Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce: Serve Fresh or Freeze

This roasted cherry tomato sauce is rich and thick, made from the season’s abundant small tomatoes. It’s extremely simple to prepare—just toss everything on a pan and let the oven do the work. Flavored with garlic and a splash of balsamic, this freezer-friendly sauce is perfect for pasta, pizza, and more.

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Have you tried making tomato sauce with cherry tomatoes? Roasting small tomatoes concentrates their flavor and transforms them into an intensely sweet, lightly caramelized sauce. This roasted cherry tomato sauce, brightened with garlic and balsamic, freezes beautifully, so I make big batches to enjoy summer flavor year-round.

My family can’t get enough of this sauce. It’s ideal over pasta, spooned on pizza, or served with roasted chicken. Because it freezes so well, making a double or triple batch when tomatoes are plentiful is a smart plan.

What to do with LOTS of cherry tomatoes?

If you grow cherry tomatoes, you already know two things: they’re delicious and they’re plentiful. When the harvest peaks, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Beyond fresh eating and salads, cherry tomatoes work exceptionally well in cooked preparations. Roasting intensifies their sweetness and yields a versatile sauce that stores without losing fresh flavor.

Ideas for using cherry tomatoes include salads, pasta dishes, frittatas, and one-dish meals like orzo with shrimp. But when the vines are overflowing, this roasted sauce is one of the best ways to preserve and enjoy that concentrated tomato flavor.

Do cherry tomatoes make a good sauce?

Cherry tomatoes absolutely make a great sauce. The finished texture is typically less smooth than a sauce made from large, meaty tomatoes because of seeds and skin-to-flesh ratio. If you prefer a silky, seed-free sauce, pass the blended mixture through a sieve, food mill, or strainer. I usually skip that step to save time and retain full volume, but both approaches work.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Small tomatoes: Any cherry, grape, pear-shaped, or small oblong tomato will work. Mixing varieties can balance sweetness and acidity—if your tomatoes are very sweet, consider adding a bit more vinegar for depth.
• Vinegar: Balsamic adds a rich, rounded sweetness and depth. For very sweet tomatoes, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will provide a brighter, less sweet flavor.
• Italian seasoning: A dried herb blend is convenient, but feel free to use your favorite individual herbs or fresh herbs. Fresh basil, oregano, or thyme are excellent when added after cooking or before freezing.
• Red pepper flakes: Optional, but a pinch gives the sauce a pleasant, subtle heat that balances the sweetness.

Can I use frozen tomatoes?

Yes. If your tomatoes are already frozen, weigh them if you want precise proportions. You can roast them from frozen alongside the other ingredients; they will release moisture but will still brown and concentrate in flavor during roasting.

Make Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Like other simple roasted sauces, this one is straightforward and forgiving. Roast, blend, and either serve immediately or freeze for later.

Step 1: Prep the sauce. Wash the tomatoes, halve larger ones, and place them in a large roasting pan with the remaining ingredients. Toss to coat evenly.

Step 2: Roast at 450°F (about 230°C) for roughly an hour, stirring once or twice, until the tomatoes are broken down and some edges are nicely browned. Roasting concentrates flavor and creates caramelized notes.

Step 3: Blend. Transfer the roasted mixture to a saucepan and use an immersion blender to purée it into a thick, smooth sauce. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully blend in batches in a regular blender, allowing steam to escape to avoid splatters. If desired, press the sauce through a sieve or food mill to remove seeds and skins.

Step 4: Serve or freeze. Use some of the sauce immediately over pasta or chicken, and divide the remainder into freezer-safe containers for long-term storage.

If you use a regular blender, allow hot tomato mixtures to cool slightly and blend in small batches with the lid vented to prevent hot liquid from spurting out.

Storage

• Refrigerate: Store in the refrigerator for up to a week for meal prep and quick meals.
• Freeze: This sauce freezes well for more than a year. Leave adequate headspace in glass jars for expansion or use freezer-safe plastic containers or bags.)

Important safety note: do not can this sauce using a water-bath or pressure canner unless you have a tested, approved canning recipe. The acidity and thickness of this preparation have not been tested for safe home canning. Freezing is the recommended preservation method.

I hope you love this 5-star cherry tomato sauce—if you make it, consider leaving a rating so others can find it.

More Cherry Tomato Recipes to Try

• Easy Main Dish Steak Salad with Creamy Garlic-Pepper Dressing
• Greek Style Pasta Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes
• Chicken-Spinach Frittata

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