This creamy roasted cherry tomato sauce is the perfect use for all those tomatoes in your garden right now. My garden has more tomatoes than I know what to do with, so I roasted some of them and turned them into this delicious sauce. It might be my new favourite.
If you’re looking for other pasta recipes, check out my Spinach Cashew Pesto or my High Protein Pasta Salad.
Why you’ll love this roasted cherry tomato sauce recipe
- Quick & Easy: this sauce is so easy to make. Very little work involved at all. Get your tomatoes on a baking sheet, with garlic, onions and olive oil, roast for 15 minutes, blend with your cashews and ta-da! Done. There is a little bit of planning ahead, since your cashews should soak for 20-30 minutes, but if you forget, you can soak them in hot water for a shorter period of time.
- Vegan: if you are vegan or you need an easy-to-make meal that is vegan, this is perfect. I like to garnish with shredded parmesan cheese, but you could use nutritional yeast or red chili flakes for a garnish instead.
- Balanced: you’re getting some veggies from the tomatoes, healthy fats and a little protein from the cashews and carbohydrates from the pasta. Pair this with a big, green salad and you’ve got a well balanced meal.
What you’ll need to make this roasted cherry tomato sauce recipe
You’ll need the following to make this tomato sauce:
- Tomatoes: my garden currently is overrun with cherry tomatoes, so I used a lot of those. But I also snuck some Roma tomatoes in there. This recipe isn’t fussy, use whatever tomatoes you have.
- Cashews: these provide the creaminess. Make sure to use raw, unsalted ones. Ideally soak them in water for at least 20-30 minutes before blending.
- Garlic & onion: these add tons of flavour.
- Red chili flakes: you can adjust the amount based on how much you like spice.
- Pasta: I prefer rotini or penne, but any pasta works for this recipe.
Additions & Substitutions
Additions:
- More veggies: if you would like to add some veggies, go right ahead. I prefer to let the sauce be the star, and have a salad on the side.
- Protein: the protein in this dish is rather low. There is a little bit from the cashews, but you can add more. Try a high protein pasta, or add some TVP.
Substitutions:
- Different tomatoes: I used mostly cherry tomatoes, and some Roma tomatoes, but if you have other tomatoes that you want to use, I’m sure they will work.
Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce FAQs
Nope, no need to peel the tomatoes. Their skins soften when roasted, blending into the sauce for extra flavour and nutrients. I do like to pass the sauce through a sieve to remove some of the skins, but that’s totally optional.
Yes, it’s a homemade sauce made with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, onion and cashews. It’s rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats.
This recipe gets it’s creaminess from cashews. They are the perfect dairy-free substitute for cream in roasted cherry tomato sauce. When blended, they create a silky, rich texture without using milk or cheese.
Yes, soaking cashews in hot water for 15–20 minutes softens them, making them blend smoothly into the roasted cherry tomato sauce.
Absolutely. This sauce tastes even better the next day after the flavours have time to meld. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Creamy Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- 1 blender
- 1 sieve
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashews, raw, unsalted
- ½ cup water
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes (or mix of tomatoes, roma, cherry, etc)
- 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
- 5-6 cloves garlic, whole
- ½ onion, chopped into large pieces
- .5-1 Tbsp red chili flakes
- salt & pepper
- 1 lb Pasta, dry
Instructions
- Add your cashews to a small bowl, and cover with warm water. Soak for at least 20-30minutes. If you forget this step, or don't have time, you can soak in boiling water for about half the time.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F
- Wash and dry your tomatoes. If you're using some larger tomatoes, cut them in half or quarters. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Add the garlic and onion. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Toss to make sure everything is well coated. Roast for about 15-20 minutes or until cherry tomatoes have opened, and garlic is soft.
- Once tomatoes are done, let them cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, drain your cashews and add them to the blender. Add 1/2 cup of fresh water. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer your tomatoes, garlic, onion and as much of the juices as possible, to the blender with the cashews. Blend until smooth. If it's super thick, add a little bit of water.
- Pass the sauce through a sieve to remove the tomato skins (this step is optional, but makes for a smoother sauce), and transfer the sauce to a large pan. Turn to low-medium heat. Add red chili flakes and some salt until it's to your liking for spice and saltiness.
- Get a large pot of salted water boiling, and cook pasta according to directions on the package.
- When your pasta is done cooking, scoop your pasta directly into the tomato sauce using a slotted spoon. You want some of the residual pasta water in your sauce.
- Toss to make sure all the pasta is coated in the sauce. Taste again and adjust anything you think is necessary.
- Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast (if keeping it vegan) or more red chili flakes.
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If we haven’t met yet, hi hello! I’m Bailey, a Registered Dietitian and recipe developer. I offer 1:1 nutrition coaching and cooking classes to help make healthy eating easier. On my blog you can find easy, seasonal, vegetarian recipes! If you try this recipe (or any of my other recipes), leave me a comment with your thoughts!
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