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This cherry tomato sauce with garlic is a fragrant, flavorful, delicious, and healthy sauce that comes together in less than 20 minutes. It tastes delicious mixed into pasta, zoodles, rice, or potatoes.

Cherry tomato sauce with garlic mixed into spaghetti.

I have always loved flavorful pasta sauces. From my green pepper pesto sauce to my cauliflower pine nut sauce, the more flavor and nutrients, the better.

And this cherry tomato garlic sauce fits the bill. It is exploding in rich sweet cherry tomato flavor and fragrant garlic, and it has a hint of spice from the chili flakes. It is simple yet indulgent and it makes for a wonderful pasta sauce ( or any type of sauce) option.

Table of Contents

Why this recipe works

  • It is made with a handful of healthy ingredients.
  • It comes together in 15-20 minutes.
  • This sauce tastes amazing on top of pasta, zoodles, rice, or potatoes.
  • It is allergy friendly. This recipe is dairy free, soy free, and nut free.
  • It is full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants thanks to the garlic and cherry tomatoes.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients needed to make cherry tomato pasta sauce.
  • Olive oil– any good quality olive oil works here. I like using extra virgin olive oil.
  • Garlic– fresh garlic cloves give this sauce a great flavor.
  • Red chili pepper flakes– this gives a great spice to the sauce.
  • Cherry tomatoes– these are usually round and small tomatoes and have a bigger pop of flavor compared to other tomatoes.
  • Dried oregano and dried basil– these herbs help season the sauce.
  • Tomato basil sauce– this gives a good texture to the sauce.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Additions/ Substitutions

  • Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.
  • Instead of dried basil and oregano, you can use fresh basil and fresh oregano.
  • Instead of tomato basil sauce, you can use any marinara.
  • If you want this sauce MORE spicy, add more chili flakes.
  • If you want this sauce LESS spicy, omit the chili flakes or add less.

Step by step instructions

Garlic sautéed in olive oil.
Step 1

Step 1: Sauté chopped garlic in olive oil until fragrant and soft.

Cherry tomatoes, spices, herbs and garlic sautéed in pan.
Step 2

Step 2: Add the cherry tomatoes, chili flakes, salt, pepper, oregano and basil and cook for 8-10 minutes. Make sure to press down on the tomatoes so the juices release.

Marinara sauce added to the cherry tomato sauce.
Step 3

Step 3: Add tomato basil sauce to the pan.

Marinara sauce mixed into the cooked cherry tomatoes.
Step 4

Step 4: Mix everything together until heated through.

Pasta mixed into the cherry tomato sauce.
Step 5

Step 5: Add the sauce to your favorite pasta, carb, or veggie.

Recipe FAQs

What is the best way to release the tomato juice from cherry tomatoes?

With a potato masher! Once the tomatoes have warmed up, smoosh them with a potato masher or the back of a spatula.

Do cherry tomatoes taste different than regular tomatoes?

They do! They are smaller and more concentrated in flavor than regular tomatoes. They can be tart or sweet.

How do you store this sauce?

Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Cherry tomato sauce mixed into pasta in a pan.

Other pasta sauce recipes you’ll love:

Homemade Spicy Meat Sauce

Cherry Tomato Sauce with Chicken (Paleo, Whole30)

Whole30 & Paleo alla Vodka Sauce

Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!

Cherry tomato sauce with garlic mixed into spaghetti.

Cherry Tomato Sauce with Garlic

Dominique
A delicious pasta sauce made with cherry tomatoes, garlic, herbs and chili flakes.
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 59 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 cloves of garlic chipped
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 12 ounces cherry tomatoes , halved
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 cup tomato basil sauce or marinara sauce

Instructions
 

  • Put the olive oil into a sauté pan, and add the chopped garlic to the oil. Mix together. Cook over medium heat for 1.5-2 minutes. Make sure to stir the garlic often and watch it carefully, to make sure it doesn't burn. If it starts to turn brown too quickly, remove it from heat and then put it back on. 
  • Add the cherry tomatoes, chili flakes, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil to the pan. Mix and reduce the stove top heat to low medium.
  • Push down on the tomatoes with a potato masher or the back of spatula. Let everything cook for 8-10 minutes, mixing every so often. Add the marinara sauce to the pan and mix, then cook for 30 seconds or until the sauce is heated through.

Notes

  • Instead of olive oil, you can use avocado oil.
  • Instead of dried basil and oregano, you can use fresh basil and fresh oregano.
  • Instead of tomato basil sauce, you can use any marinara.
  • If you want this sauce MORE spicy, add more chili flakes.
  • If you want this sauce LESS spicy, omit the chili flakes or add less.

Nutrition

Calories: 59kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 445mgPotassium: 242mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 427IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg
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