Sweet Cherry Tomato Sauce

5 from 5 votes

Sweet Cherry Tomato Sauce

Sweet cherry tomato sauce is the best way to use up a bevvy of garden fresh cherry tomatoes. This homemade tomato sauce is perfect for spooning over pasta or using on a pizza or lasagna. No matter how you decide to use it, you'll end up enjoying every last drop of it!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Condiment, Dinner, Pasta, Sauce

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: pints

Calories: 214kcal

Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us

Ingredients

3 lbs sweet cherry tomatoes stems removed & washed
1/4 cup + 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divide
1 large yellow onion diced
5 cloves garlic each with a slit cut in it
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves stems removed
salt & pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add the tomatoes to a large rimmed baking sheet, then drizzle the 2 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil out over the tomatoes. Stir them gently to coat.
Bake the oiled tomatoes at 400° for 25-30 minutes, just until some of the tomatoes have burst and begun to shrivel.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven, and set aside.
Add the remaining extra virgin olive oil to a large sauce pan, and heat over medium until the oil's hot. It will appear shimmery when ready.
Stir in the onions, cooking for roughly 3 minutes- just until they've begun to soften and turn in color.
Add the garlic, tomatoes (including all the juices in the pan), and herbs to the sauce pan. Stir to combine.
Reduce the heat to a low simmer (low heat), cover the pan almost completely just leaving a small gap with a lid, and let the mixture simmer very gently for at least 30 minutes, but up to an hour. Stir occasionally.
Remove the pot from heat, uncover, and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth- you can leave it chunkier if desired. If too thick, add some vegetable or chicken broth to thin.
Serve over a bed of your favorite pasta with fresh herbs.

Notes

Want to incorporate other bounties from your garden or just take advantage of cheap seasonal produce? You can add mushrooms, squash, zucchini, carrots, or even peppers to this sauce.
Don't skip roasting the tomatoes! If you haven't tried it before, roasting cherry tomatoes REALLY enhances their flavors!
Looking for ways to use this sauce beyond just spooning it over pasta? It makes a great pizza sauce, a great base sauce for lasagna, soups, or even a base you can doctor up by adding meats such as cooked ground beef or sausage, and meatballs.
Make sure you're using sweet tomatoes. I'm not a fan of adding sugar to my sauces if it can be avoided. If you don't use sweet tomatoes, you may find the sauce comes out a tad on the bitter side.
You can add a little spice to the sauce with a pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.

Nutrition