A simple, flexible oven-roasted tomato sauce recipe that highlights sweet cherry tomatoes and caramelized cipollini onions. This roasted tomato sauce is perfect tossed with pasta, spooned over warm bread, or spread on a sandwich with mozzarella and fresh basil.
I’ll get to the roasted tomato sauce in a moment, but this recipe has a small origin story. Since starting college in late August, my routine shifted dramatically. My alarm goes off well before dawn. I fumble for the snooze button, drift back into a few more sleepy minutes, then haul myself upright and begin the quiet early-morning ritual: wash up, dress, and grab a quick cup of tea and something to eat — usually a bagel — before heading out the door.
The walk through the house in those early hours is calm: the cats greet me, my mom wishes me a good morning, and then it’s out to the bus and into a full day of lectures. By late afternoon, my thoughts invariably turn to dinner. I flip through my recipe journal during the commute and pick whatever sounds best that day.
One Monday, after a quick stop at the farmers’ market, I returned with a bag full of cherry tomatoes, cipollini onions, and a few other seasonal finds. I roasted the tomatoes and onions and tossed them simply with spaghetti and a generous shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano. The sweetness of the tomatoes and the caramelized depth of the onions transformed the dish.
After that bite, it was clear the combination deserved its own recipe. I blended the roasted tomatoes and onions into a silky sauce — or a loose pesto, depending on how much pasta water I added — warmed it on the stove, swirled in a little butter, and spooned it over hot pasta. It quickly became one of my go-to weeknight sauces because it is so forgiving and so flavorful.
This roasted tomato sauce recipe is easy to scale and adaptable: blend in a handful of basil for a herbier flavor, or stir in up to ½ cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for a richer, cheesier sauce. If you plan to use it as a sandwich spread, skip the pasta water so it stays thicker, and add fresh herbs to taste.
Once you roast the tomatoes and onions, the rest comes together in minutes. Blend until smooth, warm on the stovetop, adjust salt and pepper, then toss with pasta or use as you like. It’s a simple way to make a bright, concentrated tomato sauce without hours of simmering.
I call it dinner, and it’s become a favorite for busy evenings when I want something fresh, satisfying, and quick to prepare.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
This recipe straddles the line between roasted tomato sauce and a tomato pesto. It’s bright, slightly sweet from roasted cherry tomatoes, and rounded by caramelized cipollini onions. Use it to dress a generous bowl of pasta, spread it on warm bread with fresh mozzarella and basil, or stir in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for a creamier, cheese-forward sauce. To use as a sandwich spread, skip most or all of the reserved pasta water so the texture stays thick. The sauce is highly versatile and can be adapted to whatever you have on hand.
15 minutes
40 minutes
10 minutes
1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs cherry tomatoes (washed, dried, and halved)
- ½ lb cipollini onions (about 6 onions)
- Salt & freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ⅔ cup reserved pasta water (optional, if serving with pasta)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375ºF and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Blanch the cipollini onions for about 20 seconds, then transfer them to an ice bath. Peel the outer skins by making a small cut and sliding the layer off, then quarter the onions.
Toss the quartered onions with the olive oil and a pinch of salt, and spread them on one parchment-lined sheet.
Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes, cut side up, on the second sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Roast both sheets for 30–40 minutes, until the tomatoes wrinkle at the edges and the onions are browned and caramelized.
Transfer the roasted tomatoes and onions to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, about 10 seconds. Warm the blended sauce in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in reserved pasta water a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency (about ⅔ cup is what I used, but use less if you prefer a thicker sauce). Swirl in the butter, taste, and adjust salt and pepper. Serve spooned over your favorite pasta, spread on bread with cheese and basil, or use any way you like. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8 Servings
Serving Size:
1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 48Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 42mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g