10-minute no cook fresh tomato pasta sauce recipe! This 3-ingredient raw tomato sauce is perfect for your fresh summer pasta.
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Hello, tomato lovin Rhubarbarians! Today, we are diving into my favorite summer flavor.... fresh tomato! There's just nothing like a ripe, summer tomato. So juicy and flavorful. The perfect way to make a fresh tomato pasta sauce.
This fresh tomato sauce is ready no time, only 10 minutes! But, the flavor gets better and better if you let it sit for a bit. Either way, you'll love this one!
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Quick fresh summer pasta
Only 10 minutes. Only 3 ingredients.
Yep. You can whip up this no cook tomato sauce in only 10 minutes and with only 3 ingredients aside from salt and pepper.
Here's the game plan: Start your pasta water to boil. Make this sauce and set aside. Boil your noodles. Toss the noodles with the sauce. Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. DONE!
Choose the right tomatoes
You want to make sure you choose ripe and juicy, flavorful tomatoes for this recipe!
My favorites are red and yellow cherry tomatoes! They are loaded with flavor and have strong flesh that can handle getting crushed without dissolving.
If you can't find good cherry tomatoes, you can use roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, on the vine tomatoes, or san marzano tomatoes.
Have you tried our fresh yellow heirloom tomato soup?
Make the sauce
You guys, it's so easy. First, start with flavorful tomatoes. I like heirlooms or cherry tomatoes. Cut them into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Crush the tomatoes with your hands so the juice releases. You still want bites of fresh tomato, so don't crush too much!
Add the minced garlic and the olive oil. Toss together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
I like to serve this over pasta with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. It's amazing if you stir it into pasta that is still warm so the cheese gets a little melty. Mmmmmm......
Make ahead
Guess what? This fresh tomato pasta sauce gets more flavorful if you make it ahead! Which makes it a great option for easy dinners for a crowd.
If you're going to be eating within a few hours, just leave the sauce covered on the counter until ready to serve.
You can make this sauce the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight as well. We prefer it room temperature, but it's great cold too!
Have you tried our quick Italian tortellini pasta salad?
How to serve
This sauce is great for more than just a pasta topping! Try it as..
- A fresh tomato pasta sauce
- Topped on toast with fresh veggies
- A pizza sauce with Italian seasoning
- Blended to make a smooth sauce for lasagna
- Add some fresh parmesan and fresh basil and dip crusty bread into it
Storing and freezing
The sauce can be made ahead (see section above) and kept in the refrigerator overnight or for up to 2 days. We don't recommend storing it for longer, as the texture of the tomatoes can become unpleasant.
You can also refrigerate pasta that has already been tossed in the sauce for up to 2 days.
Freezing is not recommended. The texture will be very unpleasant after thawing.
If you're looking to can spaghetti sauce, try this recipe from Taste of Home! Or for a freezer spaghetti sauce, try this recipe from AllRecipes!
FAQs
- What tomatoes do I use? We love red cherry tomatoes! But see the section above titled "choose the right tomatoes."
- Can I use garlic powder rather than fresh garlic? Sure! The flavor will not be the same though. If you can, stick with fresh garlic.
- What pasta should I use? You can use any type of pasta you'd like with this sauce. We love simple spaghetti or cheese ravioli!
- Can I use canned tomatoes? It's not recommended. This is a fresh, raw tomato sauce.
- Is there a tool I can use to crush the tomatoes? No better tool for this than your hands, in our opinion! But you can use a potato masher to mash the tomatoes if you need to.
Got a question? Ask us in the comments below and we will answer as soon as we can!
Recipe
Fresh tomato pasta sauce
Ingredients
- 6 cups quartered cherry tomatoes, or fresh tomato cut into bite sized pieces. About 2 lbs.
- 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh garlic
- ⅛ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hands until the juice and seeds separate from the outer part of the tomato. Only about 6 medium-pressure squeezes with your hands.
- Add the garlic and the olive oil and toss together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve on pasta with some fresh basil and parmesan cheese (vegan if desired).
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this recipe, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians
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Laura
I put this over some spinach and cheese tortellini. This was just the perfect sauce for the light dinner I was planning. Easy and quick which I love after a long day at work. And it was delicious! My husband is pretty picky, and he said he’d be fine if we had this again. I call that a win! Thank you!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
I have so many cherry tomatoes to use up right now, I can't wait to give this recipe a try!
Patricia Bozeman
Yay! Let me know you like the recipe, Liz!