Featured in our Spring 2022 Food + Entertaining article, It’s Spring, burst cherry tomato sauce is a family favorite for Entertaining Editor Tamberlyn Dobrowski. You can serve it with pasta, chicken, or bruschetta, and even add squash or zucchini to the tomatoes. Enjoy!
Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
Course: SidesServings
4
servingsA simple, fresh tomato sauce made with cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil.
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 cups cherry tomatoes (2 pints)
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
1⁄3 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Optional: Parmesan cheese or burrata
Directions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir until the tomatoes are coated in the oil.
- Turn the heat to medium low and cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they start to burst, about 10 to 15 minutes. You can use a wooden spoon to smash some of the tomatoes for a thicker, creamier sauce, but don’t smash them all—the sauce is supposed to be chunky.
- Stir in the basil and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Serve over your favorite pasta, spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or crusty bread. If desired, garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and extra basil or add dollops of burrata on top.
Notes
- Recipe from Maria Lichty, Two Peas & Their Pod