Easy, Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

This simple, fresh tomato pasta sauce comes together in no time and is bursting with flavor! It's delicious on pasta or flatbreads or even as a dip in your favorite charcuterie board.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It features easily accessible ingredients. Cherry or grape tomatoes are relatively easy to find year-round so you can keep coming back to this sauce time and time again.
• It's quick and easy! This sauce comes together is no time so it's perfect for a weeknight meal or when you just don't know what to make.
• It's fresh, unlike bottled sauces. Bring added freshness to your dishes with this recipe and rely less on bottled sauce.

Ingredients You'll Need for Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

• Fresh tomatoes. I use a variety box of a mix of grape and cherry tomatoes but use any variety you like! I like using small tomatoes like these because they are sweet and easy to find but this sauce is also great with regular-sized Roma or even vine-ripened tomatoes.
• Basil. Always fragrant and a staple in tomato sauce, make sure to use the freshest basil you can find. If I can't find a good selection of basil bunches in the produce section, I'll sometimes get a potted basil plant at my grocery store since these seems to be the freshest option!
• Shallots. A mix between an onion and garlic, shallots bring a ton of flavor to any recipe. In this one, they bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes while rounding out the sauce.
• Garlic. A little goes a long way and it pairs so well with the sweet shallots. Just make sure these don't burn when you sauté them!
• Butter. A little untraditional for an Italian pasta sauce but I promise you butter gives this sauce a little creaminess that goes a long way.
• Extra virgin olive oil. Use the best quality you can find! The olive oil and butter mix together perfectly to bring together a creamy and fruity taste to the sauce.
• Pasta water. This is the secret ingredient - the pasta water makes this sauce extra silky and glossy. If you're not making pasta with this sauce, regular water or broth will do.
• Pasta. My favorite way to enjoy this sauce is on thick, fresh pasta like pappardelle. However, you can absolutely enjoy this sauce on top of chicken breasts, as a pizza sauce or even as a dip!

Step-By-Step Instructions for Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

1. Sauté the aromatics. In a large, shallow pan, sauté the shallots in the butter and extra virgin olive oil for 2-3 min on medium low heat or until they're soft. Add in the garlic for another 2-3 min, making sure it doesn't brown.
2. Add in the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and salt and stir together with the shallots and garlic. Increase the heat to medium and cover for about 5 minutes or until most tomatoes burst.
3. Burst the remaining whole tomatoes. Uncover, add your shredded basil and pop the softened tomatoes that still remain whole. Reduce heat to medium low and stir well for about 2 minutes.
4. Mix in your pasta. Add in half of your pasta water, the al dente pasta and stir together for another 1-2 minutes. If you'd like your sauce a bit looser, add more pasta water until you reach your desired consistency. If you're not adding pasta to the sauce, sub in the pasta water for regular water or broth.
5. Taste. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

How do I Store this Pasta Sauce?

• Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• To freeze the sauce, make sure it's completely cooled before adding into freezer-safe bags or containers for 3-4 months. I like to keep this sauce in a freezer-safe, zip-top bag that I freeze horizontally. That way, I can break apart a part of the thin block if I want to defrost a smaller portion.

What Can I Serve this Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce with?

My favorite way to enjoy this sauce is on thick, fresh pasta, like pappardelle, but you can't go wrong with any other pasta shape.

However, this sauce is versatile! You can absolutely enjoy this sauce on top of chicken breasts, as a pizza sauce or even as a dip for your next get-together or family gathering.

Tips and Tricks for this Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

• You want the tomatoes to burst. A time saving trick - halve or quarter the largest of your tomatoes prior to putting them in the pan. This will help "burst" them quicker and extract all of their juices while cooking.
• Use the freshest basil you can find. If you can't find good quality basil in the produce department of your grocery store, buy a basil plant! I find that herbs at some grocery stores are not the freshest or the most bountiful, especially basil. When that happens, I love buying a small, potted plant and just using the leaves.
• This sauce thickens up as it cools. If you want to reheat it and thin it out a bit, feel free to add more water while you reheat it until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Use your creativity! While this sauce is great on pasta, it's also very versatile. Make it for a spread on your next charcuterie board, serve it on top of chicken breast for a weeknight dinner or even as a pizza sauce.

Did you try out this recipe? I'd love to know how it went! Leave me a comment and rating below or tag me on Instagram at @AFabulousBite!