This makes your house smell like heaven (AKA, my Nonna’s kitchen)!!
Just had to get that out of the way: Hi! Hello! How’d everyone’s summer turn out?! Better yet, how’d your garden turn out?! I can’t wait for the day when I have my own…but until then, I’ll use times like this, when I had 8 pounds, yes, you read that correctly, EIGHT POUNDS of cherry tomatoes on my hands to make delicious sauces (thank you random gift from husband’s client). While cherry tomatoes aren’t classically what the true Italians use to make their stellar sauces… I knew I’d be kicking myself in December if I didn’t make some cherry tomato sauce to freeze up for a cold winter’s night. So I did. And it turned out great, so I had to share!
This Simple Cherry Tomato Sauce is easy… as in six ingredients, one baking sheet, one sauce pan, and a blender. No grating carrots, celery and onions and simmering for hours and adjusting with different herbs and spices. Just a simple, summer fresh taste that will cheer you up when that cold weather arrives (if you actually have the willpower to save it!)
Not only is it simple, but it’s also so healthy making your own sauce from home, knowing exactly what’s in it, without any preservatives or hidden sugars. These little guys are so sweet all on their own, as long as your getting them in the right season or growing your own. I steer clear of buying tomatoes all winter because I’m pretty sure tomatoes in Canada in the winter is not a thing. And the ones that are in the stores taste like mush and probably travelled a million miles and were gassed to turn red. Yummy!
Fresh, delicious tomatoes like these ones help you resist infection and are chock full of cancer fighting Lycopene! While there’s lots of lycopene in raw tomatoes, not all of it is absorbed by the body unless the tomatoes are cooked, making tomato sauce an excellent choice for getting your antioxidant glory on. They also can help lower blood pressure, clear out toxins, and are great for kidney function.
So cook up the last of those summer tomatoes and enjoy this sauce on a cold day when you’re longing for summer to be back… I know I will!
Buon Appetito!
Recipe adapted from Brooklyn Farm Girl!
| Simple Cherry Tomato Sauce | Print |
- 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes (about 7 cups)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup finely chopped basil
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed, baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel the cloves of garlic by gently crushing them (gently! Not crushing them like you would for mincing a fresh clove, just enough for it to crack so you can easily peel off the outer layers). Put the peeled cloves, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and the salt, in a large mixing bowl and toss until everything is equally coated.
- Pour onto the lined baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes. The tomatoes should be just slighty browned by the end.
- Pour all contents, including any juices from the baking sheet, into a sauce pan. Add the balsamic vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and. Using an immersion blender, blend until mostly smooth and sauce-like. Alternatively, you can (carefully!) transfer the contents to a blender in batches.
- Stir in the chopped basil and season to taste with salt. (I did not feel the need to add extra salt.)
- Serve over your favourite pasta with an extra sprinkle of basil and fresh parmesan or asiago cheese, if you prefer!
