Cherry Tomato Pasta
on Nov 01, 2021, Updated Jun 18, 2024
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Today I am showing you how to make a beautiful blistered Cherry Tomato Pasta dish that is a staple in my home every summer. This is the best way to use up those 🧑🌾 garden cherry 🍅 tomatoes that burst from the backyard in the summer. By blistering them, they are slightly sweet and caramelized and add a beautiful deep flavor to the pasta. If you don’t like sun-dried tomatoes, feel free to leave them out as this recipe works beautifully without them as well.
Why You’ll Love Cherry Tomato Pasta
This Cherry Tomato Pasta is a delicious simple dinner that makes garden cherry tomatoes absolutely shine. I love the caramelized flavor they get from a quick fry with hot oil and 🧄 garlic. The flavor is so bright and fresh, with a beautiful sweetness. This dish comes together as fast as the pasta can boil so you’ll have dinner on the table in literally 💨 15 minutes!
How to Prepare Cherry Tomato Pasta
💧 In a pot on medium-high heat, boil your water.
🧂 Add a healthy pinch of salt and then your pasta to the water. Cook according to package directions for al dente.
🍅 Now, use a sharp knife to slice your cherry tomatoes in half and then finely chop the garlic cloves.
🫒 Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a cold pan on the stove along with the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
🔥 Turn the heat on medium-high and as soon as the oil gets hot add in the cherry tomatoes. You want them to sizzle.
🧂 Add a pinch of salt and then stir everything for 2-3 minutes.
🧑🍳 The moment the cherry tomatoes are nice and soft and the garlic is cooked, but not burnt, the sauce is ready.
🥄 Add the cooked pasta with a bit of the starchy pasta water to the pan and then gently stir it together.
🌿 Serve with fresh basil, parm and a touch of olive oil. Enjoy
Nonna’s Tip 🧂
The pasta water should be as salty as the sea as this is your only chance to flavour your pasta.
Variations and Substitutions for Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Chili flakes are totally optional in this recipe. If you don’t like the 🌶️ heat, feel free to remove.
- You can also add spinach, kale, sliced zucchini or 🧅 onion to the pan with the cherry tomatoes.
Similar Recipes
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Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta
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Broccoli Ricotta Pasta
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Best Served With
- Serve this fresh Cherry Tomato Pasta with a simple 🥗 garden salad.
- This tomato mixture would also be heavenly served with bread slices bruschetta-style.
- For a stunning appetizer, spoon this hot 🍅 tomato mixture over a ball of fresh mozzarella or burrata and serve with crackers or crusty bread.
Common Questions
The reason we do this is so that it comes up to temperature together in the oil and gets infused with the garlic.
Yes, you can use any type of pasta you prefer in this Cherry Tomato Pasta such as penne, fettuccine, or linguine. Adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions.
Yes, you can add vegetables such as spinach, bell peppers, or zucchini. Add them along with the cherry tomatoes to cook evenly.
The starchy pasta water helps to thicken everything up and create a smooth, luxurious sauce.
Cherry Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes, optional
- 3 leaves fresh basil, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- chilli flakes, optional
- 350 grams spaghetti pasta, 3/4 pound
- 2-3 tablespoons pasta water, for the sauce
Instructions
- Start boiling your pasta, and in the meantime, start preparing the sauce. Put the olive oil in a cold pan on the stove along with the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. This allows the ingredients to come up to temperature together and infuse the oil with the garlic.
- Turn the heat on medium-high and as soon as the oil gets hot add in the cherry tomatoes. You want them to sizzle. Add a pinch of salt and stir everything for 2-3 minutes.
- The sauce is ready when the cherry tomatoes are soft and the garlic isn’t burnt; then, turn off the heat.
- Add your cooked pasta with a bit of the starchy pasta water and gently stir it together. Serve with fresh basil, Parmesan, and a touch of olive oil, if desired. Enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
