Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
This luxurious Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce is a delicious option for mixing into pasta, serving alongside fish or chicken, or draping over your favorite spring and summer garden vegetables. Try it with roasted asparagus or steamed zucchini for a delicious change of pace.
I always enjoy roasted asparagus in the spring as a side dish for fish or chicken, but there are only so many different ways you can prepare asparagus. We like it roasted as well as lightly steamed with butter, salt, and pepper, but you can take it in another direction entirely by adding this lovely tomato butter sauce.
At first glance, this may appear to be a complicated sauce that requires a lot of time in the kitchen, but take a moment to read through the recipe and you’ll find that it’s a very simple process that produces a delicious, rich sauce in only about 25 minutes.
You can put burst cherry tomato butter sauce on vegetables, white fish, chicken, steak, or just about anything else that you think needs a boost from its rich flavors!
This butter sauce recipe uses fresh cherry tomatoes, shallots, garlic, unsalted butter, white wine or chicken broth, and fresh herbs to create an aromatic combination that will please your tastebuds and make you feel like you’re enjoying dinner in an Italian villa.
Once you try this delicious buttery tomato sauce, you’ll want it on everything!
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 white wine to deglaze the pan and pull all the flavor-filled cooked-on bits into the sauce. Remember, the alcohol itself cooks off leaving only the wine flavors behind. You can, however, substitute chicken stock if you prefer.)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Turn off the heat and gently stir in the butter and fresh herbs.
Recipe Options
- 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.
- You could substitute roasted tomatoes in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be as fresh.
- Any type of small tomatoes such as cherry, grape, currant, and champagne tomatoes may be used.
- To add even more flavor, sprinkle some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top of your sauce when serving.
How to Store and Reheat
Store burst cherry tomato sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat stirring frequently.
To Make Ahead
The sauce may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator or kept warm on the stove while preparing the rest of the meal.
Questions About Cherry Tomato Sauce
Use this cherry tomato butter sauce to top your favorite fish, chicken, steak, vegetable dishes, or any plain pasta. Seafood, omelets, and quiches are also delicious with this sauce.
Some cooks do prefer to peel the cherry tomatoes, but then it has a different finished text and the tomatoes aren’t “burst!” If you feel you should peel them, it’s easy to do. Use a sharp knife to make a little x-mark in the bottom of each tomato, then drop them in boiling water for about a minute. Drain them and the skins will slip right off.
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Recipe
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Turn off the heat and gently stir in the butter and fresh herbs.
Notes
- Dried herbs may be substituted for fresh. When using dried herbs, substitute one teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat stirring frequently.
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!