So, the other day I was staring into my fridge, wondering what to make for dinner. My eyes landed on this big batch of cherry tomatoes I’d bought. They were starting to look a little sad, and I hate wasting food, you know? Then it hit me – could I turn these little guys into a pasta sauce? I mean, I usually grab a can of San Marzano or Roma tomatoes for my sauce, ’cause they’re, like, the gold standard, right? Less water, more flesh, super tasty. But hey, why not experiment a little?
I did a quick search online, and it turns out, yeah, you totally can use cherry tomatoes for sauce! Some folks even said the flavor could be sweeter and tangier, which sounded pretty good to me. But there was a catch – cherry tomatoes apparently have more water than the usual sauce tomatoes. That could mean a runnier sauce, and nobody wants that.
Still, I decided to give it a shot. I started by washing the tomatoes and chopping them in half. You could probably leave them whole if you want, especially if you are not after distinct chunks, but I figured cutting them would help release more of the juices and maybe thicken the sauce faster. Then, I tossed them into a pot with some olive oil, garlic, and onions – you know, the usual suspects. I added a pinch of salt, too, hoping it would balance the sweetness and draw out more moisture.

- Wash the cherry tomatoes.
- Chop the tomatoes (optional, but helps release juices).
- Heat olive oil in a pot.
- Add chopped garlic and onions to the pot.
- Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt.
I let the whole thing simmer on low heat, stirring it every now and then. The kitchen started to smell amazing, like a little Italian trattoria or something. After a while, the tomatoes started to break down, and the sauce started to thicken up, although it was still not as thick as I would get with regular sauce tomatoes. I tasted a bit and thought the flavor was really good, actually! A little sweeter than usual, but in a nice way. It did need a touch more salt, though. Remember, I saw online that bitterness can come from the skins and seeds. I was not getting any of that and the added salt did help improve the taste.
I ended up cooking the sauce for about an hour, maybe a bit longer, and used an immersion blender to smooth it. At first, I just wanted to see if I could get a thicker consistency, but the taste after blending made it even better! You could strain it if you want a super smooth sauce, but I didn’t bother. I just kept cooking it until it was the right thickness, and boom! Cherry tomato sauce, done.
My Verdict
Honestly, I was surprised by how well it turned out! The sauce was delicious – sweet, tangy, and full of flavor. It wasn’t exactly like my usual sauce, but it was definitely good enough to make again. Plus, it’s a great way to use up cherry tomatoes that are about to go bad. So, next time you’ve got a bunch of cherry tomatoes and you’re not sure what to do with them, give this a try! You might be surprised.
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