Tomato Basil Quick Pan Sauce Recipe

Buttery tomato basil sauce is just what you may be craving for dinner tonight. And it’ll be ready in 20 minutes.

This might be the quickest tomato sauce ever. The secret? Fresh cherry tomatoes!

The little cherry tomatoes burst when they’re heated. Yum.

This sauce bears resemblance to the tomato sauce used in my Garlic Chicken Over Spaghetti Squash recipe, but it’s much quicker.

It’s a fast pan sauce, unlike my classic Italian Red Sauce (Red Gravy) that’s simmered for hours with loads of fried meat.

What is pan sauce?

After cooking food in a pan, you can make a fast sauce from the drippings that are left right in the same pan. Use broth or even wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the crunchy bits (called fond).

Dinner is ready, and there is no pile of dishes to clean up since everything is made in one pan.

Today, I served this delicious tomato basil pan sauce with chicken, but it would also go well with beef, pork, or fish that has been pan-seared.

This recipe is one piece of the larger system I teach: savory sauce solution that makes dinner feel doable, no matter how busy your week gets.

Let me show you how easy it is to make.

Instructions

*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.

After you have cooked your meat, don’t clean the pan. Add chicken broth, tomatoes and basil to the hot skillet. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. The tomatoes will break down as they simmer. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes with a fork.

Whisk in cold butter. Pour over chicken.

Bam. It’s done.

And if you’re staring at the rest of that tomato pint wondering what’s next, don’t let them sit lonely in the fridge. Toss them into my colorful Summer Salad or try my friend’s One-Pan Mediterranean Pork Chops next.

Serving suggestions

Serve your quick meal with a vegetable or salad recipe for example, Caprese Salad: A Classic Italian Appetizer and crispy Gluten free baked zucchini chips.

Pro tips and recipe notes

• This is a thin sauce. If you would like it a little thicker, just whisk a tablespoon of gluten free flour and a tablespoon of cold water or broth in a small bowl first (this is called slurry). Then whisk the slurry into your hot pan sauce. Cook and stir continuously until smooth and thickened, and any starchy taste has been cooked away.
• Variation: If dairy agrees with you, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and simmer for a “pink” style sauce.
• Leftover sauce will last in the fridge for four days, stored in an airtight container.

I hope you enjoy this sauce. And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP!

More easy quick pan sauces

Pistachio maple sauce: Pistachios are only slightly crunchy after simmering in the sauce which adds a lovely texture and a nutty hint to the maple flavor.

Creamy mustard sauce: If you love a hint of tang, this creamy sauce is for you.

Honey dijon sauce: This is a quick version of honey barbecue sauce.

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5 from 1 vote

Tomato Basil Pan Sauce

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This might be the quickest tomato sauce ever.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 1.5 cups of sauce

Calories 24kcal

Author Barbara Bianchi

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten free chicken broth
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes cut in half
• dash of basil
• 2 tablespoon cold butter

Instructions

• After you have cooked your meat, don’t clean the pan. Add chicken broth, tomatoes and basil to the hot skillet. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes. The tomatoes will break down as they simmer. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes with a fork.
  1 cup gluten free chicken broth, 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, dash of basil
• Whisk in cold butter. Pour over chicken and serve.
  2 tablespoon cold butter

Notes

• This is a thin sauce. If you would like it a little thicker, just whisk a tablespoon of gluten free flour and a tablespoon of cold water or broth in a small bowl first (this is called slurry). Then whisk the slurry into your hot pan sauce. Cook and stir continuously until smooth and thickened, and any starchy taste has been cooked away. 
• Variation: If dairy agrees with you, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream for a "pink" style sauce.
• Leftover sauce will last in the fridge for four days, stored in an airtight container.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 24kcal

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