Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta – Bright and Delicious! (VIDEO)

Ingredients for Cherry Tomato Pasta

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this delicious 15 minute Cherry Tomato Pasta – most of them are items that you will already have in your pantry!

• 2 lb cherry tomatoes – I love using cherry tomatoes when they are in season. If you can’t find them or don’t have them on hand, you can substitute with another tomato of your choice, such as:
  • Grape tomatos
  • Whole tomatoes (I recommend you peel them first)
  • You can even use canned diced tomatoes!
• 2 tbsp olive oil – Use the highest quality olive oil you can find – because this Cherry Tomato Pasta has so few ingredients, you want each ingredient to really shine.
• 6 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning
• 6 oz fresh burrata – this is an optional garnish; I love how the creamy burrata melds with the bright and vibrant cherry tomato sauce. You can always omit this if you don’t have it on hand or prefer not to.
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes – you can adjust this to your preference; we like our food on the spicier side, so we usually double this.
  • Looking for a spicy pasta dish? Try my Spicy Vodka Pasta – a crowd favorite!
• 1 bunch fresh basil – this is a fresh garnish. I love how fresh basil makes every pasta dish better. If you don’t have it, you can skip it.
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated – While I recommend using parmesan cheese, if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute with pecorino cheese. Pecorino is made from sheep’s milk and can be saltier, so I would use a little bit less to adjust for salt levels.

Pasta

1 lb pasta – I used spaghetti in this dish but you can sub with any long pasta (for ex: fettuccine, linguine, bucatini, tagliatelle). You can use either fresh or dried pasta; my only recommendation is to use the highest quality stuff you can find.

• I like bronze-cut pasta because the surface of the pasta allows for more sauce to cling to it (De Cecco is a great, affordable brand). It’s typically a dollar to two more, but in my opinion, SO worth it!

Cherry Tomato Pasta: Recipe Instructions

1. Sauté the garlic and tomatoes

In a large pan over high heat, sweat the garlic and tomatoes in olive oil. Season the tomatoes with kosher salt and black pepper. Continue sauteing until the tomatoes burst (this will take about 5 minutes). Once the tomatoes are heated enough and bubbling, they will likely just start to burst on their own. You can use a wooden spoon to help break the tomatoes if needed.

Once the tomatoes have bursted and released their juices, season with dried thyme or Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes. Let the broken down tomatoes continue reducing for 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Taste and season to your preference if needed.

2. Season and Cook The Sauce

3. Cook The Pasta and Finish the Dish

Cook the pasta of your choice in salted boiling water (1 to 2 tablespoons of kosher salt for every quart of water) according to the package instructions. I recommend cooking to al dente because the pasta will continue to cook into the sauce.

Once cooked, add the pasta directly into the sauce along with any pasta water it brings. Bring your tomato sauce down to medium low heat and add 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water. Turn the heat to medium high and begin mixing until the pasta is well coated with the sauce. If you find your sauce is too thick, you can add a little bit more of your reserved pasta water. You want the sauce to “cling” to the pasta without it being too watery.

Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Enjoy your Cherry Tomato Pasta!

Storage

For Cherry Tomato Pasta that has been mixed with the sauce, I would store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For cooked sauce (without pasta), I would store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or for up to 1 month in the freezer.

What can I serve with Cherry Tomato Pasta?

Cherry Tomato Pasta is the perfect dish to go with my Crispy Chicken Parmesan! If you’re looking for something extra decadent, I would make my Braised Beef Short Ribs and Creamy Mashed Potatoes!

If you tried this Cherry Tomato Pasta or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!