Quick and flavorful cherry tomato sauce made with fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic, red onion, extra virgin olive oil, dried oregano and basil. Ready in under 30 minutes and perfect for pasta, meatballs, lasagna or pizza.
I no longer have hours to simmer a homemade sauce, so I developed a fast method that still delivers restaurant-style flavor. When the summer cherry tomatoes start flooding the kitchen, this simple sauce becomes my go-to weeknight solution.
The finished sauce tastes bright and fresh like a classic marinara and works exactly the same way—use it for tossed pasta, layered lasagna, a quick pizza base or alongside meatballs.
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🤩Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast and simple. This cherry tomato sauce takes a fraction of the time of a traditional simmered sauce while still tasting fresh and well-balanced.
- Family-friendly. Kids tend to enjoy the sweet, fresh flavor—this recipe passed the family test in my house.
- Versatile. Use it on pasta, pizza, lasagna or as a dipping sauce—no fuss required.
🍅Ingredient Notes
- Cherry tomatoes: These often burst as they cook, which helps create a saucy consistency without peeling or roasting.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives noticeable but balanced flavor—about three cloves is just right.
- Red onion: Sweeter than yellow onion and naturally reduces the need for added sugar.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Adds body and a silky mouthfeel.
- Oregano & basil: Dried herbs work well here; if using fresh, stir them in at the end for brightness and color.
👩‍🍳Step-by-Step Instructions
Summary of the method—full ingredient amounts and exact steps are in the recipe section below.
- Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then sautĂ© the garlic and red onion for 2–3 minutes, stirring so the garlic doesn’t brown.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When tomatoes begin to burst (around 10 minutes), add salt, pepper, dried basil and oregano, replace the lid and cook a few more minutes.
- Uncover and press tomatoes with a fork or spoon to encourage bursting; if needed, cook a few more minutes until they easily break.
- Use an immersion blender to puree about half of the mixture for a thicker, smoother sauce while retaining texture from the unblended tomatoes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve.
🥕Dietitian Tip
Get more veggies into picky eaters. My pickiest eater refused raw garden tomatoes but loved them once they were cooked into this sauce. Serving vegetables in familiar dishes can make all the difference.
Helpful Tips
- Yields about 2 cups of sauce.
- Seeds and skins from cherry tomatoes remain visible; skipping straining saves time and retains nutrients.
- Make the sauce up to two days ahead and store refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Grape tomatoes may be substituted if needed.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.
- For a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered until reduced or stir in freshly grated Parmesan just before serving.
- To thin the sauce, add reserved starchy pasta water.
🙋‍♀️Questions You May Have
Yes. A mix of grape and cherry tomatoes works well; results are similar since both burst and break down while cooking.
Absolutely. Cherry tomatoes make a bright, fresh pasta sauce quickly.
For larger tomatoes you may want to peel them, but with cherry or grape tomatoes you can skip peeling—cooking and partial blending softens the skins.
Make this sauce, margherita pizza, caprese salad, bruschetta or caprese bruschetta—many easy options use fresh cherry tomatoes.
Related Recipes
- Lasagna with Cottage Cheese
- Margherita Flatbread
- Caprese Bruschetta
- Homemade Pesto
More Pasta Sauce Recipes
- Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
- Peanut Butter Sauce for Noodles
- White Cheddar Mac ‘n Cheese
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Green Goddess Salad Dressing (No Oil, No Mayo)
Did you make this cherry tomato sauce? Please leave a rating or comment to let others know how it turned out.
đź“– Recipe
Cherry Tomato Sauce
Kristi
Equipment
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1 Saucepan with a lid
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1 Immersion blender (or blender/food processor that can handle hot liquids)
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1 Garlic press or knife for mincing
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1 Chef’s knife
Ingredients
- 3 cups Cherry Tomatoes Washed, stems removed
- 3 cloves Garlic Minced
- ÂĽ Red Onion Diced
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ÂĽ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Dried Basil
- Pinch Freshly ground black pepper Optional
Instructions
Â
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Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
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Add the diced red onion and minced garlic; sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened but not browned.
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Stir in 3 cups cherry tomatoes, cover, and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally.
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When the tomatoes start to burst (about 10 minutes), add ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dried oregano and ½ teaspoon dried basil. Replace the lid and cook another 5 minutes.
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Uncover and press tomatoes with the back of a spoon or fork to ensure they’ve burst. If needed, cook a few more minutes until soft.
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Carefully blend about half the mixture with an immersion blender to create a sauce with both smoothness and texture. Stir, adjust seasoning and serve.
Notes
Nutrition figures are estimates and will vary based on exact ingredients and portions.
- About 2 cups of sauce total.
- Fresh herbs can replace dried—add fresh basil at the end for brightness.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully blend half the sauce in a blender or food processor and return it to the pan.
- Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- To freeze, cool to room temperature, transfer to a resealable freezer bag and freeze flat.
- Substitute grape tomatoes if needed; a pinch of red pepper flakes adds heat.
- For a richer finish, stir in freshly grated Parmesan just before serving.