Out of the Box: Cherry Tomato Marinara with Penne

By: Amie Simon | August 03 2010
Posted in Seattle - Cook It - Seattle

I have been waiting months for my tomatoes to get going, but since the hot weather was a little late this summer, they haven't yet produced. Bummer that this is, I was super pleased to receive an entire pint of cherry tomatoes in my CSA box this week.

Photo: Amie Simon

Box of Color
I'm used to just seeing the bright red color attributed to cherry tomatoes you find in the grocery stores, but this pint was full of tomatoes ranging from light yellow to bright orange and red, as well as a range of shapes and sizes. I really loved the variety and interest that these would add to any plate.

Simple and Delicious
Since I had so many, I was wondering what to do with these tomatoes when it hit me: why not try a simple marinara sauce? I'd never tried making one with cherry tomatoes before, but I was sure the extra sweetness of them would be a nice change from a Roma or other red tomato-based marinara.

And...I was right. The sauce was delicious, incredibly easy to make, required very few ingredients (all staples I already had on hand!), and was a hit with my boyfriend. I'll definitely be making this again.

Ingredients
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
½ yellow or white onion
3 garlic cloves
1 pint cherry tomatoes
7-8 fresh basil leaves
5-6 sprigs fresh oregano
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Pour oil into large saucepan. Chop onion and garlic; add to oil and sauté over medium heat until onion is browned. Cut tomatoes in halves (or thirds, depending on size) and add to saucepan. If you like your sauce on the thinner side, you can add more olive oil with this step. Add fresh herbs and salt and pepper to season. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, boil penne for 9 to 10 minutes. Uncover sauce and use a hand blender to smooth out larger tomato chunks (a regular blender or food processor will work too – I just like doing everything in one pot). Ladle over pasta and serve with a basil garnish.

Photo: Amie Simon

A note about the pasta: I like to use penne for thicker sauces since it holds it so well, but I think this recipe would work just as well with any type you choose.