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.
- Pasta: I prefer rotini or penne (and since this is kind of like a penne alla vodka sauce, penne would work really well), 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:
- Vodka: this recipe is a take on pasta alla vodka, so there is 1oz of vodka in it. You can leave it out if you’d like, and it will be just as delicious.
- 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.
FAQ
- Can you make creamy tomato sauce without milk? Yes, this sauce is creamy and does not use milk or cream. It gets it’s creaminess from cashews.
- How to make creamy tomato sauce? Creamy tomato sauce is usually made by adding cream. But this recipe uses blended cashews instead. You can also make a vegan cream sauce with coconut milk.
- Can you freeze tomato sauce? Yes, tomato sauce freezes well. I have not tried freezing this sauce, but I’m sure it would work.
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Creamy Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
This sauce is quick to make, super easy and filling. It's a take on pasta alla vodka, and gets its creaminess from cashews, instead of cream or coconut milk.
Equipment
- blender
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
- 1 oz vodka
- 1-2 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 hot water for a shorter period of time.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F
- Wash and dry your tomatoes. Add to a parchment paper lined baking sheeting. Add you garlic and onion. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Toss to make sure everything is well coated. Roast for about 15 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.
- Get a large pot of salted water boiling, and cook pasta according to directions on the package.
- Transfer the sauce to a large pan. Turn to low-medium heat. Add the red chili flakes and salt until it's to your liking.
- Add vodka and bring to a simmer, then reduce to low.
- 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 or more red chili flakes.
If you try this creamy tomato sauce , take a picture and share them with me over on IG @harvesttablenutrition. I love to see all your creations.
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