The original post for this Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce was published in September 2017. The photos and recipe have been updated as part of a seasonal collaboration with a group of food bloggers. Most of the original writing remains.
The end-of-summer tomatoes in Minnesota have just been so good this year! And this recipe is the perfect way to savor the flavor of summer’s best produce.
You can even freeze jars of this Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce to use throughout the winter to make the coldest days a little warmer. It’s creamy, it’s dreamy, and tastes great on zoodles, pasta, or spaghetti squash.
While I would hope that my mother (who is 100% Italian) would approve of this recipe, I have to admit that it doesn’t compare to her homemade “gravy.” But it was my best attempt ;-)…
From a nutrition standpoint, though, this recipe is a winner. The roasted tomatoes in the sauce are chock full of nutrients, especially the antioxidant lycopene. Eating foods with lycopene (i.e. tomatoes and watermelon) may improve heart health and help prevent cancer.
Plus, other common ingredients in tomato sauce, such as garlic and herbs, can fight inflammation. Not bad for a simple sauce, huh?
To reap these health benefits, all you need is six ingredients, an oven, a blender, and a jar. High powered blenders like the Vitamix work best for creating smooth, creamy tomato sauce!
The coolest thing about this recipe is that the color of the sauce will depend on the tomatoes you use. I picked up several containers of cherry tomatoes from the farmers market to make the sauce pictured here. Since the tomatoes were a mixture of orange and red, they made for a orange-red-yellowish sauce!
I’d love to see the color of your sauce if you make this recipe! Post a photo to Instagram or Facebook and tag me. If you like this recipe, you should also check out the Hidden Veg Pasta Sauce and Canned San Marzano Tomato Sauce.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce with Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes - rinsed
- 1 onion - sliced in quarters
- 6 cloves garlic - peeled and smashed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sea salt - to taste
- Ground black pepper - to taste
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves - loosely packed
- 3 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves - more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Transfer cherry tomatoes, onion quarters and garlic cloves to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and use your hands or a spatula to make sure the veggies are well coated. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the tomatoes are blistered/have popped and the onions are slightly charred.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer contents of the baking sheet to a blender. Be sure to add the juices on the foil/sheet to the blender if you can (this will add to the creaminess of the sauce). Add the basil and oregano leaves. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth. You may want to add a few drizzles of olive oil or water for a smoother consistency. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer sauce to two 12 oz glass jars or a large 24 oz glass jar and store in the fridge for up to a week. You can also let the sauce cool and store it in tupperware containers in the freezer for later use. Enjoy!
Notes
- For blending the sauce, you can use a NutriBullet or similar instrument if you do not have a regular blender.
- This tastes great of zucchini noodles, pasta or ravioli.
- Double or triple this recipe to make multiple jars of sauce!
Nutrition
Pin this Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce with Fresh Herbs now to make later!
Enjoy these dog days of summer!
Lizzie
IBS
Thanks for finally writing about >Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce with Fresh Herbs – It’s a Veg World After All <Loved it!
Farrah
This sauce looks so good! *-* I love that you can freeze it too!
Lizzie
Thank you so much!! It’s so great when you can prep in bulk and then freeze it.