Ready in just 30 minutes, this simple, tasty recipe for Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce is a great way to use up fresh tomatoes from your garden!
Hey there, pasta lovers! If you’re anything like me, you probably cherish those summer days when the garden is brimming with fresh produce, especially those plump and juicy cherry tomatoes. Today, I’m excited to share my favorite Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce recipe with you. This recipe is a game-changer for weeknight dinners, bursting with flavor and oh-so-simple to make. Plus, it brings back warm memories of cooking with family and friends, making it a dish close to my heart.
Delicious By Design
- By choosing cherry tomatoes in lieu of larger varieties and starting in a hot pan, the same richness of flavor was achieved in just 30 minutes.
- Sauteed garlic adds a delicious kick of flavor to this simple sauce.
- Tossed with pasta, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese, this dish delivers on deep flavors.
What You’ll Need
Before diving into the steps, let’s gather everything we need. This recipe requires simple, fresh ingredients, making it a breeze to prepare. You’ll need pasta, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, salt, pepper, and a bit of sugar if needed.
Ingredient Spotlight
The star of this dish is undoubtedly the cherry tomatoes. These little gems are packed with sweetness and flavor, especially when they’re perfectly ripe. For the best results, opt for organic, vine-ripened cherry tomatoes. If you can’t find cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes are a great substitute. When shopping, look for tomatoes that are firm, brightly colored, and free from blemishes. Remember, the fresher the tomato, the better the sauce!
How To Make
You can find the full, printable recipe at the bottom of this post (click the button above), but you can read a summary with step-by-step instructions and photos for each step below.
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just undercooked; reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and set it aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute. (image 1)
Add the tomatoes and season well with salt and add the pepper. (image 2)
Cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the tomatoes burst and release their juices to form a sauce, 6–8 minutes. (image 3)
Remove from heat and, using a large slotted spoon, scoop out one or two spoonful of the whole tomatoes and set aside. (image 4)
Add the remaining tomato mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (after pureeing if there is too much skin or seeds to your liking, you can strain the sauce at this point into a bowl).(image 5)
Return the mixture to the pan with the reserved whole tomatoes and cook over medium heat until it boils and thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Add the basil, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and sugar if needed. Add the pasta to the pan, stirring to coat and finish cooking, using reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce as needed. (image 6)
Make It Your Own
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Stir in a splash of cream for a richer, creamier sauce.
- Toss in some cooked chicken or shrimp for added protein.
- Mix in a handful of grated Parmesan cheese for extra depth and flavor.
Recipe Tips
- If the sauce tastes high in acid, you can sugar at the end and then cook for 3-5 minutes on low heat just to dissolve the sugar.
- If you like a chunkier sauce, skip the blending step and keep the tomatoes whole and broken down.
- This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated for two days.
- You can add any herbs of your choice, such as basil, parsley, or oregano. If you don’t have fresh herbs you can add dried.
- Baking soda neutralizes acidity. To save bitter tomato sauce, add a pinch of baking soda at a time (tasting in between) until the acidity disappears.
- Write tip here
Storage & Freezing Instructions ❄
If you have leftovers, you’re in luck! This sauce stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, let the sauce cool completely, then transfer it to airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat gently on the stove.
Did you make this?
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Let’s Make Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pounds cherry tomatoes the riper the better!
- 6 cloves garlic chopped or sliced
- fresh basil leaves a big handful torn small pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until just undercooked; reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Heat the oil on medium heat in a large, non-stick frying pan.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute (you just want it fragrant)
- Add the tomatoes and season well with salt and add the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the tomatoes burst and release their juices to form a sauce, 6–8 minutes.
- Remove from heat and, using a large slotted spoon, scoop out one or two spoonful of the whole tomatoes and set aside.
- Add the remaining tomato mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (after pureeing if there is too much skin or seeds to your liking, you can strain the sauce at this point into a bowl).
- Return the mixture to the pan with the whole tomatoes you set aside. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil and then cook for 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce and thicken to desired consistency. Add the basil, taste for seasoning and add salt as needed. If the sauce tastes high in acid, you can add the sugar at this point.
- Add the pasta to the pan to finish cooking in the sauce. Add the pasta water to loosen as needed.
Tips + Notes
- If the sauce tastes high in acid, you can sugar at the end and then cook for 3-5 minutes on low heat just to dissolve the sugar.
- This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated for two days.
- You can add any herbs of your choice, such as basil, parsley, or oregano. If you don’t have fresh herbs you can add dried.
- Baking soda neutralizes acidity. To save bitter tomato sauce, add a pinch of baking soda at a time (tasting in between) until the acidity disappears.
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was first published in 2015, but was republished with new photos and content in July of 2021.
Judith B says
Easy and tasty! Perfect for using my summer garden! Thanks, Erren!
Erren Hart says
That’s so great! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Debbie Smith says
I had a ton of fresh cherry tomatoes and basil to use up from my garden–and I’m so glad I chose this recipe to do so! This is an amazing pasta dish!
Erren Hart says
Yay! Love to hear that!
Marianne says
I was given some home grown cherry tomatoes and saw this recipe, so simple but amazingly tasty! Great dish
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m so glad you liked it Marianne, thank you 🙂
Susan Worman says
My neighbor brought me about 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes so I made spaghetti sauce with your easy recipe today.. DELISH!
Erren's Kitchen says
Fantastic! Enjoy 🙂
RL says
This was delicious and so easy. Thank you for sharing.
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi, Thank you so much for letting me know!
Eve says
Hi, I have a big veggie garden, and got impatient for my tomatoes to come up last Spring. So I planted ALL my seeds. Then they ALL came up! We have an overabundance of beefsteak and cherry tomatoes. I make tomato sauce and salsa from the beefsteaks but couldn’t figure out what to do with the cherries. I followed your instructions and strained out most of the skin and seeds. It has a sort of an orange hue and a different flavor from regular pasta sauce, and it reminded me of… tomato soup! So I added some half-n-half, some whole milk, and a bit of parmesan, and it made an absolutely KILLER cream of tomato soup! I love it! I’m so happy to have found use for those cherries (because they just keep a-comin’)! Will freeze some and pull it out on a cold, rainy Autumn Pennsylvania day and it will be a hearty, warm bowl full of comfort! Thank you!
Erren says
Hi Eve, so sorry for the late reply. This is such great feedback! Thanks so much for taking the time. It’s always a pleasure!
Nick Holloway says
Great recipe and nice and simple too – thanks! Definitely no extra sugar required with the tomatoes I used.
Erren says
Hi Nick, so glad you liked it! Thanks so much for the great feedback!
Monique Claudette says
Can I freeze to preserve ?
Carolyn says
Yes, you can. It should freeze quite nicely. However, when you thaw it out to use, the tomatoes will be a little mushier but still really great tasting. One summer, when my kids were in their teens it turned out that we only had cherry tomatoes in the garden. My son would come home with a 5 gal bucket full and we made cherry tomato sauce a lot.
sylvia ross says
How many cups is 1 pound of cherry tomatoes?
Monique Claudette says
Made it yesterday, delicious.. thank you
Janice Koch says
Loved the Cherry Tomato Sauce! I added some red wine and it really added another layer to the taste.
Erren says
Sounds great, Janice! So glad you enjoyed it!