Herby Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce

Roasted cherry tomatoes tossed with olive oil and herbs make this deliciously rich and flavorful pasta sauce a must-try recipe! This recipe comes together in just over 30 minutes and is perfect for summer.

Recipe features

• Roasted cherry tomatoes add a rich, deep flavor to the sauce
• The sauce uses under 10 ingredients, most of which are pantry staples!
• Ready in just over 30 minutes
• Easy to double, freeze and customize

Let me tell you: roasting the tomatoes enhances their flavor and takes the sauce to the next level.

Last year I tried my hand at growing tomatoes for the first time and I ended up with SO many cherry tomatoes. As a result, I made this sauce almost every week last summer.

If you like my cherry tomato galette or balsamic tomato pasta, you are sure to love this recipe!

What you'll need

Cherry tomatoes: I like to use a mix of red and orange tomatoes for appearance. You can also use grape tomatoes or even small slicing tomatoes.

Olive oil: I recommend using an olive oil that you enjoy the flavor of because it contributes a lot to the sauce. But you don't need to buy the most expensive bottle at the grocery store; you can usually get a flavorful olive oil in the middle price range.

Garlic: I use 3-6 garlic cloves depending on the size for a very garlicky result. Adjust to taste.

Dry herbs: Dry parsley, thyme, rosemary and oregano add a bunch of flavor. All of the herbs in this recipe can be omitted or substituted.

Tip: You can use 1 and ½ teaspoons fresh chopped herb in place of ½ teaspoon dry herb as desired.

Step by step instructions

Note: Make sure to reserve at least ½ cup pasta water from your pasta before draining. This can be replaced with water as needed but you may need to add extra salt to taste.

Step one: Layer cherry tomatoes and sliced garlic on a half sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, tossing with clean hands to coat. You can layer the sheet pan with parchment paper for easier cleanup if desired.

Step two: Roast cherry tomatoes and garlic at 400F for 20 minutes total. After 10 minutes remove the tomatoes and stir them around. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes appear burst and the skins are shriveled.

Step three: Place a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Once hot, drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the dry herbs to bloom. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Step four: Add in the cherry tomatoes, garlic, any liquid that collected on the pan, salt and half of the basil. Stir to combine. Add in ¼ cup pasta water to thin the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.

At this point you can serve the sauce or immersion blend it. Add extra pasta water as needed to thin the sauce.

Recipe FAQ

• Texture: This is a pretty chunky sauce but you can puree it in the blender or immersion blend it to make it smoother.
• Sweetness: The cherry tomatoes are naturally sweet, so I don't add any sugar. If you do want a sweeter pasta sauce you can add ½ teaspoon white sugar.
• Make it a meal with panko breaded tofu cutlets, a can of chickpeas or your favorite protein. Spinach also goes really well wilted into the sauce.

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