Poached Cherry Tomato Sauce
I have such a weakness for good Italian food. Lots of fresh tomatoes, check. Loads of garlic, check. A cupful of olive oil, check. And plenty of fresh basil, of course, check. I knew it had to be good. And yes, it’s far better than good, it’s unbelievably delicious. All the delicious fresh ingredients are simmered slowly for around an hour and believe me it is so worth the wait. The end result is unbelievably good and so versatile.
So What’s In This Poached Cherry Tomato Sauce?
The ingredients are so fresh and simple you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen….
olive oil shallots garlic cherry tomatoes canned plum tomatoes basil salt and pepper red pepper flakes
The Garlic
You may be nervous about that much garlic but after simmering for over an hour it’s flavor mellows way down and the harsh bite of the garlic is diminished. Its like roasting garlic, it’s potency turns to nearly sweet once it’s roasted. Just keep a tic tac close by (do they still sell those?).
Top Tip For Getting Rid Of Garlic Smell From Your Hands
Wow. I probably smell like a walking clove of garlic (which I don’t really mind but I’m sure my husband would say otherwise :). If you want to get rid of the smell, yes you can buy those stainless steel bars that mimic the shape of a bar of soap or you can just rub your hands around your stainless steel sink for the same effect to remove the odor. I just always forget I guess, until I’m enjoying the scent of my minty face soap and suddenly it’s strangely mingling with the scent of garlic. With the garlic smell on your hands, in your kitchen and throughout your home it’s worth it if it means this silky, lightly sweet, rich and authentic style, olive-oil-poached cherry tomato sauce awaits.
How To Make The Cherry Tomato Sauce
Combine olive oil and shallots in a pot over low heat and cook 10 – 12 minutes until shallots become translucent and soft. Stir in garlic while coating entirely with oil, cook for 15 minutes until garlic has softened. Add in cherry tomatoes, crushed plum tomatoes and sugar, cook 20 minutes. Stir in fresh basil stems, partially cover pot and allow mixture to cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until cherry tomatoes have burst and deflated and the mixture has turned to a rich sauce.
Discard basil or remove some of the leaves from stems and reserve in sauce (I ripped some of the leaves off and kept them in the sauce, it couldn’t just toss it all :). Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste and stir in red pepper flakes to taste if desired. Toss sauce with pasta of choice and serve topped with chopped fresh basil for garnish if desired. Easy as that!
Variations – Other Things To Add
If you have a carnivorous husband like mine, feel free to add some sort of protein to a portion of the sauce. I added Italian sausage for my husband otherwise I wasn’t sure if he’d eat it. You could add ground beef, pork, turkey or Italian sausage. I say it most definitely doesn’t need it but if you prefer sauce with meat then of course you could add some. You could also add extra veggies and greens such as kale or spinach. Red pepper flakes or fresh chili would add a nice spicy kick.
This pasta could really use some saucy love don’t you think?
Yes, much better.
More Italian Recipes You Might Like;
Ravioli with tomatoes, asparagus, garlic and herbs Grilled chicken sun dried tomato and spinach salad Creamy roasted red pepper and orzo soup Parmesan and asiago cheese roasted tomatoes
Did you try this Poached Cherry Tomato Sauce? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below to let me know how it went. You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest to see what I’m getting up to in the kitchen.
