This Cherry Tomato Sauce is such an awesomely delicious answer to the question "What am I going to do with all these cherry tomatoes?" It's quick, easy and bursting with fabulous flavor!
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I love planting cherry tomatoes in my garden. They're always so juicy and sweet. I could just sit and eat a bowl of them like candy. And, boy, are they super-producers! Right now I have 6 huge plants - all taller than me - and we are overloaded with cherry tomatoes!
While I love snacking on these little jewels and enjoying them in all kinds of salads, there are so many that I'm always looking for different ways to use them.
The first thing that always comes to mind with tomatoes is...SAUCE! I make homemade sauce all the time with canned tomatoes and love it, so I thought why not try making sauce with my fresh cherry tomatoes?
It was a HUGE SUCCESS!!
This is sauce is AMAZING! Not only is it quick and easy to make, it is so full of fabulous flavor. The sweetness and super fresh flavor of the cherry tomatoes really shines through. David said this is the best tomato sauce I've ever made!
Now, there is one thing you need to know about this sauce. Since you can't really peel or seed the cherry tomatoes (well, you could, but you'd have nothing left if you did!), the sauce is definitely going to have some texture to it from both the seeds and the skins of the cherry tomatoes. BUT I actually think that's part of what's so appealing about this sauce!
If you aren't into that, I totally understand. If you are into it...let's get right to it then!
Ingredients You Need
- Cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)
- Vegetable broth (or chicken or beef broth)
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
Special Equipment Needed
- Food processor or blender
How to Make Cherry Tomato Sauce
Notes on Blending Hot Food
When using a food processor or blender to puree hot food, you must take precautions to make sure the hot food doesn't end up all over your kitchen (or you!). Steam being released from the hot food builds up pressure in the container. This can result in the lid coming off and/or the hot contents spewing or leaking out .
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for using your specific blender or food processor, but here are some general safety guidelines to prevent this:
- Let the food cool for several minutes so it is not super hot.
- Don't fill the container more than half full. Less is best when you're working with hot food. Remember, as you process the hot food, it will jump up in the container past the point where you filled it. Work in batches if you need to.
- Make sure the lid is on securely, and make sure that there is a way for the steam to escape (for example, remove the center cap on the lid of a blender or make sure the feed tube is open on a food processor).
- Cover the lid with a folded kitchen towel to prevent splatters through the hole and to protect your hands as you hold the lid firmly in place while blending/processing at low speed or pulsing in small bursts.
This sauce is great on pasta, on pizza, in dishes like lasagna and chicken parmesan, or for dipping breadsticks or mozzarella sticks. We recently enjoyed it over spaghetti with zucchini balls (see photo above) for a super delicious Meatless Monday meal!
Since I have so many cherry tomatoes, and they just keep on coming, I'm making several batches of this sauce and freezing them to use all winter long...WOO-HOO!
Of course, if you don't have a garden overflowing with cherry tomatoes (or it's the middle of winter), you can absolutely make this homemade sauce with cherry or grape tomatoes from the grocery store. Nothing beats homemade sauce!
I hope you try this Cherry Tomato Sauce recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Tomato Sauce Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went! Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Cherry Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place the cherry tomatoes and the vegetable broth in a large pan; cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until all the cherry tomatoes have burst, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the tomato mixture to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Working in batches, puree the tomatoes in a food processor or blender until smooth (see Notes below).
- In the same pan that you cooked the tomatoes in, saute the onions in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for another minute.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, and salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has reached the desired thickness (it usually takes about 10 minutes to get it to the thickness I like). Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
Notes
-
Even if you can fit all of the tomatoes and liquid into your food processor or blender, you still want to work in batches because you are working with hot food! You need to be very careful and take precautions since the hot food can build up pressure and cause the lid to come off of your machine, splattering hot food all over your kitchen (or you)! Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for your specific food processor or blender, but here are some general safety guidelines:
- Don’t fill the container more than half full. Put the lid on securely, and make sure it is vented so the steam can escape (for example, remove the center cap from the blender or make sure the food processor feed tube is open). Cover the lid with a folded kitchen towel (one that is large enough to cover the lid and protect your hands). Blend/process on a low speed or in pulses/short bursts while firmly holding the lid in place with the towel.
- You can substitute chicken broth or beef broth for the vegetable broth.
- This sauce freezes well.
Gayle says
Would you recommend canning this recipe instead of freezing it?
Michelle says
Hi, Gayle! I am not a canner, so I do not know if this recipe is appropriate/safe for canning.
Sheri says
I love this recipe! It is so good and a great way to use all those cherry tomatoes. What I like to do after processing the tomatoes in a food processor or blender, I strain it through a metal mesh strainer to remove the skins before adding it to the pan with the onions and garlic. I much prefer to sauce without the bits of skin. I then add some cooked sausage to the sauce and let it cook down a bit. I could eat the sauce all by itself!
Michelle says
Hey, Sheri! So glad you love this sauce, and thank you for sharing how you make it (adding sausage sounds so yummy)!
Diana Caldwell says
I just made this. I too have too many cherry tomatoes and was glad to find your recipe! I think it tastes wonderful! My only question is, is it normal to be a bit more watery than a regular sauce? I followed your measurements exactly! Also. How long will it last in the fridge? I have 2 jars. If I need to freeze one, I will, but did wonder how long I could have it just in the fridge. Taste is perfect!
Michelle says
Hi, Diana! So happy you like the sauce! Thank you! It shouldn't really be more watery than a regular sauce. As you can see in the pictures, the finished sauce isn't watery at all. All tomatoes are different, some being more juicy than others. You just need to let it simmer until the sauce gets to the consistency you want it to be. The sauce should last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Asta Stephansen says
I used this recipe as a base. I have a crazy out of control cherry tomato plant this year, that as of the end of September, even though the nights are cool, is still producing! I ve made two batches of this sauce, modified, so far, and am about to make a third. I ve added a few things. When I roast the tomatoes, I also roast sliced mushrooms, and a mostly whole bulb of garlic (in an oven-proof dish with oil). So, I use the roasted garlic (best sliced a bit) instead of the raw garlic when cooking the onion. When I put the roasted tomatoes into the pot, I also add the other ingredients. And, I found that just the fresh herbs were fine for my first batch, but I wanted more punch, so added more of those plus some dried Italian herbs, as well. My first batch was just a bit flat. The second batch, with the addition of more herbs, was amazing. When I heat it back up, I sometimes add cooked chicken to it. With these additions, for me, it makes for a deeper, more flavorful sauce. I use a Vitamix to blend, and I find that it s very easy to over blend it. Just some quick pulses, and I get a good consistency for me. It doesn t need tomato paste, which I added to my first batch. That made it too thick. So, I basically stick with the ingredients mentioned, plus what is in the original recipe. Thank you to whoever came up with this one. It s the best basic cherry tomato sauce recipe I ve found!Then, just get creative! This was delicious! I usually give more of my homegrown cherry tomatoes than I eat, but this recipe will help me make use of them from now on! I used fresh basil, parsley, oregano, and thyme from the garden. I also stirred in some ricotta cheese for protein. This will go into the summer rotation, for sure.