Make this roasted cherry tomato sauce using all fresh and healthy ingredients. Perfect to use in pasta, pizza, or any other Italian dish. Bursting flavors in the sauce will surely take you to Italy!
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We had an amazing harvest of cherry tomatoes and Italian basil this year. I didn't know cherry tomatoes are prolific and grow wild with little care. As a result, we have tons of them now. I gave some to our neighbors and friends and froze the rest for later use.
This cherry tomato sauce recipe helps me use up excess harvest. If you do not have cherry tomatoes, you can make this simple homemade sauce using regular, readily available red tomatoes. The sauce will elevate the flavors in a simple pasta dish.
Plant lovers: Cherry tomatoes are usually very expensive in the grocery store. You can grow them organically easily at home, even with a small space or a sunny balcony. Also, consider growing basil and other herbs; the fresh aroma of it makes any dish divine.
You can make a big batch of this sauce for canning and store it for use when the tomato season is over. OR freeze it.
What is special about this dish
- You don't have to add any sugar to balance the acidity in the tomatoes.
- Freshly made tomato sauce at home tastes amazing.
- It is healthy.
- Needs just a few active minutes of prep time, and the rest is just time to bake in the oven.
- It is a perfect recipe to use excess cherry tomatoes if you are growing them in your garden.
Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes - during summertime, I use garden-fresh, ripe cherry tomatoes of any size. You can also use grape or plum tomatoes. If you have larger tomatoes, follow this recipe to prepare fresh tomato sauce at home.
- Onion - use small to medium red onion. It helps to add depth of flavor and thickness to the sauce.
- Garlic - I recommend using fresh garlic cloves instead of preserved or pre-peeled ones for better taste.
- Herbs - I use fresh homegrown Italian basil to make a flavorful sauce, but dried basil will also work if you don't have fresh. You can also add fresh or dried oregano in addition to basil.
- Seasonings - just salt and pepper are enough to flavor the dish.
- Oil - use extra virgin olive oil
Preparation tips
- Tomatoes - thoroughly wash before using. If you are using Roma or any other large-sized tomatoes, cut them in quarters.
- Onion - Peel, trim the ends, and cut it in quarters.
- Fresh basil - remove all leaves from the stem and rinse with running water. Finely chop just before adding them to the sauce.
How to make roasted cherry tomato sauce?
Step 1: Preparing tomatoes for baking
Add cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, onion, salt, and pepper to a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and mix everything well. Spread the mixture evenly on the tray in a single layer.
Step 2: Roasting tomatoes
Bake cherry tomatoes in a preheated oven at 400F for about 45 minutes. To get the roasted caramelized color, broil for 2 minutes and then remove them from the oven.
Step 3: Blending tomatoes
Transfer the cherry tomato mixture to a medium saucepan. Using a hand blender, blend everything to prepare the sauce. Then, use the sauce as is or simmer it on low heat without the lid to reduce moisture and get the desired consistency. Finally, add chopped fresh basil.
Roasted cherry tomato sauce is ready to use.
How to use homemade tomato sauce
You can use this freshly prepared cherry tomato sauce in different dishes.
- Pasta - add it to this simple kale pasta or Mediterranean artichoke pasta to elevate its taste.
- Use as a topping to prepare Air Fryer eggplant parmesan or chicken parmesan.
- Pizza - It is perfect for preparing homemade healthy pizza.
- Appetizer - Serve it as a dipping sauce with whole wheat focaccia bread, healthy zucchini flatbread, or simple garlic bread.
- Cherry tomato soup - Add whole milk or vegetable or chicken stock to dilute the sauce. You can also add some whole cream and parmesan cheese and serve it as a creamy soup. Or follow this roasted tomato soup recipe for instructions on making the soup.
Helpful tips
- Use fully ripe tomatoes to get a nice bright red color in the sauce.
- After blending the sauce, add fresh or dried herbs, and it is ready to serve. If you add it before baking or cooking the sauce, fresh basil will lose its flavor at high temperatures.
Recipe variations
- Spicy - add chili flakes along with salt and pepper to give this sauce a spicy kick. Or slice a jalapeno lengthwise and then add it to tomatoes before baking.
- Make it on the stovetop - add all the ingredients (except fresh basil) to a saucepan and cook the mixture on low heat until the tomatoes are soft and cooked well. Then, blend everything well to prepare the sauce.
- Replace cherry tomatoes with grape tomatoes or any other red tomatoes.
- Add some Italian seasoning blend to enhance the taste.
- If you want to use it as pizza sauce, you may want to thicken it. Just simmer the blended sauce without the lid until it reaches the desired consistency. Or follow this recipe to prepare homemade pizza sauce and use cherry tomatoes instead.
Storage Tips
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about one week.
If you are familiar with the canning process, you can make a large batch of the sauce and store it for longer.
FAQs
Yes, you can freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for 2-3 months.
More Italian Dishes You Will Love
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium onion (peeled and cut into quarters)
- 2-3 garlic cloves whole
- ½ cup basil leaves (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Add cherry tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, and olive oil to a large baking sheet. Mix everything well, then spread the mixture evenly in one layer.
- Bake in the oven for 40-45 min. Then turn on broil mode and broil for 1-2 min to get a caramelized color on the tomatoes and onion.
- Remove all the roasted tomato mixture in a medium saucepan. Blend using an immersion blender to prepare the sauce.
- Add chopped fresh basil and the sauce is ready to serve or use in other dishes.
Notes
- If you do not have cherry tomatoes, use grape or plum tomatoes. To use large tomatoes like Roma, cut them in quarters and follow the steps above.
- There is no need to peel the garlic before roasting. Peel it before blending. It is easier to peel when it is soft after roasting.
- Stovetop Cooking: to make the sauce on the stovetop, follow this recipe for tomato sauce using cherry tomatoes.
- For slight heat, add chili flakes while adding seasonings.
- If you do not have an immersion blender, then use a food processor or blender to prepare the sauce.
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