I wasn’t planning to cook today at all, but then my mother handed me a bag full of black cherry tomatoes plus some vine ripened tomatoes and herbs to take home. Of course I immediately began making sauce with it.
Truthfully, this is not a traditional pureed Italian sauce. It’s really a pile of fresh tomatoes that I simmered down until they turned into a delicious medley of fresh garden vegetables on top of pasta. The spices I use in this recipe are exactly what I would normally put in a traditional tomato sauce, so feel free to buy some canned tomatoes and make a marinara!
Black Cherry Tomato Sauce

A perfect summer sauce for finally cooking those garden tomatoes!
This same blend of spices can be used for a traditional marinara. If using dry parsley and basil, use 3 tbsp of each.
Ingredients
- 20 black cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- 4 vine ripened tomates (diced)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium onion (minced)
- 1/2 pound chopped mushrooms
- 1 bunch spinach
- 1 15oz can cannellini beans
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
- Heat a large sauce pan or skillet over medium heat. Coat bottom of pan in a thin layer of olive oil. When oil is hot, add onions and sauté until fragrant and translucent.
- Add garlic, spices, wine, mushrooms and tomatoes. Stir, bring to a simmer and cook covered with the lid for 30 min (stirring occasionally).
- Add beans and spinach, simmer for an additional 15 min.
- Serve over your favorite pasta, top with vegan parmesan and enjoy!
I really do hope you get to use this recipe on some fresh garden tomatoes before the summer ends! Drop a comment below and let me know what you think!
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