The rich, delicious flavor of this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes is like stepping into a sweet Italian grandma’s kitchen, smelling the aroma of tomatoes and garlic roasting creating anticipation to the delicious bowl of spaghetti you soon will be eating.
What to do with so many cherry tomatoes?
I was trying to figure out what to do with the abundance of cherry tomatoes that are growing now when I came up with the idea to create this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh roasted tomatoes.
How To Roast Cherry Tomatoes
Roasting them was easy. I do have a tip, however, to get the roasted tomatoes to hold their flavor and shape. After cutting them in half, toss them in a colander and sprinkle salt on them. Let them rest there for 30 mins in your sink. This will help draw the moisture out. After that pat, any excess moisture of with paper towel and then place the tomatoes in a dry bowl for the next step, seasoning. I also put sliced zucchini in the with the tomatoes and garlic to add another layer of flavor.
Fresh herbs are always best if you have them to make this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes. If not most groceries sell the plants now in the produce section. I find them cheaper than the little packs they sell and I can get several trimmings off of them if I keep them watered.
I have a hydroponic garden tower that I have all my herbs for this recipe growing in. I have been able to keep this going year round, but I do have to pull it into our garage in the winter and use plant lights.
For this light pasta meal, I ramped up the nutrition and cut out the gluten by using Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa Spaghetti Pasta. Quinoa is an excellent alternative choice to wheat pasta since it doesn’t get mushy when it’s cooked. It tends to be higher in protein than other gluten-free varieties, and it contains high amounts of fiber and iron. Another plus, it cooks quickly and does not clump together like other grain alternative pasta.
Quick Vegan Cheese Topping Substitute
I also created something a little different for this recipe to go with this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes, I wanted to a topping like cheese but I’m vegan. So I created an alternative that I like even better than parmesan cheese. I mixed dried Italian bread crumbs equally with nutritional yeast, tossing to mix and then sprinkled on top of my spaghetti.
Another great pasta dish to try is Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach. It’s a one-pot wonder of creamy light lemon and garlic flavors that is an easy healthy vegan meal your entire family will love.
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The rich, delicious flavor of this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes is like stepping into a sweet Italian grandma’s kitchen, smelling the aroma of tomatoes and garlic roasting creating anticipation to the delicious bowl of spaghetti you soon will be eating.
Ingredients
3 cups of cherry tomatoes in various sizes and colors
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup garlic cloves peeled and cut in half
1 cup diced zucchini, about the size of the tomatoes
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of fresh chopped herbs such as parsley, oregano, basil, and thyme. Divide these into half portions
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa Spaghetti Pasta
Vegan Cheese Topping
1/4 cup fine Italian bread crumbs
1/4 nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
Instructions
Cut tomatoes in half, place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt lightly and toss. Allow draining in the sink for 30 minutes. This will help release some of the moisture from the tomatoes which will help them roast quicker and hold their shape better
Fill a large pan with water, bring to a boil. Drop in 2 servings of spaghetti and cook until done.
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper
After 30 minutes, pat the tomatoes excess moisture off with paper towels.
Place tomatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and then add 1/4 cup of herbs, garlic, zucchini, pepper, salt, and crushed red peppers. Toss gently until all coated, then place on parchment paper
Roast tomatoes mixture at 400 degrees for 35 minutes without stirring or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Remove from oven.
Place cooked pasta in a large bowl, add cooked tomato mixture over pasta, add balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup fresh herbs and toss to coat evenly.
Sprinkle vegan cheese topping over pasta when serving.
Vegan Cheese Topping Substitute
Place Italian bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, and salt in a bowl. Stir until well mixed, set aside until ready to use.
Keywords: Spaghetti Sauce With Fresh Tomatoes
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