Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
Published on August 23, 2021
Quick Summary
Bust Cherry Tomato Sauce-a simple, fresh tomato sauce made with cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil. Enjoy with pasta, spaghetti squash, zoodles, or crusty bread!
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Pin ItI love my homemade easy marinara sauce and my slow cooker marinara sauce, but when we have a lot of cherry tomatoes in our garden, this Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce is my GO TO! It is the best way to use up the summer tomatoes.
This fresh tomato sauce only requires a few ingredients but the flavor is incredible. You will want to lick your plate it’s so good. And the best part? It takes less than 20 minutes to make!
If you have cherry tomatoes to use up, this sauce is going to be your new favorite recipe! I make it a few times a week during the summer months and every time I am amazed at how simple and delicious it is!
Plus, my boys love Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta nights, especially with garlic bread on the side. It really is a family favorite.
Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce Ingredients
The ingredient list is short and simple, just how I like recipes, especially during the summer months. You will need:
- Olive oil– the sauce starts with good olive oil!
- Garlic– I use six cloves of garlic. Trust me, you want all of that garlic goodness.
- Cherry tomatoes– I love using cherry tomatoes because they are small and super sweet. When they heat up they burst, creating the most amazing tomato sauce.
- Dried thyme– just a little to enhance the flavors in the tomatoes.
- Fresh basil– tomatoes and basil are a match made in heaven. Use fresh basil not dried!
- Crushed red pepper flakes– for a little heat!
How to Make Cherry Tomato Sauce
This sauce really is magical. It’s crazy that these little tomatoes create the richest, most luxurious tomato sauce. Your kitchen will smell amazing too! This sauce is a winner all-around!
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the cherry tomatoes, dried thyme, and a little salt and pepper. Stir to make sure all of the tomatoes are well coated in the olive oil.
- Turn the heat to medium low and cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they start to burst, about 10 to 15 minutes. It is fun to watch them start to pop:)
- You can use a wooden spoon to smash some of the tomatoes for a thicker, creamier sauce, but you don’t want to smash them all. It is supposed to be chunky.
- Stir in the basil and crushed red pepper flakes.
How to Serve
I use this burst cherry tomato sauce for SO many things. I eat right out of the pan, it is that good, but here are my other favorite ways to enjoy it!
- Serve over your favorite pasta. Feel free to add freshly grated Parmesan cheese or burrata. The burrata will make the pasta super creamy and decadent. Add it right before serving so the pasta and sauce is warm and it will melt right in!
- Enjoy with spaghetti squash.
- Spoon over zucchini noodles, sautéed zucchini, or grilled zucchini.
- Eat with crusty bread, grilled bread, or garlic bread.
- Top your scrambled eggs with a little bit of the sauce, my personal favorite:)
- Add a little to your avocado toast!
- Enjoy with roasted vegetables or any veggies!
- Stir a little into cottage cheese and eat with crackers.
How to Store
Let the sauce cool and place in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop.
You can also freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Make sure you put the sauce in a freezer bag or container that seals well. Defrost and reheat!
More Sauce Recipes
Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes (2 pints)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- For Serving: pasta, spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or crusty bread
- Optional Garnish: Parmesan cheese or Burrata, extra basil
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir so the tomatoes are coated in the oil.
- Turn the heat to medium low and cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they start to burst, about 10 to 15 minutes. You can use a wooden spoon to smash some of the tomatoes for a thicker, creamier sauce, but you don’t want to smash them all. It is supposed to be chunky.
- Stir in the basil and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Serve the tomato sauce over your favorite pasta, spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles. You can garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese or add burrata cheese on top. It will melt in and make the dish super creamy. You can also serve the tomato sauce with crusty bread or grilled bread. I also love the tomatoes with scrambled eggs.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Photos by Olive & Mango
This looks amazing . What do you recommend as a good olive oil? I’m always confused by this. Thank you.
Made with hearts if palm “pasta” (my husband had no idea!) and did add some Niman ranch sausages! Yum- and tomatoes from my garden!
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“Trust me, you want all of that garlic goodness.”
I don’t. For me, “garlic goodness” is a contradiction in terms. But I like most other alliums, so how about substituting shallots?
Sure, you can use shallots.
My family loved this recipe.
I am so glad!
This sauce is the best way to finish off the last of my cherry tomato crop. I’ve made this multiple times this summer and this time decided to add some mozzarella pearls and a little balsamic glaze. So good!
It is a great recipe for those garden tomatoes. Glad you loved it!
Thank you, this recipe was a delicious way to use up the cherry tomatoes and basil in my garden. I will be making this again.
Delicious and easy to make
This is the first time I’ve made sauce out of these tomatoes. I sautéed the garlic in oil briefly then added the tomatoes and cooked for about 15 minutes. I used a potato masher to break up the tomato pieces then added chopped onions and salt, pepper, thyme and sugar. After cooking for about 10 minutes I added a little tomato paste, basil and red pepper flakes for some heat and chopped fresh mushrooms to finish it off. When my pasta was done cooking I added it to the sauce and then some defrosted frozen meatballs. This is a great recipe and will definitely make again.
My new favorite sauce. Used cherry tomatoes from my garden. Yum! Followed recipe as written.
Glad you loved the recipe.
I rarely leave reviews but this was amazing!! I mixed it in with lentil pasta and topped with some vegan grated cheese and it was delish!!
Perfect! Thanks for sharing!
I had grape tomatoes in my garden from a volunteer plant so virtually free! Made just as recipe directed and Stirred it into gnocchi. The softness of the gnocchi was perfect for the mixture. Yummmmm
YUM!
We always have these items on hand and great sauce to make when the cherry tomatoes have been sitting on counter for too long.
Perfect!
I discovered your recipe late last summer and we loved it! I made it many times until the cherry tomatoes stopped ripening. Then I dreamed of and craved it all summer long. I confess to breaking down and buying cherry tomatoes and making it. It was good and helped calm my craving, but just not the same as garden fresh. The last batch of last year I splurged and made it with burrata. OMG! I have just about enough cherry tomatoes coming on and I am so excited to start making this again.
Perfect summer recipe!
Made this with cherry tomatoes from my garden and put it over zucchini lasagna rolls. Was beautiful and delicious-a real hit at a potluck!
The perfect summer meal!
Good recipe. I make a lot of recipes that I wouldn’t repeat. I made Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce as written and, simple as it is, it’s a keeper. This will be my go to quick tomato sauce for a wile and I will share with others.
Thank You!
So good with garden tomatoes! Glad you loved it!
I’m a tomato fanatic – hate to cook them because they’re so good fresh. That said, this recipe is amazing!! So simple and magically delicious!! Making it on repeat per your recipe at my house. Wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for the recipe!
I love fresh tomatoes too. This sauce has SO much flavor and it’s so easy. Glad you enjoyed it.
Our garden is bursting with cherry tomatoes, and this was the perfect, simple, and quick way to whip up a great sauce for pasta. A definite make again!
So glad you loved it. Garden tomatoes are the best!
I just made this tonight and it really is incredible, such flavor! I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of using fresh thyme from my garden. Thank you for another fantastic recipe. I am getting a reputation of being a good cook; I laughingly tell people that I am just a good reader.
Ha! Love this:)
Thanks! This is a simple “got home from work late after a long day” recipe. I’m single and this recipe is perfect. I can eat it for two night and put some in the freezer. So good and I’m with you, more garlic is always key! I ate mine with Quinoa one night and pasta the next. The quinoa just soaks up the sauce! Signed up for recipes to email. Looking forward to receiving more recipes to try.
I am so glad you loved the salad!
Lovely base recipe. I made mine with browned butter and fried some sage leaves in it witch I later chopped & scattered on top of chicken/garlic ravioli. Growing tomatoes of any variety is tough in the desert southwest but yes, cherry-types are easier. I hope to get some later this season!
Just Great
Best-ever fresh tomato sauce recipe I’ve made this far. My fam loves it . I’ve got this one on repeat. thanks so much