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!
Servings: 4 pints
Calories: 214kcal
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
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
Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 822mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1791IU | Vitamin C: 83mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg