This Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce is made entirely from scratch with fresh cherry tomatoes, shallots, white wine, and garlic, cooked down until the tomatoes burst and release their sweet, concentrated flavor. It’s then finished with a generous amount of butter for a voluptuous texture.
I reach for this recipe often once tomato season gets going. It’s rich enough to dress up a piece of grilled fish or roasted chicken, but simple enough to be spooned over roasted asparagus.
The secret is in the white wine, which serves a dual purpose here. It deglazes the pan to recover every bit of browned flavor, while adding a light acidity that gives a bright note to the finished sauce.
Once you try this delicious buttery tomato sauce, you’ll want it on everything!
Recipe Snapshot: Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Primary Ingredients: Cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic, butter
Skill Level: Easy
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What Makes This Recipe Special
Most fresh tomato sauces are focused on pasta. This one isn’t. It works just as well with grilled fish and roasted chicken as it does with simple roasted vegetables. It’s a very useful recipe to have in the kitchen during tomato season.
It also comes together fast. From start to finish, it’ll take about 25 minutes, most of which is the tomatoes simmering down on their own while you work on something else.
The finished sauce has a richness that belies the few ingredients it takes to get there. Fresh tomatoes, a good pour of white wine, and a generous amount of butter create something far more interesting than you might think.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil — No need to use expensive extra virgin olive oil. Simply use a good quality regular olive oil.
- Cherry tomatoes — Use two cupsful of your own fresh garden cherry (or grape) tomatoes during the summer or purchase a pint from your grocer. Make sure the tomatoes are fresh and free from blemishes.
- Shallot — I’d urge you to use a shallot for its unique flavor. Should you need to substitute, yellow onions are the closest in flavor.
- Unsalted butter — There’s salt in the recipe, so using unsalted butter allows the fresh creaminess of the butter to shine in contrast to the sweetly acidic tomato flavors. If you only have salted butter on hand, simply eliminate the additional salt in the ingredients list.
- White Wine — I highly recommend using a dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc to deglaze the pan. However, if you prefer not to cook with wine, you can always substitute chicken stock.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Recipe Variations
- Dried herbs may be substituted for fresh. When using dried herbs, substitute one teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh.
- Substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder for the fresh minced garlic.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of spicy heat.
- Almost any fresh herb is great in this recipe, but my personal favorites are basil, thyme, and chives.
- Any type of small tomato, such as cherry, grape, currant, or champagne, may be used.
- To add even more flavor, sprinkle some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top of your sauce when serving.
How to Make Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
STEP 1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan or large skillet over medium heat. Maintain the heat so that the oil doesn’t get too hot.
STEP 2. Add the chopped shallots to the pan and saute for about five minutes or until they just begin to soften. Add the garlic and saute for an additional minute until it becomes fragrant.
STEP 3. Pour in the white wine (or chicken stock) and use a flat whisk or wooden spoon to loosen any bits on the bottom of the pan.
STEP 4. Add the fresh tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the tomatoes have released their juices and the skins have burst.
STEP 5. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and fresh herbs.
STEP 6. Stir gently until well combined.
Pro Tip
Remove the pan from the heat before stirring in the butter. Adding the butter off heat stops it from “breaking” or separating and produces a smooth, emulsified sauce.
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Recipe Tips
- Watch the tomatoes, not the clock. The 15-minute simmer time is a guide, not a guarantee. You want all the tomatoes to burst and release their juices before you move on, so check their progress rather than being bound by the timing.
- Don’t rush the shallots and garlic. Softening the shallots before adding the garlic builds a better flavor base for the sauce. Adding the garlic too early can cause it to burn and turn bitter.
- Taste for salt before adding the herbs. Salt levels can vary depending on how much the wine reduces. A quick taste before finishing the sauce lets you adjust before the herbs go in.
How to Serve
This sauce is incredibly versatile. Spoon it over grilled fish for a quick weeknight dinner, or ladle it generously over a grilled ribeye steak for something a little more special.
It’s just as good with vegetables. Try it over steamed or roasted zucchini, green beans, or a plate of simple pan fried zucchini for a fresh, summery side dish.
If you’d rather keep it simple, a spoonful over plain, steamed rice highlights the sauce beautifully and turns it into a full side dish on its own.
How to Store and Reheat
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat it gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently so the butter doesn’t separate.
If you want to make it ahead of time, the sauce holds up well. Prepare it earlier in the day and refrigerate it, then reheat just before serving.
This sauce also freezes well. Cool it completely, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to three months, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Questions and Answers: Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Should the tomatoes be peeled before using them in burst cherry tomato sauce?
Some cooks do prefer to peel the cherry tomatoes, but then it has a different finished texture, and the tomatoes aren’t “burst.” If you really want to peel them, it’s easy to do. Use a sharp knife to make a small X on the bottom of each tomato, then drop them into boiling water for about a minute. Drain them, and the skins will slip right off. - If I use wine when making burst cherry tomato sauce, does the alcohol cook out?
Not completely, no. A simmered sauce like this one doesn’t burn off all the alcohol, no matter how long you let it reduce on the stove. According to Idaho State University’s College of Health Professions, citing the USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, a dish simmered for 15 minutes retains about 40 percent of its original alcohol content, dropping to around 25 percent after a full hour. Since this sauce only simmers briefly, expect it to fall closer to that 40 percent range. If you avoid alcohol altogether, I’d suggest using chicken broth in place of the wine. It’ll still give you a very good sauce.
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Recipe
Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup white wine or chicken stock
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (basil, thyme, chives, oregano)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan or large skillet over medium heat. Maintain the heat so that the oil doesn't get too hot.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the chopped shallots to the pan and saute for about five minutes or until they just begin to soften. Add the garlic and saute for an additional minute until it becomes fragrant.1 medium shallot, 3 garlic cloves
- Pour in the white wine (or chicken stock) and use a flat whisk or wooden spoon to loosen any bits on the bottom of the pan.½ cup white wine
- Add the fresh tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes (or until the tomatoes have released their juices and the skins have burst.1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and fresh herbs.8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs
- Stir gently until well combined.
Notes
- Move the pan off the heat before stirring in the butter. This keeps it from breaking and gives the sauce a smooth, emulsified finish.
- A Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc works well here.
- Chicken broth is a fine substitute if you’d rather not cook with wine.
- This sauce freezes well for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days, and reheat gently over medium-low heat.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
This is a lovely recipe. Just want to share with you that I just saw, in the canned tomato aisle of my grocery store canned cherry tomatoes. I purchased one can and they are fresh tasting, bright red, some tomato sauce-puree in the can with the tomatoes and they are very tasty! I can envision keeping these on my pantry shelf year round. I used the cherry tomatoes in a dish I prepared and I was impressed. Lots of tomatoes in the can too.
I have seen those in my grocery store as well but I haven’t tried them yet. Thank you for letting me know that they’re a good choice!