Take your tomatoes to the next level with this roasted cherry tomato sauce. Bursting with rich, umami flavour, this tomato sauce comes together with only a small handful of ingredients.
I am a big believer that every plant-based cook should have a little stockpile of killer sauces and seasonings in their back pocket. Let's be honest, jackfruit and tofu on their own taste like...well, nothing.
We need the sauce! And this roasted tomato sauce is easy, flavourful and so versatile.
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Why This Easy Sauce Works
Ingredients
Cherry tomatoes. This roasted cherry tomato sauce sings in the Summer when tomatoes are in abundance. However, roasting brings out the tomato's naturally sweet umami, even if the tomato is not at its best.
I use any colour cherry tomato. Whatever is on the vine or in the supermarket.
Onion. You can use a Spanish onion, brown (yellow) onion or a French shallot.
Garlic. Fresh is best but if you only have pressed garlic, use about a tablespoon.
Red wine vinegar. The vinegar gives the finished sauce a little lift. If you don't have it, omit it. No worries.
Fresh basil. Because basil and tomato are a match made in tastebud heaven.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1.
Preheat your oven to 170°C (350°F). Give your tommies a wash and a pat dry before transferring them to your baking dish.
I like to use either my enamel baking dish (roughly 25cmL x 24cmW x 5cmD) or a similarly sized roasting dish. I like the enamel one because I will often serve the sauce straight from the oven - especially if we are going to be dipping bread. Mmmmm...bread.
Step 2.
Toss in the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, salt and olive oil and give the whole thing a good stir to coat all the tomatoes.
Step 3.
Pop the tray in the oven and roast for around 40-minutes or until the tomatoes are plump and soft and the garlic is tender.
Step 4.
Now, here you have a choice. You can either serve your roasted cherry tomato sauce chunky or smooth.
For a smooth sauce - Remove the tomatoes from the oven and allow them to cool a little before transferring them (include all the juice!) to a food processor or blender. Add a teaspoon of red wine vinegar and your basil.
Step 5.
Pop the lid on and blend until you are happy with the texture. Taste and add a little more vinegar if you like. And you're done.
For a chunky sauce - carefully, with a potato masher or a fork, mash the tomatoes and garlic until you're happy with the consistency. The tomatoes will be super hot and will spray juice, so please be careful. Stir in the red wine vinegar, slice the basil leaves finely and mix them in too.
That's it! Your roasted cherry tomato sauce - chunky or smooth - is ready to go. The beauty of this sauce is that it's incredibly versatile.
Ways to Use Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
You can use it as a base for pasta dishes, as a pizza sauce, or even as a dipping sauce
FAQs
Allow the sauce to cool before transferring it to freezer-proof, serving size containers. I use either small freezer bags or containers with lids. Pop them in the freezer for put to 6-months.
Pretty much. I use whatever is on my vine including cherry tomatoes, heirloom varieties or little yellow pear tomatoes.
Stored in an airtight jar or container, this sauce will keep for 3-4 days.
You can! I have made this sauce when my tomatoes are just starting to look a little sad. Simply chop them up into quarters and follow the recipe from there.
More Sauces
Make This Recipe
Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- 1 roasting dish
- food processor or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 750 g / 1.6lb cherry tomatoes 3 x 250g punnets
- ½ Spanish onion peeled and cut into wedges
- 4-5 garlic cloves I often just use half a small head of garlic
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar to taste
- ⅓ cup basil fresh
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°C (350°F) and set up the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Toss the tomatoes, garlic, paprika, oil and salt in a shallow baking dish to combine. I use a large pottery pie dish or a baking pan.
- Pop the dish in the oven to roast for 45-50 minutes or until the garlic is soft and the tomatoes are collapsing.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool enough for you to safely transfer the tomatoes (include all the juice) the garlic and onion to a food processor
- Add basil leaves and the red wine vinegar l to the processor, pop on the lid and process until you are happy with the consistency.
- Serve as a pasta sauce with a smattering of vegan parmesan or creamy ricotta. Or dollop it on crusty bread with fresh basil.
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