making this recipe!!! Thanks!

I’m going to make this into a pizza sauce. If nothing else, it will be interesting visually, but I’m intrigued to see how it tastes. Though I guess I might have to incorporate some colored vegetable juice into the dough so that there’s a little more contrast with these tomatoes and the cheese. We’ll see what happens!

I can’t wait to see what kind of heirloom tomatoes we get from our CSA – I have been wanting to make tomato sauce for a while now. I suspect this would freeze well too – can’t wait to try it!
Heidi, please write a post about your home-brewed beer! I love your recipes, but you do a lot of other interesting things that we all like to hear about. On that note, let’s have an update on your cookbook, please! Maybe a sneak-peek recipe, or some recipe titles to look forward to?

I have kale and I have goat cheese – a little of this sauce and I will be in heaven. In heaven, that is, minus the Ryesundeschein. Carolina

I am very curious about the taste as well. I just associate tomatoes with red, especially the sauce type tomatoes.
Also very curious about the beer, I have always wanted to give it a try but I have moved too often to be able to set up the whole thing. I have heard of several succesfull attempts though, and I have even tasted a couple: not bad! Good luck with yours.

I love the simplicity of this recipe – absolute heaven.
🙂 Mandy

Wow! I love this color and idea!

I can’t take it. With gnocchi? WTF?!
I’m so hungry!

Ohhh in Spain haven’t got golden tomatoes. I like this sauce!!!

I grew yellow tomatoes last year and loved them. This is a beautiful sauce, and you are so right. Changing one thing, like the color of the tomatoes, does make you look at that dish with new eyes.

Absolutely gorgeous pictures. Love them.
I constantly read about this removing of tomato seeds – what is the reason for this step? Is it really about removing the juice, so the sauce will be more concentrated?
HS: It’s really more of aesthetic thing than anything else for me with this sauce. And with raw tomatoes, I like to get rid of the gelatinous goop that surrounds the seeds. It’s a textural thing for me there. Some people find the seeds a bit bitter.

The tomato sauce looks lovely. My “Mr. Stripey” heirlooms are just beginning to ripen, so I’ll keep this recipe in mind. And, as the wife of an avid homebrewer, I am L-ing OL @ “Ryesundschein”. That’s one I haven’t heard of yet!
HS: Pretty funny, right?

That is a beautiful color. Reminds me of one of my favorite comfort Indian dishes, peeli dal. Yum.

What fun it must have been to drink beer from the vault, and to compare and contrast each.
This recipe reminds me of the foods and ingredients in Italy, high-quality and simple. This looks like a neat way to keep guests guessing what they are eating.

Ditto on the yellow heirlooms. Do you know the variety? I’d like to try to grow some out here in Colorado. I love the color contrast of heirloom tomatoes – they feed the eyes.

Gorgeous color! I’ve never seen yellow tomatoes in this shape — they look like yellow San Marzanos! Is the taste similar?

Will be trying this sauce! Let us know how your beer turns out!:)

Have you ever tried this with citrusy green Zebras? They are my new favorite. Made some lovely oven-dried tomatoes with them, romas and other small heirlooms this week. So good!

Oh, my. Was just reading over River Cafe’s ricotta gnocchi recipe last night, thinking it was time for another batch. This pretty much seals the deal.