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    Home » Pizza

    Published: Nov 12, 2022 · Modified: Dec 22, 2022 by Donna Poirier · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Pizza Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes

    Jump to Recipe
    Overhead photo of a bowl of pizza sauce made with cherry tomatoes.

    Did you know you can make an incredible pizza sauce using cherry tomatoes? I will show you how to make this luscious sauce that requires a handful of ingredients and about 45 minutes of active stovetop cooking time.

    Overhead shot of a bowl of pizza sauce made with cherry tomatoes. this recipe
    A lovely thick pizza sauce with cherry tomatoes.

    This recipe is an authentic Italian recipe passed along to my sister Julie from a lovely Italian lady in her town. My sister loved this sauce so much that she shared it with me, and I was so impressed that I knew I needed to share it with you. I know you'll love the mellow flavour of this pizza sauce with lots of sautéed garlic, juicy cherry tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil.

    If you want to try your hand at making homemade pizza dough, then I've got you covered because my recipe for Easy Peasy Homemade Fluffy Pizza Dough fits the bill. And if you would like to try my other pizza sauce without tomato paste, then you'll love this 5-minute pizza sauce. So here we go, let's make pizza sauce with cherry tomatoes!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients for Cherry Tomato Pizza Sauce
    • How to Make Pizza Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes
    • Secrets for Success
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Food Safety
    • Storage
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Ingredients for Cherry Tomato Pizza Sauce

    Overhead shot of the ingredients needed to make pizza sauce with cherry tomatoes.
    • Cherry tomatoes: I used red cherry tomatoes, but yellow, orange or a combination would also work.
    • Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves should be juicy and firm. Anything rubbery is no longer fresh and will not yield the best flavour.
    • Extra-virgin olive oil: Use a good quality oil. There are only a few ingredients in this recipe and good olive oil will have a strong and spicy olive flavour which lends nicely to the tomatoes and garlic.

    See the recipe below for quantities and details.

    How to Make Pizza Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes

    Overhead shot of chopped garlic added to olive oil.

    Sauté garlic. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and finely chopped garlic to a medium saucepan over low heat. Sauté the garlic until soft, approximately 5-8 minutes. Stir frequently, making sure not to burn the garlic.

    Overhead shot of a pot of cherry tomatoes showing the addition of the remaining ingredients.

    Add remaining ingredients. Increase the heat to medium and add the cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

    Overhead shot showing how the cherry tomatoes get soft in the pot as they cook.

    Squish the tomatoes. After approximately 5-7 minutes, the tomatoes will start to break down. Stir often to break up the tomatoes. When the tomatoes begin to look soft and wrinkly, gently press down on them with a wooden spoon or try a potato masher to encourage them to burst open. Be careful not to burn yourself!

    A pot of finished pizza sauce with cherry tomatoes.

    Simmer. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer without the lid for 25-30 minutes. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before using it on your pizza dough.

    Secrets for Success

    • Using fresh garlic cloves that are firm and juicy will yield the best flavour. Discard garlic when it has become soft and rubbery, which is a sign that it is no longer fresh.
    • Take your time sautéeing the garlic and keep a constant eye on the process. Burnt garlic has a horrible taste and will ruin the pizza sauce.

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Red, yellow or orange cherry tomatoes will work well in this recipe. You may even try a combination of all three varieties.
    • I left the sauce thick and chunky after cooking. But you can certainly purée the sauce using an immersion blender or blender if you prefer a smooth sauce. If you decide to purée it, make sure the sauce has cooled first if using a blender.
    • I did not add herbs to this sauce because I wanted the flavour of the cherry tomatoes to shine, but you can add a ½ teaspoon of dried basil and a ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano if you want to spice it up. Alternatively, add fresh basil leaves to your pizza.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do I need to peel cherry tomatoes?

    No, you don't need to peel cherry tomatoes. But if the chunkiness that the skin brings to the sauce is unpleasant to you, then you can purée it, and the sauce will be smooth and luscious.

    Can I use this cherry tomato sauce with pasta instead of pizza?

    Yes, this pizza sauce makes an excellent marinara sauce! In fact, it tastes amazing with pasta, as my testing revealed. My tip if going this route would be to purée the sauce and keep a bit of the pasta cooking water to add to the puréed cherry tomato sauce to thin it out in case you find it too thick.

    What can I do with any leftover sauce?

    This cherry tomato sauce would be delicious to use as a pizza roll dipping sauce for dipping mozzarella sticks, and it would be a great accompaniment to grilled chicken.

    How many pizzas can I make with this sauce?

    This sauce yields 2 cups, which is enough for two 9-inch by 13-inch pizzas or two 12-inch round pizzas.

    Food Safety

    • Once the sauce has come to room temperature, refrigerate it in an airtight container.

    Storage

    • Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; otherwise, you can freeze the pizza sauce for up to 3 months.
    A bowl of pizza sauce made with cherry tomatoes with a spoon in the bowl.
    A mellow pizza sauce with sweet cherry tomatoes.

    Recipe

    Overhead shot of a bowl of pizza sauce made with cherry tomatoes.

    Pizza Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes

    Donna Poirier
    Did you know you can make an incredible pizza sauce using cherry tomatoes? I will show you how to make this luscious sauce that requires a handful of ingredients and about 45 minutes of active stovetop cooking time. 
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian, Canadian
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 75 kcal

    Equipment

    • cutting board
    • chef's knife
    • large saucepan
    • wooden spoon
    • measuring spoons and cups
    • potato masher, optional

    Ingredients
     

    • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons garlic , approximately 5 cloves, finely chopped
    • 4 cups cherry tomatoes , left whole, 1.5 pounds or 680 grams
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    • Sauté garlic. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and finely chopped garlic to a medium saucepan over low heat. Sauté the garlic until soft, approximately 5-8 minutes. Stir frequently, making sure not to burn the garlic.
      ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons garlic
    • Add remaining ingredients. Increase the heat to medium and add the cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
      4 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • Squish the tomatoes. After approximately 5-7 minutes, the tomatoes will start to break down. Stir often to break up the tomatoes. When the tomatoes begin to look soft and wrinkly, gently press down on them with a wooden spoon or try a potato masher to encourage them to burst open. Be careful not to burn yourself!
    • Simmer.  Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer without the lid for 25-30 minutes.  Let the sauce cool to room temperature before using it on your pizza dough.

    Notes

    Using fresh garlic cloves that are firm and juicy will yield the best flavour. Discard garlic when it has become soft and rubbery, which is a sign that it is no longer fresh.
    Take your time sautéeing the garlic and keep a constant eye on the process. Burnt garlic has a horrible taste and will ruin the pizza sauce.
    The recipe yields a total of 2 cups of pizza sauce.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    75
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    7
    g
    11
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Sodium
     
    308
    mg
    13
    %
    Potassium
     
    205
    mg
    6
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    3
    g
    1
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    0.03
    g
    0
    %
    Protein
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1
    IU
    0
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    8
    mg
    10
    %
    Calcium
     
    14
    mg
    1
    %
    Iron
     
    0.5
    mg
    3
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is approximated using an online nutrition calculator. It is included as a courtesy and should not be substituted for the advice of a professional nutritionist.
    Keyword pizza sauce, cherry tomatoes, pasta sauce, pizza
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @ladypeartree or hashtag it #ladypeartree

    More Pizza

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      Homemade Pizza Sauce without Tomato Paste
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      Easy Peasy Homemade Fluffy Pizza Dough

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Julie says

      November 12, 2022 at 11:34 pm

      5 stars
      Love and love this sauce! It’s so quick to make, flavourful and so different to any other pizza/pasta sauce I’ve ever made! Delicious- thank you!!

      Reply
      • Donna Poirier says

        November 14, 2022 at 12:26 pm

        Thank you, and yes I agree 100% with you!

        Reply
    2. Debra says

      November 20, 2022 at 8:03 pm

      5 stars
      This was pretty great. I made it tonight on a whim-I usually buy pizza sauce but I ran out. The only thing I had on hand was cherry tomatoes so I Googled 'how to make pizza sauce with cherry tomatoes' and your recipe appeared. Yay! for me. Thanks a bunch! Oh yeah-I will not buy store-bought pizza sauce again 🙂

      Reply
      • Donna Poirier says

        November 21, 2022 at 11:05 am

        Thanks Debra, that's good to hear.

        Reply
    3. Lucille says

      February 05, 2023 at 7:43 pm

      5 stars
      I loved it! Good instructions.

      Reply
      • Donna Poirier says

        February 06, 2023 at 1:49 pm

        Thanks, happy to hear it was easy to follow.

        Reply

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