Slow Cooker Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce is a beautifully simple and flavourful recipe that lets the slow cooker do all the work. This easy dinner recipe creates a rich, comforting sauce perfect for serving over your favourite pasta.
Made with cherry tomatoes, basil, herbs, onion and garlic, this sauce is ideal for busy days when you want something wholesome with minimal effort. It’s a lovely way to enjoy fresh, vibrant flavours any time of year.
Originally published March 17, 2023. Updated March 18, 2026.
Using Up A Surplus Of Homegrown Tomatoes
We have a vegetable garden but largely it only grows tomatoes as that is what we seem to be able to successfully grow as we plant and neglect! This year we have a lovely late burst of tomatoes so I wanted to share some recipes that we enjoy when we get too many.
The beauty of making anything in the slow cooker is how hands off it is. This recipe is no exception, takes five minutes to put together then you set and forget.
How To Serve This Pasta Sauce
This pasta sauce is lovely, light and creamy and works with many different dishes. Today I have served it with a simple spaghetti, but it can coat cooked ground beef, meatballs, or other pasta of your choice.
This recipe is lovely and versatile too, you can add or omit the herbs to enhance the flavours of your choice.
What You Need For This Pasta Sauce
The ingredients are lovely and simple:
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Dried Oregano
- Salt & Pepper
- Sugar
- Fresh Basil
Can I Use Another Variety Of Tomatoes In This Pasta Sauce?
Yes, this recipe will work well with any tomatoes, dice them into chunks if they are larger.
Quick And Easy Preparation
There is very little prep with this one as the cherry tomatoes go in the slow cooker whole, the onion and garlic are roughly chopped then the other ingredients are simply sprinkled over before you stir.
There is no need to peel the tomatoes as these get blended up at the end of the cooking time.
Cooking Time And Helpful Slow Cooker Tips
You can cook this recipe in as little as 3 hours on HIGH or 5-6 hours on LOW. I have used a 6L slow cooker today.
Slow cookers can sometimes produce extra liquid, so if your sauce needs thickening you can follow the tips in How to Thicken Slow Cooker Sauce.
Also, if you have a slow cooker question? I’ve gathered the most common ones in my Slow Cooker FAQ if you’d like to learn a little more.
Blending The Sauce To Your Preferred Texture
Once cooked, I use my stick immersion blender or you can use a heat proof blender to mix the sauce. It is up to you the consistency you use, we prefer ours as smooth as possible, but you can leave it a little chunky for more texture.
How To Store And Freeze Pasta Sauce
It will keep if stored well in the fridge for up to 4 days or you can freeze portions for up to 3 months in zip lock bags or freezer safe containers to use another day. This quantity makes 4 cups or 1 litre of pasta sauce (approximately 6 servings). Allow to cool to room temperature first before refrigerating or freezing. Heat well in the microwave when ready to use.
Slow Cooker Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce Recipe
The full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
Slow Cooker Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
Slow Cooker Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce is an easy, flavour-packed recipe made with cherry tomatoes, basil, herbs, onion and garlic for a simple, comforting dinner.
Ingredients
- 900 grams Cherry Tomatoes, rinsed (6 Cups)
- 1/2 Onion, sliced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, sliced
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
- 1 Tablespoon White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
- Fresh Basil - 16 leaves approx
Instructions
- Rinse cherry tomatoes and add them to the slow cooker bowl, my slow cooker is 6L
- Add to this the roughly sliced onion, and garlic cloves
- Add the olive oil, oregano, sugar, salt & pepper and stir well.
- Add 6 or so leaves of fresh basil and fold through
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and set to 3 hours HIGH or 5 hours LOW
- Stir half way through cooking time if you can
- Once cooked, remove the lid, add a further 6-8 leaves of fresh basil stir and allow to stand for 20 minutes
- Using a stick immersion blender or in a heat proof blender blend the tomato mixture until creamy (feel free to leave some chunks if you prefer)
- Use a portion straight away if needed for your recipe alternatively place in an airtight container and once cooled add to the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Or you can freeze portions in ziplock bags or containers for up to 3 months.
- Use this pasta sauce over spaghettis, penne pasta or with cooked ground beef or meatballs. Heat well before serving
- Add a little extra basil or some finely grated parmesan for added flavour to finish
- Enjoy!
Notes
How long does Slow Cooker Cherry Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce keep for?
It will keep if stored well in the fridge for up to 4 days or you can freeze portions for up to 3 months in ziplock bags or freezer safe containers. Allow to cool to room temperature first. Heat well when ready to use
What size is your slow cooker?
I have used a 6L slow cooker today
Can I use another variety of tomatoes in this pasta sauce?
Yes, this recipe will work well with any tomatoes, dice them into chunks if they are larger.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 106Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 372mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
This nutrition calculation for Just Slow Cooker Recipes has been automated, please use your discretion with the calculation and use your own if unsure.
Other Pasta Recipes To Try
If you enjoy this pasta sauce, there are other delicious pasta recipes to try. Pasta dishes are a great way to create easy dinners using everyday ingredients you may already have on hand.
My Slow Cooker Easy Lasagna and my Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta are both comforting, family-friendly dinner options.
I have a variety of other pasta recipes on my other website, Just a Mum’s Kitchen.
- Baked Feta with Cherry Tomatoes
- Tomato & Basil Penne Pasta
- Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake
- Macaroni Cheese
- Creamy Chicken & Bacon Fettucine
I’d Love To Hear Your Feedback
I hope you love this slow cooker cherry tomato & basil pasta sauce as much as we do. It’s such a simple, flavourful sauce and one I come back to again and again for easy dinners.
If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you in the comments below.
Also, if you enjoy this recipe, please leave a ⭐ rating in the recipe card above. Your feedback helps other readers and really supports my recipes.
Thank you so much for stopping by to check out this recipe and the others here on my blog. I always love sharing these slow cooker favourites with you.
If you’re not already, be sure to follow me on Pinterest for more slow cooker inspiration and delicious recipes.
Happy cooking!
Anna xo
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