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.
This recipe is an authentic Italian recipe passed along to my sister from a lovely Italian lady. 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 here. 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. Not only is this sauce delicious on pizza, but it also makes an excellent dipping sauce for Stromboli Pizza.
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 finally, if you're short on time try my speedy 5-minute pizza sauce or if all you have in your pantry is a humble can of tomato paste, then my recipe for that will be easy to whip up. So here we go, let's make pizza sauce with cherry tomatoes!
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Ingredients for Cherry Tomato Pizza Sauce
- 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
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.
Add remaining ingredients. Increase the heat to medium and add the cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Recipe
Pizza Sauce with Cherry Tomatoes
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.
Keri Ellis says
How can long will this keep in the fridge ? And can you freeze it ? Thank you !
Donna Poirier says
Hi,
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; otherwise, you can freeze the pizza sauce for up to 3 months.
Enjoy
Jan says
Do you strain all the seeds after it’s cooked? I see a lot of tomato seeds in my pan
Donna Poirier says
Hi Jan, no I did not strain the sauce, I used it as is on the pizza.
April says
Delish! I did add a bit of oregano at the end. Yum!
Simple and yummy. Thanks!
Donna Poirier says
What a great idea to add oregano! I'm happy you liked it 🙂
Michelle says
Can I use frozen cherry tomatoes from the garden? If yes, Would I thaw them first?
Donna Poirier says
Hi Michelle, that’s a good question. Though I’ve never tried this, I would venture to say yes you can use frozen garden cherry tomatoes, but I would leave them on the counter to thaw a little bit before cooking them in the pan. Since they were frozen, you might notice that the sauce will be a bit more liquidy. If that’s the case, simmer a little longer than the recipe states, to the consistency you like. I hope that helps 😊
Jessica says
hi I have about 10 cups cherry tomatoes mix the grape kind and black cherry which are just a little bit bigger. so my question is could I use veg oil to sub.? I was at the store and completely forgot the olive oil and its too long of a drive to go back..
Donna Poirier says
Hi Jessica,
Yes I believe it would be fine to use vegetable oil. This sauce is very flavorful with the taste of cherry tomatoes and garlic that I don't think you will miss the olive oil in this case. Let me know how it goes. Thanks 🙂
Dawn says
This has amazing flavor! I just finished and am trying to decide if I want to blend it together smooth or let the skins get crispy on the pizza. What are your thoughts on this? I am currently in a stage of simmering in hopes of reducing some of the the juice from the tomatoes. Did anyone else need to do this to keep it from being too soupy? But overall the best flavor pizza sauce ever!
Donna Poirier says
Hi Dawn, I'm glad you loved the sauce 🙂
You can use the sauce as is on your pizza (I did when I developed the recipe). The skins did not get crispy for me (but if you try it, please report back).
If you purée the sauce this will help to thicken it and the texture will be very smooth (I do this when I use the sauce over pasta).
There are many types of cherry tomatoes, and depending on the variety, you may indeed need to simmer it a little longer.
Good luck
Julie says
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!!
Donna Poirier says
Thank you, and yes I agree 100% with you!