Quick Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
Quick and simple, homemade roasted cherry tomato sauce – packed with flavor from fresh cherry tomatoes that caramelize and become wonderfully jammy after a quick stint in the oven. This even more delicious take on traditional tomato sauce is made with simple ingredients like garlic, olive oil, basil, and thyme, and you’ll want to make batches all Summer long!
We inherited several tomato plants upon moving into our new house. The sprawling, sagging beauties, top-heavy under the weight of their fruit, have happily delivered a generous yield over the last few weeks, and I’ve been harvesting the delicious house-warming presents with abandon.
The collection of mystery varieties includes about half cherry tomatoes, and I’ve taken to calling the entire lot of them simply Parker tomatoes (after the previous owners). As the plants are still dotted with dozens of yellow flowers – i.e. future tomato babies – and given that it’s already September (!), I harvested the remaining ripe cherries to make a roasted tomato sauce, thus preserving some homegrown tomato goodness for the coming months.
Why you’ll love this roasted cherry tomato sauce
Despite the natural sweetness of perfectly ripe summer tomatoes, a quick roasting still enhances and intensifies their flavor, and – along with some onion, garlic and fresh herbs – transforms the raw tomatoes into a fantastically rich and flavorful sauce. It’s the sort of sauce you’ll be happy to have on hand to brighten up a chilly day in the next couple of months, and totally worth the (minimal) hands-on effort now.
A couple of quick notes: I threw in some yellow and orange cherry tomatoes from the farmers market in addition to our red garden cherries – thus the lighter, orange-y color – but you can use any kind of cherry/grape/small tomato you’ve got. The sweeter the better.
Also, I prepared this roasted cherry tomato sauce to be stored in the fridge or freezer, but if you’re feeling ambitious, and want to tackle shelf-stable canning, Annalise has a great tutorial (and marinara sauce recipe), here. Happy cooking!!
Looking for more easy summer favorites? Try these next:
- Easy slow roasted cherry tomatoes
- Summer pasta with burst cherry tomatoes
- Summer squash grain salad with feta
- Easy pork chops with peaches
- A simple peach galette
If you make this roasted cherry tomato sauce be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura
PrintQuick Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Yield: About 4 pints/2 quarts 1x
- Category: Sauce, Dinner
- Method: Roasted, Blended
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Quick and simple, homemade roasted cherry tomato sauce – packed with flavor from fresh cherry tomatoes that caramelize and become wonderfully jammy after a quick stint in the oven. This even more delicious take on traditional tomato sauce is made with simple ingredients like garlic, olive oil, basil, and thyme, and you’ll want to make batches all Summer long!
Ingredients
- 2–3 lbs cherry tomatoes, stems removed
- 1/4 cup good-quality olive oil, plus more for roasting
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- small handful of fresh basil leaves
- 3–4 sprigs, fresh thyme, stems removed
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Toss the tomatoes with just enough olive oil to lightly coat, then spread out in an even layer onto a rimmed sheet pan or large baking dish. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and are just beginning to shrivel. Remove from the oven, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add the 1/4 cup of olive oil to a heavy-bottomed sauce pot. Heat over medium-heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to sweat and soften, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, stir to combine, and continue cooking for another few minutes until the garlic is golden.
- Add the roasted tomatoes (including all of the cooking liquid in the pan), and the herbs, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Turn the heat down to low, partially cover the pot with the lid (leaving about a 1-inch gap), and let simmer for at least 25 minutes – and up to an hour – stirring infrequently as the sauce cooks.
- Remove the pot from the heat, and let cool for 10-15 minutes. (Carefully!) Transfer the sauce to a blender (or use an immersion blender), and blend until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Pour the sauce into pint-size canning jars or other air-tight containers.
- Will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, or 3 months in the freezer. Enjoy!!
Keywords: roasted tomatoes, cherry tomato sauce, roasted cherry tomatoes, summer sauce, freezer tomato sauce, easy tomato sauce, herb tomato,
Wow, this came out fantastic. Mine was somewhat orange, too, because I had red, yellow, and even a few black tomatoes. Wonderful way to use up cherry tomatoes when they get overwhelming! Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Natasha!! It’s always fun to see what color the sauce ends up, especially with a mix of varieties 🙂
This is truly a delicious sauce. I did not blend the sauce because I wanted a chucky type sauce. Added some red wine while simmering. This will be my go to spaghetti sauce recipe from now on!!!
Thank you for post this recipe.
★★★★★
Thank you, Elizabeth!! So happy it was a fave!
We’ve made this sauce twice now. Amazing smell and taste, however, both turned out different. It depends on the quantity of tomatoes and how much oil is used in roasting. 2-3 lbs can make a difference in the result, but it’s all fun to experiment. The results are all great!!! I’m just about to start my 3rd batch – for freezing. 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Gina!!
I followed the recipe exactly and used 3 pounds of cherry tomatoes, but only ended up with 2 pints of sauce. My garden is overflowing with cherry tomatoes this year so I’ll try again and maybe only simmer the mixture for 20-25 minutes instead of 45. It made our house smell amazing!
★★★★
Thanks, Andrea!
Can you can this recipe? How long do you process the hats for ?
Hi, Jennifer! I am not a shelf-stable canning expert, but lots of readers have successfully canned this sauce . I’m not sure how long the jars will need to boil, but this might be a good starting point: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_sauce.html
I would suggest using some kind of citric acid/lemon juice if you go that route just to be safe. This sauce also freezes wonderfully and you don’t need to make any changes to can it that way. Enjoy!!
THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE- AM OVERWHELMED WITH CHERRY TOMATOES.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, PB!
I made this for the first time but I also added a red pepper to the pot for flavor !! We shall see it isn’t done yet but I will let you know .
No this is the first time
!!!
I made this for the first time but I also added a red pepper to the pot for flavor !! We shall see it isn’t done yet but I will let you know .
Thanks, Darlynn! Enjoy!
I bet (and I’ll soon find out for sure) that I can leave out the thyme and basil and add jalapeños and green chilies. The technique is what I was looking for. Thanks!
Be sure to leave a note if it does! Thanks, Cyndi!
I roasted the tomatoes (fresh from my friend’s garden) with some chunks of roasted green chilies and some slices of jalapeño. Then I put it in the food processor with some salt and a half teaspoon of sugar and a chopped clove of garlic. I pulsed it just a bit—I wanted it to remain a little chunky. Then I added chopped onion (not cooked). We’re eating it with tortilla chips. So, so good.
★★★★★
That sounds amazing as a spicier sauce/salsa! Thanks so much for the update!
Very tasty. Had this sauce with meatballs and spaghetti. will defo be making again. Just wish measurements were a bit more accurate.
★★★★
Thank you, Tash 🙂
Loved this sauce i was looking for a great recipe to use up my cherry tomatoes and this was excellent my husband loved it. It’s a keeper thanks!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Nancy!!
So easy and delicious!! We had so many cherry tomatoes I was happy to find this recipe. Thank you😁
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Nicole!!
By far the best tomatoe sauce ever! I made it with dried herbs and I added some oregano. Amazing!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Marie-Lou!!
I used the huge amount of cherry tomatoes that my garden felt it had to produce :). I think this is one of the best sauces I have made. I added a little white wine to clean off the roasting pan and that was a good flavor to add. Thanks for the garden rescue, delicious sauce!!!
★★★★★
Yum! That sounds delish, thanks, Deb!!
I had a huge amount of black cherry heirloom tomatoes. This recipe is so simple and yet too delicious. My tomatoes are very sweet so that wasn’t a problem for me. My basil and thyme from my garden was perfect. I upped the basil a bit (a personal preference) but LOVE the recipe. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Janette!!
What are some ways to use this sauce? Basically, the same as you would any pasta sauce?
Hi, D! I use it in place of regular pasta sauce the most, but it also works for stuffed shells, lasagne, etc.. It’s really good on homemade pizza, and can also be used as tomato soup base (I usually add some stock and a little milk/cream). Or really any other thing that you would put tomato/pasta sauce on 🙂 Enjoy!
Delicious way to use up a huge harvest of cherry tomatoes. I tripled the recipe and ended up with 6 pints. I used one red onion in place of a white onion. I roasted some garlic along with the tomatoes and added fresh oregano along with the basil and thyme. Oh, and a generous splash of red wine.
★★★★★
Yum! Thanks so much, Aimee!!
OMG!!! This was so GOOD. I roasted 2 Serrano peppers with the tomatoes. I had a mixed of tomatoes (I grow 4 types). I didn’t add sugar because I’m on Keto. Thanks for this quick and easy gardener’s recipe
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Michelle!!
We can’t get enough of this sauce. It has such a rich texture and delicious but mild flavor, and is exactly what we needed to use up a windfall of cherry tomatoes. It’s not picky about exact quantities of ingredients. I’ve made it twice already and am about to make it a third time with today’s harvest. My other half raves about it; he likes to put it on turkey meatballs and pasta. I especially like it on roasted eggplant!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Rachel!! So happy it’s a hit. Haven’t tried this sauce yet on roasted eggplant, that sounds delish! 🙂
Question here: why does it only last 3 months in the freezer? I typically save sauces for over a year in my freezer. Just curious.
Hi, Heidi! It can definitely go longer! That’s what I recommend because I think the sauce will stay flavorful and non-freezer burned for at least that long, especially if you pack it well. It’s not that it will spoil on the 3 month mark. Also, we always seem to use it before then 🙂 Enjoy!
So good! It tastes like a blush sauce ( tomato and Alfredo mixed)
★★★★★
Thanks so much, LeeAnn!!
Hi LeeAnn! It’s Lauren Widder here! Can’t believe I saw your response to this sauce. I’m in Cedar Rapids, Iowa now as is my granddaughter, her fiance and their 9 month old son and his 9 year old daughter. She made this sauce fron her cherry tomatoes in her garden and I sooooo love it!