Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Pasta with cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil is an easy 5-ingredient vegetarian dinner that's ready from start to finish in about 20 minutes!
Servings 4 - 6 people
Calories 375kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb. box of dry pasta (I used gemelli here, but penne, rotini, spaghetti, linguine, angel hair, or other shapes will also work)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling as necessary
- 1 large clove (or 2 small cloves) garlic, minced, grated, or pressed (about 1 teaspoon total)
- 1 lb. whole cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped or torn fresh basil, plus extra to taste
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomatoes to the olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for about 5-6 minutes (or until a few of the tomatoes have burst). Turn off the heat.
- Add the cooked, drained pasta to the tomatoes; toss to coat.
- Season with plenty of salt and ground black pepper, to taste. You might also like to add a pinch of sugar, depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes (the sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes). Stir in the basil. Drizzle with extra olive oil or add a couple of pats of butter if the pasta seems a little bit dry.
- Garnish individual servings with plenty of Parmesan cheese and extra fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
- Add plenty of salt to the pot of water, since this is your opportunity to season the noodles.
- Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil and flavorful, ripe summer tomatoes, since the olive oil and tomatoes form the base of the sauce.
- Just about any pasta shape will work here. I've shown gemelli, but you can substitute other short pastas like penne or rotini, or try longer options like spaghetti, linguine, or angel hair.
- Depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes, you may need to season the sauce with a pinch of sugar. The sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes, giving the sauce a greater depth of flavor.
- If the pasta absorbs a lot of the sauce and seems too dry, just drizzle with extra olive oil at the end or stir in a couple of pats of butter until they melt. You can also stir in some reserved salty, starchy pasta water.
- Once the sauce is finished, adjust seasonings and spices to suit your tastes. Add salt, pepper, or additional herbs. If you like a spicy pasta, add crushed red pepper flakes or chili flakes.
- Add ground Italian sausage, ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey to make it a heartier meat sauce.
- Use a variety of fresh herbs, such as basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, chives, and parsley. Whatever your family loves will work! Garnish each bowl with additional basil sprigs, if desired.
- This kid-friendly sauce is made without wine. If you like a richer, bolder flavor, add ¼ cup of white wine to the sauce. You may need to simmer the sauce a bit longer to let it reduce.
- A splash of balsamic vinegar gives the sauce a nice acidic bite.
- For a briny addition, stir in some capers or olives.
- Add a minced shallot to the pan with the olive oil for a mild onion flavor.
- Reserve some of the starchy, salty pasta water and use a little bit of the liquid to loosen and thin the sauce, as necessary.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 422IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg