Cherry Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
Turn a batch of cherry tomatoes, baby plum tomatoes and/or baby heirloom tomatoes into a tasty home made pasta sauce in less than an hour with this easy recipe! We don't need to peel, blend or roast here, and the sauce is made in one pan.
Ingredients
- olive oil, for cooking
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 26 oz (740 g) cherry tomatoes , whole
- 4 oz (110 g) additional cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 5 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ⅛ tsp chili or red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp worcestershire sauce, a fish free version for vegetarians
- 1 tsp sugar, double this if your cherry tomatoes aren't peak summer sweetness
- 1 cup (75 g) parmesan or Italian hard cheese, grated, see notes
- 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste - be generous!
Instructions
- In a large, deep saucepan or saute pan, heat a layer of olive oil over a low-medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft.1 red onion, olive oil
- Add the garlic and saute for a few moments until fragrant.5 large cloves garlic
- Add the red pepper or chili flakes, dried oregano, dried basil and parsley. Saute for a few moments until the herbs are fragrant and then move on to the next step quickly before they burn.2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1/8 tsp chili or red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- Add the whole cherry tomatoes to the pan, alongside the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Mix through.26 oz cherry tomatoes, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp sugar
- Pour in another 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix through and simmer, covered, over a low heat, stirring regularly, for about 30-45 minutes or until the cherry tomatoes have all broken down and formed a thick sauce. When you stir, feel free to mash the tomatoes a little to encourage them to burst open. The time it takes will depend on the heat they cook at + the size of your pan and how deep they are.salt and pepper
- Add the cheese and basil and mix through until the cheese has melted, then add the fresh chopped cherry tomatoes. Remove from the heat and let it sit while you cook your spaghetti.1 cup parmesan or Italian hard cheese, 1 bunch fresh basil
- Serve over hot spaghetti and top with additional cheese and/or basil for serving.
Notes
Cherry tomato quantities: I've given the exact amounts I used when making this sauce, but there is some leeway here. Different places offer different packaging quantities so you're welcome to round up or round down a little to suit what you've got.
Parmesan quantities: I used one cup of loosely packed generic Italian hard cheese which is not too intensely flavored. It's maybe on par with the flavor of an inexpensive store brand parmesan. If you have a very intensely flavored aged parmesan, you may want to reduce this to 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup to stop it from dominating the flavor.
Doubling the recipe is possible but it will take longer to cook down into a sauce because it will be deeper in the pan.
This recipe can be frozen for 4-6 months. Because it contains dairy, I would not recommend canning it.
Calories: 454kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 1013mg, Potassium: 626mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1630IU, Vitamin C: 52mg, Calcium: 766mg, Iron: 3mg