Cherry Tomato Sauce
A bright, deeply flavorful tomato sauce made with just five ingredients — cherry tomatoes cooked down in olive oil with garlic, salt, and pepper until thick and jammy. Ready in 25 minutes and better than anything from a jar.
- Total Time25 minutes
- Yield4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.
- Add the tomatoes and cook down: Add the halved cherry tomatoes and stir them into the oil. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to release their juices and the pan looks saucy. Then stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Increase heat and reduce: Raise the heat to medium-high. Continue cooking for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently so the sauce doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Use the back of a wooden spoon to gently press the tomatoes as they soften — this helps them break down into sauce rather than staying as whole pieces.
- Finish and use: The sauce is ready when it has thickened and very few whole tomatoes are still visible. Taste and adjust salt. Use immediately over pasta, on pizza, with bread, or spooned over eggs. Makes about 1½ cups.
Notes
Garlic goes in after the tomatoes have started releasing their juices — not at the beginning. Raw garlic added to the pan with the tomatoes can brown and turn bitter before the tomatoes have cooked down enough. Use the back of a wooden spoon to press the tomatoes; this releases more liquid and speeds up the breakdown. The sauce keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Condiment, Sauce
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 590
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Carbohydrates: 8
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
Find it online: https://blesseddish.com/cherry-tomato-sauce/
