When grape tomatoes are overflowing in your garden, whip up a quick, easy tomato sauce! Grape or cherry tomatoes sauteed with olive oil, garlic, and fresh herbs are perfect over pasta, grilled chicken, or fish.
Easy Grape Tomato Sauce
I make this simple grape tomato sauce every summer when I have an abundance of tomatoes in my garden. There’s nothing sweeter than summer tomatoes, especially when you grow them. This sauce is a great way to use them, especially if they come all at once. It’s delicious over pasta, farro, fish, chicken, and more. For more summer tomato recipes, try my Summer Tomato Salad or Gazpacho recipe for a chilled soup with garden tomatoes.
A Few Reasons To Love This Sauce
There’s nothing like summer tomatoes! I plant tomatoes every summer in my garden and grape tomatoes are usually the first to grow. There’s usually so many tomatoes at once, that I came up with this quick and easy sauce that I make every year! You can serve this over fish, pasta, chicken, etc.
- In Season: When your vegetables are in season, you don’t need to add much to make their flavors shine.
- Minimal Ingredients: This sauce has only 4 ingredients, plus olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Vegetarian: Serve this grape tomato sauce over pasta for a fast “Meatless Monday” meal.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this sauce. See exact measurements in recipe card below:
- Olive Oil to cook the garlic and tomatoes in, I use extra virgin.
- Garlic: An Italian grape tomato sauce wouldn’t be complete without plenty of fresh garlic!
- Grape Tomatoes: Since tomatoes are the star of the show, make sure they’re in season and good quality. Cherry tomatoes can be used instead.
- Salt and Pepper season this grape tomato pasta sauce.
- Herbs: Use fresh oregano or basil, or other herbs, like rosemary or thyme, if you have them in your garden.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes for a little spice.
How to Make Grape Tomato Sauce
- Garlic: Cook the garlic in a nonstick pan until golden.
- Tomatoes: Add the tomatoes, salt, red pepper, and black pepper and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer the sauce, covered, until the tomatoes burst.
- Herbs: Add the oregano or basil and cook, uncovered, for 5 more minutes.
Serving Suggestions
- Pasta: Serve this grape tomato sauce over any pasta, ravioli, or gnocchi.
- Vegetables: Top zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash with the sauce for a lighter option.
- Protein: This sauce would be fantastic over chicken, shrimp, or fish with a green salad for a low-carb, high-protein meal.
- Add Other Ingredients to the Sauce: You could cook chicken, shrimp, or other vegetables, like zucchini or mushrooms, with the tomatoes and serve it over pasta for a complete meal.
- Cheese: Grate fresh parmesan over the tomatoes before serving.
Storage
- Refrigerator: This easy grape tomato sauce will last 5 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: If you love grape tomatoes or have a ton of them in your garden, this grape tomato sauce is excellent for freezing so you can enjoy the flavors of summer into the fall. Double or triple the recipe and freeze in freezer-safe containers for 3 months.
- Freezer Tip: If you often only cook for a couple of people, store the sauce in smaller 2-cup containers. If you plan on feeding a big group, put it all in one large container.
Is there a difference between grape and cherry tomatoes?
Grape tomatoes are oval-shaped, and cherry tomatoes are round. Cherry tomatoes are sweeter and juicier than grape ones. You can use either here.
Variations
For protein you can add grilled chicken or shrimp! And for a spectacular way to prepare fish, try this simple fish with summer grape tomatoes.
More Tomato Recipes You’ll Love
- Garden Tomato Sauce
- Angel Hair Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes
- Oven Roasted Tomatoes
- Air Fryer Burst Tomato Burrata Caprese Salad
- Spiralized Zucchini and Grape Tomatoes
Grape Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- large nonstick skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 lbs grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- salt and fresh pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano, or fresh basil
- 1/8 teaspoon red crushed pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large non-stick pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh black pepper and reduce heat to low.
- Simmer, covered until the tomatoes burst, about for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add fresh oregano and cook, uncovered another 5 to 6 minutes more.
- Serve over pasta, fish, chicken, etc.
