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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Published: Jun 15, 2019 · Modified: Jun 21, 2022 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 27 Comments

    Cherry Tomato Sauce

    JUMP TO RECIPE PIN WATCH VIDEO
    5 from 24 votes
    A rustic, creamy, thick and full of flavour Cherry Tomato Sauce, that’s perfect for serving over pasta. It’s made with only 6 ingredients and is easy enough for midweek, yet worthy of company too.

    A rustic, creamy, thick and full of flavour Cherry Tomato Sauce, that's perfect for serving over pasta. It's made with only 6 ingredients and is easy enough for midweek, yet worthy of company too. 

    Spaghetti tossed in cherry tomato sauce and topped with herbs and vegan brazil nut parm

    For the carb addicts amongst us who are always looking for something new and saucy to smother their pasta in, enter my Cherry Tomato Sauce. It's here for all of your pasta tossing and thwapping on top of everything needs.  

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • How to use cherry tomato sauce
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Cherry Tomato Sauce
    • Success Tips 
    • Love pasta?
    • Recipe Video
    • Recipe
    • Comments & Reviews

    And here's exactly what you need to know about this sauce:

    • creamy / tomatoey / herby / rich / rustic sauce vibes
    • juicy, bursty cherry tomatoes throughout
    • quick and easy
    • super yum
    Cherry Tomato Sauce in a pan

    And here's what else you need to know about this Cherry Tomato Sauce:

    It's meal prep and freezer friendly and it clings to pasta in all the right ways! 

    So yes, what I'm trying to say is, you need this Cherry Tomato Sauce in your life. As it is. Exactly as written, in all of its rustic, chunky, thick and packed with flavour glory. 

    a fork about to dig into a bowl of spaghetti tossed in cherry tomato sauce

    How to use cherry tomato sauce

    I see many situations where this delish sauce fits: 

    • Got a big family? - Feed them all quickly and easily 
    • Meal Prep - Make a massive batch and dip into it all week long. It keeps well in the fridge for 5 or 6 days and freezes perfectly. 
    • Date Night - You, your significant other, this, spaghetti for a Lady and the Tramp type moment, a fresh, crisp salad and a good bottle of vino
    • Feeding the fussy kiddos? -  Most of them like spaghetti and pasta sauce!
    • A treat yo'self night - You, piles of pasta, obscene amounts of vegan parm or vegan ricotta and a soppy movie? 
    • It's also pretty good when dolloped on vegan meatloaf, burgers, grilled tofu, roasted potatoes, spread in a panini or sandwich, used in place of marinara in lasagna or pizza. You could even use it as the base in my Vegan Shakshuka. 
    Cherry Tomato Sauce in a jar

    Ingredients

    Here's what you will be needing to make this delicious cherry tomato sauce:

    ingredients to make Cherry Tomato Sauce

    Love vodka? Check out my Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta!

    How to make Cherry Tomato Sauce

    And with so many tomato sauce recipes out there, here's the low down on how to make mine:

    Step 1 - Sauté the onions and garlic then throw in the dried herbs, seasoning and tomatoes and let them burst and caramelize up a bit

    onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes cooking in a pan ready to make Cherry Tomato Sauce

    Step 2 - Add tomato paste and stir it all up  ... It will be super thick and gloopy ...

    Cherry Tomato Sauce being made in a sauté pan

    Step 3 - Then add some plant-milk. A nice creamy one is good. I like to use my cashew milk but store bought milk is fine too.

    Plant-based milk in a pan while making cherry tomato sauce - not stirred in

    Step 4 - And stir it all up to make a lovely, creamy, thick sauce

    Cherry Tomato Sauce simmering in a pan

    Step 5 - Toss it through some freshly cooked pasta and you're done!

    Cherry Tomato Sauce and spaghetti in a pan

    Success Tips 

    • The combo of fresh tomatoes and tomato paste is what gives such great, concentrated flavour and creamy consistency. Don't be tempted to use regular canned tomatoes instead.  
    • Whilst it's great when freshly made, the flavors in the sauce develop even more if you make it a day or two before you need it. Just make it and store it in a sealed container in the fridge. 
    • My biggest tip though, is to really carb up and serve some of my No Knead Focaccia Bread on the side of your Cherry Tomato Sauce laden pasta. Just perfect for sopping up that sauce!
    Cherry Tomato Sauce and spaghetti in a bowl with a fork and spoon on the side

    So there we have it. Here’s to you and me diving headfirst into Cherry Tomato Sauce doused pasta ... 

    Love pasta?

    • Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta
    • Vegan Italian Sausage Pasta Soup
    • Vegan Carbonara
    • Vegan Pumpkin Pasta

    If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!

    Recipe Video

    Recipe

    cherry tomato sauce

    Cherry Tomato Sauce

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    5 from 24 votes
    A rustic, creamy, thick and full of flavour Cherry Tomato Sauce, that's perfect for serving over pasta. It's made with only 6 ingredients and is easy enough for midweek, yet worthy of company too. 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!
    PREP TIME: 10 minutes
    COOK TIME: 20 minutes
    TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional - sauté with a few tablespoons of water instead to make the recipe oil-free)
    • 1 medium onion , chopped finely
    • 4 cloves garlic , chopped very finely
    • 2 teaspoons dried herbs , rosemary, herbs de Provence, thyme, oregano, basil, Italian seasoning all work really well (use what you like best. Any or a combination of them is fine).
    • 1½ teaspoons fine salt , plus more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 heaping cups / 350 g halved cherry or grape tomatoes , or the same quantity of fresh larger tomatoes chopped into chunky pieces
    • ⅓ cup / 5½ tablespoons tomato paste (tomato puree in the UK) - Don't use regular canned tomatoes
    • 1 cup / 240 ml unsweetened milk of choice , I like to use a creamy milk like my cashew milk
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    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Warm a tablespoon of olive oil (or water for oil-free) in a large sauté pan over a medium heat.
    • Add the onions and cook, moving frequently until just starting to colour, then add the garlic. Cook for a minute longer.
    • Add the tomatoes and keep moving everything around for about 4 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst a bit and are just starting to caramelize.
    • Turn the heat down to medium low, and add the salt and pepper and herbs, then the tomato paste. Stir together well.
    • Pour in the milk and stir well until a creamy sauce is formed. Keep it simmering over the heat for about 7 minutes, until the sauce reduces down and thickens up enough to coat the pasta well. If you leave it any longer and it thickens up too much, simply add another little bit of milk to thin it out.

    NOTES

    This full recipe will make enough sauce to coat about 500 g / 17 oz of spaghetti
    Sauce keeps well in the fridge for 5 - 6 days and freezes well. 

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 1of 6 servingsCalories: 38kcalCarbohydrates: 7.9gProtein: 1.7gFat: 0.6gSodium: 692mgFiber: 1.8gSugar: 4.2gVitamin A: 800IUVitamin C: 18.2mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 1.1mg

    Nutritional information is provided for convenience. The data is a computer generated estimate and should be used as a guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram and hashtag it #avirtualvegan

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Tammy says

      September 16, 2021 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      Currently simmering this on my stove. Oh my god yum. I’m at the step to add the milk and I don’t know if I really want to. It’s kinda perfect the way it is!

      Reply
    2. Jagu says

      February 22, 2021 at 12:07 pm

      5 stars
      SO SO SO GOOD! Topped it with crushed red pepper and Beyond Sausage for protein.

      Reply
    3. Kerstin says

      February 22, 2021 at 9:30 am

      5 stars
      Melanie, I made this tomato sauce and then made the „meatballs“ out of your book Vegan Comfort Foods . Soo good , but since there is only my hubby and I, I used that dough and To make Swedish meatballs. I only switched the tamari sauce wIth vegan Worcestershire sauce but used only 1/8 cup. Of it. You know it turned out very good Thank you

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        February 22, 2021 at 11:01 am

        What a good combo! Sounds great. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Lynne says

      October 09, 2020 at 8:10 pm

      5 stars
      A delicious recipe! I had about a cup of cherry tomatoes from the garden that needed to be used up so I found this recipe on your site. I halved the recipe so it should have served three. Sorry to report that it was only enough for TWO! Well, that's because it was so yummy we both had huge bowls, and then went back for SECONDS!! I'm already looking forward to next summer's cherry tomatoes! Thank you for another excellent recipe. You never disappoint!

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        October 13, 2020 at 2:09 pm

        Ha ha! Thank you Lynne. I'm really pleased you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5. Heidi says

      September 05, 2020 at 4:35 pm

      If making to freeze should I leave out the dairy/non dairy till I am ready to use it?

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        September 06, 2020 at 1:11 pm

        Plant milks tend to freeze well. I've frozen it made as it is and it was fine. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    6. Myrn says

      September 02, 2020 at 7:29 pm

      5 stars
      I was surprised at how yummy this turned out. It seemed too simple to be so good. I used fresh basil and also used half milk & half heavy cream. This is a keeper!

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        September 02, 2020 at 9:13 pm

        I'm really pleased you enjoyed it and thanks so much for coming back to leave a review/rating!

        Reply
    7. Michael says

      August 30, 2020 at 9:38 am

      Any thoughts on how to safeRly can this sauce?

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        August 30, 2020 at 4:24 pm

        I don't know much about canning but I'm pretty sure you can't can anything with milk or fats in it. I know this contains vegan milk and not dairy-milk, but vegan milk still contains fat and it goes off in the same way as regular milk. I would think that that makes the recipe unsuitable for canning.

        Reply
    8. Jude says

      August 24, 2020 at 8:51 am

      5 stars
      This is just awesome! We made it for breakfast, so good. It will be our new go to pasta sauce!
      Thank You!

      Reply
    9. Helen says

      July 06, 2020 at 7:58 pm

      5 stars
      We loved it - and it's so easy! Thanks

      Reply
    10. Ginny Felker says

      June 16, 2020 at 5:23 pm

      Would you recommend using 2 tblsps if I am subbing for fresh rosemary? :)

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        June 16, 2020 at 7:44 pm

        When I make this with fresh I just throw in a sprig about 4 or 5 inches long then pick it out when I serve. Saves having to measure!

        Reply
    11. Jana says

      May 28, 2020 at 8:19 am

      5 stars
      So amazing! It is now my go to sauce whenever I want red sauce. I've even substituted a can of tomato sauce when I didn't have paste & it still turned out amazing. You can't go wrong with this sauce!

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        May 28, 2020 at 9:50 am

        Thanks Jana. I'm really pleased you're enjoying it!

        Reply
    12. Evita says

      November 17, 2019 at 3:27 am

      5 stars
      So simple and so delicious!!! thank you for sharing this with those who want to simplify their lives :))

      Reply
      • A Virtual Vegan says

        November 17, 2019 at 1:41 pm

        Thank you! I'm really pleased you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    13. Anna says

      August 21, 2019 at 5:56 pm

      Can water be substituted instead of milk?

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        August 21, 2019 at 6:30 pm

        You could use water, although you probably won't need quite as much. It won't end up as creamy or rich tasting though.

        Reply
    14. Lorna McLeod says

      June 17, 2019 at 1:03 pm

      5 stars
      Another fun DELICIOUS recipe. We ate the focaccia bread with your butter and sprinkled it with granulated garlic for the BEST GARLIC BREAD EVER....Thank-you Mel for making my cooking such a delightful experience.

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        June 17, 2019 at 11:09 pm

        You've certainly been keeping busy in the kitchen! I'm thrilled you are enjoying my recipes so much. Thank you!

        Reply
    15. Nate says

      June 17, 2019 at 1:26 am

      5 stars
      Oh yum! This was totoally delicious. The whole family loved it.

      Reply
    16. Sue Williams says

      June 16, 2019 at 1:39 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight, easy and really delicious, much nicer than the shop bought ones :)

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        June 17, 2019 at 12:16 pm

        I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Sue. Thank you!

        Reply

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