We're willing to bet that, for a lot of people, this is going to be the best tomato sauce they can possibly make. Cherry (or grape) tomatoes are packed with incredible flavor and, pound for pound, are much better than any "normal" tomatoes available in your average grocery store.
While cherry tomatoes are typically pricier, you may find that you can get great bulk deals at stores like Costco and Sam's Club which (in our case, at least) can make them a better value than standard tomatoes. Take a look before dismissing the technique!
Below, we've also included an alternative method for making a delicious cherry tomato sauce. Because the second technique retains the tomato skins, it has a distinctive taste that is incredibly thick and yummy but also quite different from a "normal" tomato sauce.
The methods used here can be applied to any quantity of cherry or grape tomatoes, but we recommend making the sauce in a big batch (we used 6 lbs of tomatoes for each) so that you can freeze a bunch for later and always have some sauce on hand.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we tested this method here:
Method #1
For this recipe, you will need:
Grape or cherry tomatoes (we used 6 lbs, see above)
1-2 peeled garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Fresh basil
Clean the tomatoes and place them in a very large pot over medium heat. As they cook, stir them frequently. When they begin to soften, break them up with a masher. Once the tomatoes have released most of their liquid (it should look like a bunch of deflated tomato skins in a pool of tomato juice), it's time to mill them!
Using a fine plate setting, grind the tomatoes through a vegetable mill into a suitably-sized pot. You should be left with a thin passata; you can discard the skins.
To make the sauce, bring the passata to a gentle simmer in a pot and add 1-2 cloves of peeled garlic, a generous drizzle of olive oil, several big pinches of salt, and some fresh basil leaves. Cook until the sauce reduces to a thickness of your liking. As it nears completion, salt the sauce again to taste. Remove the garlic clove(s).
Once cool, the sauce can be frozen in glass or plastic containers. Buon appetito!
Method #2
For this recipe, you will need:
Grape or cherry tomatoes (we used 6 lbs, see above)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Fresh black pepper
Dried oregano
A blender
2-3 peeled garlic cloves
Fresh basil
Preheat an oven to 380 degrees F (195 C).
Toss the tomatoes with a generous drizzle of olive oil, plus salt/pepper/dried oregano to taste. Place in a suitably large baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the tomatoes from the oven and stir them. Place back in the oven and bake a further 30 minutes, or until they are wrinkled and slightly browned on top, and have released a lot of juice.
Working in batches, if necessary, blend the tomatoes (including the juice!) into a thick puree. Taste the puree and add more salt if needed. Blend in some garlic and fresh basil as well.
Once cool, the sauce can be frozen in glass or plastic containers. Buon appetito!