This small batch tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes comes together in just 30 minutes with minimal prep work! It is incredibly flavorful and pairs well with your favorite pasta or pizza. You can add basil for a fresh, summery flavor or enjoy it as-is!
Tomato season has officially ended in my garden. While last year was an incredibly productive one, I think this one take’s the cake! At one point I felt like I couldn’t eat them as fast as I was harvesting them. The very last harvest (pictured here) was the perfect opportunity to whip up a small batch of my quick and simple tomato sauce. It comes together in just about 30 minutes, requires minimal chopping, and yields an incredibly flavorful sauce that you would swear spent all day bubbling away on the stove!
Notes on Ingredients
This small batch tomato sauce is a flavorful tomato-based sauce that comes together in about 30 minutes total. It has a rich tomato flavor that is perfect for pairing with pasta or spreading over pizza. It is not traditional by any means, but rather a flavorful sauce that can be achieved without spending all day in the kitchen. Here’s what goes into the sauce:
- Cherry Tomatoes – the natural sweetness of cherry tomatoes yields a really nice sauce here. Since they’re already packed with flavor, it helps to achieve an incredibly delicious sauce with minimal ingredients in a fraction of the time of a traditional one. I used traditional cherries from my garden along with Juliet, a larger grape tomato.
- Shallot – though not traditional, I love the sweetness and depth of flavor shallots add to the sauce. You could use a leek or half of a small yellow onion instead.
- Garlic – a very traditional addition, garlic flavors the sauce and perks up the tomatoes.
- Olive Oil – helps to sauté both the shallot and garlic while also carrying flavor through the sauce.
- Sea Salt– seasons the sauce and balances all of the flavors.
- Basil – while an optional ingredient, I love the contrast of the fresh basil with the sweet and tangy sauce. Since the flavor of basil can be muted if cooked for too long, it’s added to the sauce at the very end.
- Vegan Butter – another optional ingredient but one I love to stir in at the end to add a little richness to the sauce.
The Key to Making this Tomato Sauce in Just 30 minutes
The key to making this sauce in a timely manner is probably something you’d never expect…your blender! Instead of going to the effort of chopping up the tomatoes, we’re using the blender! The blender breaks down the tomatoes fully, including the skins. That way, you don’t have to worry about trying to strain out the tough bits of skin in your finished sauce. Obviously this is not traditional in any way, but it’s an incredible time saver, especially when you’re making a small batch of sauce like this one!
How Much Sauce Does this Recipe Make?
This recipe yields a “small batch” of sauce. In other words, it’s not going to make a big batch for canning. Instead, you’ll get about 2 cups of flavorful tomato sauce which is enough for enjoying with half a pound of pasta or 2-3 pizzas. You can multiply this recipe if you’d like to make more, but it will take longer for it to cook down.
3 Ways to enjoy Your Tomato Sauce
- Paired with your favorite cooked pasta. For the photos, I used a pipe rigate pasta because it’s what I had in my pantry. You can use any pasta shape you like! If you prefer, you can sprinkle some vegan or regular Parmesan cheese over the top.
- Spread onto homemade pizza. If you like to make your own pizza at home, I highly recommend trying this sauce! Simply spread some onto your dough and add your favorite toppings. Since it’s summertime, I think it would be lovely with a mix of zucchini and eggplant.
- Paired with sauteed veggies and served over polenta. I love to pair tomato sauce with sauteed zucchini and mushrooms but you could also use eggplant! Once you’re sauce is ready, simply stir in your sauteed veggies of choice and serve it over warm polenta.
More Recipes for Tomato Season
- Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil Pesto (vegan with gf option)
- Summer Tomato Salad with Balsamic Pickled Onions (vegan/gf)
- Herbed Polenta with Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes & Macadamia Ricotta (vegan/gf)
Small Batch Tomato Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This small batch tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes comes together in just 30 minutes with minimal prep work! It is incredibly flavorful and pairs well with your favorite pasta or pizza. You can add basil for a fresh, summery flavor or enjoy it as-is!
Ingredients
- 5 cups ripe cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil, optional
- 1 tablespoon vegan or regular butter, optional
Instructions
Heat a large sauté pan (a straight-sided skillet) over medium. While the pan is heating to temperature, add your tomatoes to a blender. Blend until the tomatoes are fully liquified and the skins and seeds have been pulverized and broken down.
Add the olive oil to your pan once it comes to temperature, then add the shallot. Sauté until just softened, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Carefully pour your pureed tomatoes into your pan, then season with a big pinch of salt. Cook the sauce over medium, stirring it every minute or two to keep it from burning. The sauce is ready when it has reduced in volume by about half and has thickened to a lovely sauce consistency. This will take about 25 minutes depending on the size of your pan.
Once you remove the sauce from the heat, taste it and add more salt as needed. Then, stir in the chopped fresh basil and vegan butter if you like. Makes about 2 cups of sauce which is enough for about half a pound of pasta.
Notes
- Cherry tomatoes will yield the best flavored sauce in this recipe. Use a mix of whatever cherry tomato or smaller tomato varieties such as grape or pear that you have available to you.
- The basil and vegan butter are completely optional but are my favorite add-ins to the finished sauce. The basil lends great flavor while the vegan butter adds a little richness.
- To enjoy the sauce with pasta, simply toss the warm sauce with cooked pasta. Garnish with extra basil and vegan or regular parmesan if you like.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: sauce
