A homemade tomato sauce is one of the best recipes in our opinion, and this cherry tomato sauce is our favorite thing to make during the summer. You’ll never want to buy a store-bought sauce again after making this. Why? Because cherry tomatoes are actually sweeter than regular tomatoes, making the flavor so addicting that you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful.
Better yet, it’s quick to make in terms of classic red sauce recipes. You’ll have this comforting sauce ready in about 30 minutes – trust us when we say you’ll want to make a double batch so you can freeze half for an easy meal later. We love to stir it into spaghetti or drizzle it over baked cod. It even stores well in the fridge for a whole week, making it easy to add to any meal.
I made your tomato sauce and it is fantastic!!! Thank you for a great and easy recipe for my cherry tomatoes!!! – Candy
Why you’ll love this recipe
When it comes to making a simple pasta sauce that’s delicious all year round, this cherry tomato version is one we make time and time again.
- A great tomato sauce no matter the season. Unlike regular tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are sweet and delicious even during the cold winter months (they happen to be one of our favorite snacks too). So you can still make a quick sauce from scratch that’s still so flavorful.
- Easiest homemade sauce recipe. We’ve made so many classic tomato sauce recipes and they usually simmer on the stove for hours. Not with our version, you’ll have lots of flavor in just 30 minutes.
- Perfect to customize with all sorts of ingredients. We add simple ingredients like garlic and basil, but you could also add thyme or oregano, even some heavy cream to make it vodka-style.
Tip for Busy Cooks: We have a special ingredient in this recipe, butter. This is something true Italians often add to their tomato sauces and for good reason, it balances out all of the flavors.
Key Ingredient Notes
You only need five simple ingredients for this cherry tomato sauce recipe. After you see how easy it is to make this at home, you’ll see why it tastes so much better than the jarred sauce at the store.
- Olive oil – Olive oil has a fruity, complex flavor that adds something extra to tomato dishes. If possible, use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.
- Cherry tomatoes – For best results, use peak-season cherry tomatoes. If it’s not tomato season, don’t sweat it. The flavor of the cherry tomatoes will intensify as it simmers! It’s delicious any time of year.
- Garlic – Three garlic cloves may seem like a lot, but garlic sweetens and mellows as it cooks. It won’t overpower the sauce.
- Basil – Fresh basil gives that quintessential Italian flavor. If you don’t have fresh, dried basil does the trick. Just remember to use less dried basil than fresh. Dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs, which means you only need a third of the amount.
- Butter – Once you add butter to this sauce, you won’t ever leave it out again! It adds a slight richness and rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes. We recommend using unsalted butter so it isn’t too salty.
How to make cherry tomato sauce
1. Saute the cherry tomatoes
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they soften and start to burst – about 10 minutes. Smash the tomatoes every so often to release their juices.
- Add the garlic, basil, and salt to the pan. Cook the sauce for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently so the bottom doesn’t burn.
2. Blend
- Blend the sauce using an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend in a regular blender as well.
3. Strain the sauce (optional)
For velvety smooth texture, we love straining the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve. If you don’t mind bits and pieces of tomato and skin, you can skip this step.
- Pour the sauce into a fine-mesh sieve sitting over a large bowl. Use a spatula to press the mixture into the sieve to release as much liquid as possible.
4. Add butter
- Stir in the butter, then allow to cool. Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate.
Expert Tips
- No need to peel the cherry tomatoes. You can cook them just as they are. We recommend straining the sauce if you want a super smooth consistency. You can also leave it more rustic in texture and omit the straining too.
- Use all red cherry tomatoes or buy the multicolored. We love using the vine-ripened ones from the store since they tend to be the sweetest. If you can find sungold yellow cherry tomatoes in the summer months, add some of those in as well, they are the most flavorful variety.
- Allow the sauce to simmer until the tomatoes burst and become jammy in consistency. This is so important since you are caramelizing the natural sugars of the tomatoes, which makes the flavor even richer.
- Jazz it up with other ingredients. While it’s great on it’s own, you can also add chili flakes for spice, other herbs like thyme or oregano, and even a dash of heavy cream if you’d like.
Storing Tips
- Store the sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week, or freeze it for longer storage. Let it cool before you transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Leave enough room in the container to let the sauce expand while it freezes. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or for a quicker method, place the frozen sauce into a bowl of cold water to thaw. If you’re in a hurry, microwave in intervals, stirring in between, until its reheated. Just be sure it’s in a microwave-safe container.
Make-Ahead Tips
- You can double or triple this recipe, then freeze or can it for later use.
- We like to freeze it in individual-sized portions so we can pull out the amount we need. Heavy-duty freezer bags make it easy to do that. You can also pour the sauce into ice cube trays which makes it easy to thaw. Just drop the frozen cubes into a skillet or saucepan and heat until melted. Or these souper cubes are beyond convenient for freezing the sauce in 1/2-cup or 1-cup amounts!
- Cherry tomato pasta sauce is a great recipe to can using the water bath method. Fill a sterilized jar with a tablespoon of lemon juice, then add the tomato sauce, leaving a 1/2 inch of headspace at the top. Boil the sealed jar for 35 minutes in a large pot of water with a canning rack in the bottom. It’s important to follow proper procedures when canning at home to prevent foodborne illness.
Ways to use cherry tomato pasta sauce
Yes, it’s so delicious on pasta, but there are many options of how to use this delicious sauce! We love to:
- Slather it on some pizza dough and sprinkle with mozzarella for a quick homemade pizza!
- Cutting carbs? Roast a spaghetti squash then stuff with cherry tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Yes, please!
- Add chicken stock to thin it out, then serve with grilled cheese. It makes a fantastic tomato soup.
- Make an Italian quesadilla with mozzarella and roasted veggies, then use this sauce as a dip.
- Stir it into this Instant Pot minestrone soup for a hint of tomato.
- Make a delicious chicken cacciatore with it easily in the slow cooker.
FAQs:
Peeling cherry tomatoes is a tedious and unnecessary step for tomato sauce. You can use whole, peel-on cherry tomatoes even if you like it silky smooth. Just cook the recipe as directed, then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. This step removes all the bits of skin and seeds, leaving a velvety smooth sauce behind.
If your sauce is too thin, it needs to simmer longer. As it cooks, the water evaporates, giving you a thick and flavorful end product. If you don’t have time to simmer longer, add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste and stir until thickened.
You may have not let the tomatoes caramelize in the pan long enough, be sure to follow the cook time. Additionally, while they are naturally sweet on their own, sometimes adding a pinch of sugar to the sauce solves the problem.
More simple sauce recipes
Cherry Tomato Sauce (4 Ingredients)
Equipment
- large skillet
- blender
- fine-mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds cherry tomatoes Note 1
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 4 fresh basil leaves Note 2
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Note 3
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add cherry tomatoes and cook until they soften and start to burst, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, basil, and salt and continue to cook the sauce for 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom and smash the tomatoes every so often.
- Carefully transfer the sauce into a blender and process until smooth. (You can also use an immersion blender.)
- Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve. Press to extract as much sauce as possible. (This step is optional, but it’s worth it because it yields a silky smooth sauce.)
- Stir in the butter. Transfer into airtight container and refrigerate.
Share your thoughts! If you make this please leave a review letting me know how it was!
Notes
– Store the sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week, or freeze it for longer storage. Let the sauce cool before you transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Leave enough room in the container to let the sauce expand while it freezes. Freeze for up to 3 months.
– Thaw the sauce in the refrigerator overnight, or for a quicker method, place the frozen sauce into a bowl of cold water to thaw. If you’re in a hurry, microwave the sauce until its reheated. Just be sure it’s in a microwave-safe container.
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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Reader's Reviews
Candy says
I made your tomato sauce and it is fantastic!!! Put it in my souper cubes too!!! Thank you for a great and easy recipe for my cherry tomatoes!!!
Shinee says
SO happy you tried and loved it, Candy! Thank you for your feedback!!!