Whip up a batch of this chunky roasted cherry tomato sauce in your own kitchen. With just a handful of ingredients, the homemade sauce is so simple to make. Serve it on crostini, tossed with pasta or zucchini noodles, over grilled fish, shrimp, scallops, chicken, pork tenderloin or chops or steak or spooned over scrambled eggs.
My homemade marinara with fresh basil is one I make on repeat at home and for my personal chef clients.
This simple recipe for homemade tomato sauce was inspired by my shrimp with roasted tomato sauce. It’s delicious tossed with these amazing noodles with Parmesan and garlic too.
A batch of sauce is the beginning for many dishes. Top crispy crostini with the slow-roasted cherry tomatoes. Toss with your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles. Spoon over grilled fish, chicken, steak, or pork.
ingredients and substitutions
Fresh and pantry ingredients combine for the garlic and wine roasted tomato sauce. With the bumper crop of cherry tomatoes during the summer months, this versatile sauce is absolutely delicious.
–fresh cherry tomatoes ~ These mini tomatoes are sweet and perfect for roasting. Substitute chopped Roma tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine.
–yellow onion ~ Vidalia onions are an alternative.
–fresh garlic cloves ~ Fresh is best!
–white wine ~ Try Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
–salted butter ~ Adds rich flavor to the sauce.
–olive oil ~ The oil promotes browning of the tomatoes and adds toasty flavor.
–kosher salt ~ The larger grain salt enhances the flavor of food without making it overly salty.
–fresh ground black pepper ~ More flavorful than already ground pepper.
–fresh basil ~ A sweet and peppery punch of flavor from one of my favorite fresh herbs.
–cooked al dente pasta or zucchini noodles ~ Perfect for tossing with the chunky homemade tomato sauce
–Parmesan cheese ~ Fresh tomato sauce and this nutty sharp cheese are a classic combination.
Scroll to the printable recipe card for full quantities of the ingredients.
recipe instructions
Just gather a few ingredients and follow some simple recipe steps for a batch of garlicky fresh tomato sauce.
Hint: Be sure to fully preheat your oven. This ensures that the delicious sauce ingredients cook according to the recipe directions.
variations
Try some of these variations of this chunky roasted cherry tomato sauce. They’re all delicious.
Add spice – Add red pepper flakes while roasting the vegetables to add a kick of spiciness of the sauce.
Add protein – Toss a spoonful or 2 of the roasted tomato sauce over cooked chicken, shrimp, scallops, salmon, swordfish, pork tenderloin or chops, grilled steak cubed tofu or scrambled eggs.
Make it an appetizer – Serve the chunky smashed tomatoes over crostini (get my easy recipe here) or crackers.
Toss with pasta – Try spaghetti, linguine or rotini. Pick a cup-shaped pasta like orecchiette or shells to catch the intense tomato juices. The sauce is about enough for about 1/2 pound of cooked pasta.
Try it as a gluten free dish – Toss the sauce with zucchini or yellow squash spiralized noodles. They’re so easy to make with a veggie noodle spiralizer. Roasted spaghetti squash is also delicious tossed with the roasted cherry tomato sauce.
Make it saucy – To make the chunky fresh tomato sauce into smooth and luscious sauce, puree with a blender or an immersion blender. Add some heavy cream, stock or pasta water to thin it as desired.
recommended equipment
Having the right equipment can make cooking a breeze. I recommend the following kitchen utensils and equipment for this great recipe.
-chef knife
-cutting boards
-large rimmed baking sheet
-measuring cups
-metal measuring spoons
-large spoon
storage and reheating instructions
Completely cool the tomato sauce before storing it. Refrigerate is for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container. I love these meal prep containers for storing.
Put the sauce in these resealable plastic freezer bags. Flatten and seal the sauce in the bags. They stack neatly in the freezer. The cherry tomato sauce will stay fresh up to 3 to 4 months.
top tip
For the most rich and intensely flavored roasted cherry tomato sauce, choose the ripest tomatoes available. If the tomatoes are hard and green and white in spots, let them sit on the counter for a few days to fully ripen.
FAQ
Do you have to peel cherry tomatoes for sauce?
No you don’t. The tomato skins add texture and flavor to the sauce. And leaving the tomatoes unpeeled also speeds up making the recipe.
Can you use canned cherry tomatoes in the recipe?
Fresh tomatoes are my first choice for this recipe. But in a pinch, canned cherry tomatoes can be used. Since the canned version is already cooked, reduce the roasting time to about 30 minutes.
INGREDIENTS
3 pints cherry tomatoes, about 6 cups ,1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups,6 garlic cloves, chopped,1/3 cup white wine, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio,2 tablespoons salted butter,2 tablespoons olive oil,1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper,15 to 20 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced,Cooked pasta or zucchini noodles for serving,Parmesan cheese, for serving .
NOTES
Add spice – Add red pepper flakes while roasting the vegetables to add a kick of spiciness to the sauce.
Add protein – Toss of spoon the roasted tomato sauce with cooked chicken, shrimp, scallops, salmon, swordfish, pork tenderloin or chops, grilled steak or cubed tofu.
Make it an appetizer – Serve the chunky smashed tomatoes over crostini (get my easy recipe here) or crackers.
Toss with pasta or noodles – Try spaghetti, linguine or rotini. Pick a cup-shaped pasta like orecchiette or shells to catch the intense tomato juices. The sauce is about enough for 1/2 pound of pasta. For a gluten free noodle dish, toss the sauce with zucchini or yellow squash spiralized noodles. They’re so easy to make with veggie noodle spiralizer.
Make it saucy – To make the chunky fresh tomato sauce into smooth and luscious sauce, puree with a blender or an immersion blender. Add some heavy cream or stock to thin it as desired.
NUTRITION
Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe Calories: 195 Sugar: 8.5g Sodium: 639mg Fat: 13.4g Saturated Fat: 4.7g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 15.5g Fiber: 4.1g Protein: 3.2g Cholesterol: 15mg .
