Learn how to make a simple and delicious roasted cherry tomato sauce perfect for pasta, pizza, and more. This homemade pasta sauce uses fresh cherry tomatoes and a short list of aromatics. It’s also freezer-friendly and is ready in under an hour.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my Multi-Purpose Tomato Sauce but making tomato sauce from cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, is one of the best ways to enjoy an abundance of the season.
It’s quick, insanely easy, and stores for months at a time. No canning or special equipment needed! It’s all done in one big pot and a blender, then stored in Mason jars. That said, I recommend making extra because this homemade cherry tomato sauce is useful in far more ways than just pasta.
You won’t be able to get enough of the fresh flavors. They’re complex, balanced, and full-bodied despite the minimal spices and seasonings. The tomatoes are roasted first, intensifying their natural flavors and adding a rich, caramelized element to the sauce. There’s truly no other tomato sauce like it!
Why This Recipe Still Works
- A delicious way to use an abundance of cherry tomatoes. Perfect for gardeners and farmers market shoppers alike.
- Naturally sweet and flavorful. Roasting concentrates the tomatoes and brings out their natural sweetness.
- Freezer-friendly. Make a large batch and enjoy the taste of summer all year long.
- Versatile. Use it on pasta, pizza, meatballs, grilled chicken, or as a dipping sauce.
- Simple ingredients. Fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and herbs do most of the work.
- A great alternative to store-bought sauce. Rich flavor without unnecessary additives.
From My Garden to My Freezer
Every summer, there comes a point when I realize I’ve planted more cherry tomato plants than I probably should have. What starts as a handful of tomatoes quickly turns into bowls and baskets overflowing on the kitchen counter. This roasted cherry tomato sauce has become one of my favorite ways to preserve that harvest. I make a few batches every year, freeze portions for later, and enjoy the taste of summer long after the garden season is over.
-Silvia
Ingredient for fresh cherry tomato sauce
- Cherry tomatoes – They may not be the traditional choice (Roma and San Marzano are considered the best tomatoes for red sauce) but cherry tomatoes make for a fantastic sauce! Roasting them beforehand is the best way to go, as it enhances their flavor.
- Onion and garlic – Otherwise known as the aromatics. They provide a baseline of savory flavor, bring balance, and tone down the sweetness from the tomatoes.
- Spices and seasonings – Keep it simple with oregano, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes for a touch of heat. Feel free to add even more if you’d like, such as fresh basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, or marjoram.
How to make cherry tomato sauce from scratch
Making cherry tomato sauce for pasta, pizza and more, requires minimal effort. These step-by-step instructions will guide you through the process:
Step 1: Spread the whole, unpeeled cherry tomatoes in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper. Place them in the oven and roast until the skins soften and begin to burst.
Step 2: Heat more olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot on the stove. Add the onions and garlic and saute until they’re soft and fragrant.
Step 3: Season the aromatics with oregano, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Take the tomatoes out of the oven and add them to the pot.
Step 4: Let the roasted cherry tomato sauce simmer on low heat. Afterward, discard the bay leaves and adjust the seasonings to taste.
Step 5: Transfer the sauce to a large blender or use an immersion blender. Blend the sauce until it’s smooth and voila! The sauce is ready to be used right away or stored for later.
silvia’s tips
➜ Use the ripest cherry tomatoes you can find. Also, you don’t have to stick to cherry tomatoes. Instead, add the extra Roma or Heirloom tomatoes you already have at home. Cut them into quarters and roast them along with the others.
➜ A mix of red, yellow, and orange tomatoes creates wonderful flavor.
➜ Don’t rush the roasting step. Roast until tomatoes are blistered and slightly caramelized.
➜ Freeze in small portions for easy weeknight meals.
➜ Add fresh basil after blending for the brightest flavor.
➜ Add a parmesan cheese rind into the sauce while it simmer for extra flavor. Then remove the parmesan rind before blending the sauce.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
For a creamy finish – Stir ricotta, burrata, mozzarella, or a splash of heavy cream into the batch of sauce after it’s blended.
Craving more heat or a spicy arrabbiata sauce? Add up to 4 teaspoons of red pepper flakes.
Adjust the acidity – If your cherry tomato pasta sauce has bitter or acidic undertones, add a pinch of baking soda or sugar to help balance it out.
How To Use Cherry Tomato Sauce
Tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes doesn’t have to only be used with pasta. Step outside the box and explore the almost endless ways to use it:
- With pasta: This is a no-brainer! Cook your favorite pasta noodles or zucchini noodles and toss them with the cherry tomato sauce or use it in other Italian recipes, like meat lasagna.
- Pizza sauce: Spread the sauce over homemade pizza, pizza bites, thin crust pizza, and more homemade pizzas.
- Cooked with seafood: Use the sauce as a base for fish stews, halibut, mussels, or shrimp stew.
- For shakshuka recipes: This is a wonderful sauce for shakshuka recipes. Elevate it with extra spices, vegetables, or meat, and poach a few eggs on top.
- Vegetable side dishes: You can use this sauce to braise green beans or to top stuffed peppers and cabbage rolls.
- Add a few scoops to soups and stews for a vibrant color and depth of flavor.
Don’t forget the crusty bread on the side to soak up every last drop of sauce!
Want To Start Growing You Own Tomatoes?
Growing Beautiful Tomatoes
Growing tomatoes is easy and fun, and you are almost always guaranteed a successful harvest. In this post I share…
Looking for more ways to use up cherry tomatoes?
- This Roasted Vegetable Pasta is my favorite way to use this cherry tomato sauce. It’s a simple pasta that reminds me of my Mom’s cooking, and oh so delish!
- For a vegetarian option try this Tomato Stuffed Eggplant, made with few ingredients in the oven.
- This Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken is a must try! Beautiful for the eye and yummy for the belly, I promise!
- Now, this one might surprise you will love this Mediterranean Hummus Salad loaded with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives and feta cheese!
Cherry Tomato Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 whole onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 – 1/2 tsp oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- place cherry tomatoes (whole) in a large sheet pan without overlapping. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 400F degrees for 45 minutes.
- In a large dutch oven or heavy pot add remaining oil. When oil is hot add in onions and garlic, sautéing until soften and fragrant but not browned. Add oregano, red pepper flakes, roasted cherry tomatoes and bay leaves. Cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Transfer to a blender and process until sauce is creamy and there are no chunks left. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender.
- Transfer sauce to a jar and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Alternatively you can freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Freezing
This cherry tomato sauce freezes beautifully, making it a great way to preserve an abundant summer harvest. Allow the sauce to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop.Storage
Store leftover cherry tomato sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Enjoy Cold
I often use leftover sauce straight from the refrigerator as a spread for sandwiches, wraps, and flatbreads, or spoon it over burrata or fresh mozzarella for a quick appetizer.Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat or microwave until warmed through.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Cherry Tomato Sauce looks delicious and flavorful, thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much!
We haven’t tasted it yet and we added a few extra ingredients but the aroma is the best.. thank you for sharing your recipe
You are very welcome Ruth, I am sure it will be delish!! xoxo
Absolutely Wonderful!! So simple and so delicious! Added a touch of basil ❤️ thank you for sharing
You are very welcome Kristin, glad you liked it!
can the cherry tomato sauce recipe be canned? if so how do you suggest going about it?
Hi Liz, I am sure that’s possible, however I don’t have much experience with canning to offer any advice. I am sure if you look up canning process you will get guidance on how to do so. I usually freeze my sauces instead. Hope this helps!
I followed this recipe exactly, but in the end it turned out to be a thick tomato paste and not a sauce. I’m thinking my onion was too large, and all the juice from my tomatoes leaked out and burned while roasting. I’d like to know if this is a common mistake
Oh no! there should not have happened. The tomatoes should be juicy. You can always add a bit more water but I never needed to.
I just tried this recipe and it did the same thing to me! Fortunately, I had heavy cream leftover from another recipe that I added to it. It’s still thick, but better.
Sorry to hear this Kerry, I will review this recipe to try figure out why your sauce was too thick. To be fair the sauce is on the thicker side but not too thick. Glad you were able to fix it and enjoy it!
Surprising its bay leaf used and not basil leaves…
Basil is in the recommended list. If you do add basil it’s best to add to the finish sauce and let it wilt in the jar. Hope this helps!
very yummy! i used the super sweet cherry tomatoes from my garden. I made a single batch and let it cool so then i could puree it with my ninja blender. very flavorful.
So happy you enjoyed my cherry tomato sauce, Kelly. I can’t wait for my tomatoes to ripen so I can make this again!! xoxo
I am not a cook but this recipe seemed simple. It was great until I had to blend the ingredients.
They did not blend easily at all. I ended up with a think chunky mess. Added chicken broth until it got to a consistency that would actually work in the blender. After 20 minutes I still had a chunky sauce. I kept looking at the recipe to see if I missed anything. I did not.
I can probably use it but will not try to make again.
Hi Ann, the quality of the tomato and how ripe the tomatoes are will greatly affect this recipe. In the video for this recipe you can see how I made from beginning to end without adding liquid and it’s what you see in the jar. My guess is that the tomatoes you used weren’t ripe, or were dry.
I used yellow cherry tomatoes and followed the recipe. At the end added a little cream. For me the spice was perfect with red pepper flakes. I will freeze the sauce,will make another batch as the tomatoes ripen. Recipe is a keeper!!
That’s so great Marilyn, really happy to hear that you enjoyed my cherry tomato sauce. Thank you!
Haven’t tried this recipe yet, but can’t wait to try it. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to using this sauce as a base for many of my recipes rather than store bought.
That’s so great Sharon, that’s a good plan and I hope you’ll enjoy the fresh sauce as much as we do!
I have a double batch simmering on the stove and it’s so tasty and good that I put two more sheets of tomatoes to roast in the oven. I’m going to put in one red and one yellow onion in the next batch. This is so incredibly fresh and delicious tasting!!
Hi Shelley, that’s so great, I am happy to hear that you are making and enjoying my cherry tomato sauce. I am actually making some today as well, it’s so good!