Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta

Run, don't walk, and go make this burst cherry tomato pasta! For something so simple, it's incredibly flavorful, fresh, easy to make, and takes less than 20 minutes!

By the time summer rolls around, I can't wait to make all the tomato recipes (such as tomato confit) because there's nothing quite like a ripe, juicy, in-season tomato. When paired with pasta and garlic, magical things happen. If you've had my Margherita pasta you know what I'm talking about.

The best part about this dish is as the cherry tomatoes cook, some burst open to create the slightly sweet, jammy sauce while others stay whole to create these luscious little flavor bombs you bite into.

Ingredients

• Noodles - for this particular dish, I recommend using long pasta noodles such as spaghetti or bucatini.
• Extra virgin olive oil - helps form the sauce and is what the tomatoes and garlic cook in.
• Garlic - a key ingredient in the sauce.
• Red pepper flakes - this adds a little heat on the back end but is totally optional.
• Cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes - any of these varieties or a combination works great. They can even be a little wrinkly like the ones in the photo above that needed to get used.
• Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper - always, to taste.
• Pinch of sugar - a tiny pinch of sugar helps to bring out the natural sweetness in the tomatoes.
• Butter (dairy-free or regular) - this adds another complex layer of flavor to the sauce.
• Reserved pasta water - this contains starch that helps create a cohesive sauce for the noodles.
• Fresh basil - a great tomato ingredient pairing.

How to Make Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta

Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water, drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

Warm a large skillet over medium-low heat with olive oil. Cook the garlic and chili flakes for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, but not browned. 

Bump the heat up to medium and add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and pinch of sugar.

Cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes start to burst, about 5-8 minutes. You want a little more than half to burst, so carefully (they splatter) use the back of a spoon or spatula to help break them open and continue cooking for another 8 minutes to reduce their liquid.

Stir in the butter until melted.

Add the noodles and toss throughout the sauce. Pour in the reserved pasta water and toss again. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, remove from the heat and add torn fresh basil leaves before serving.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this burst cherry tomato pasta using what you already have? Here are some ideas...

• Make it gluten-free - use your favorite gluten-free pasta!
• No cherry tomatoes? - you can use any small tomato variety such as grape or pear or a combination. Larger tomato varieties won't work for this specific dish.
• No red pepper flakes? - either use a little cayenne or omit it completely.
• Add-ins - chicken, bacon, white beans, cheese, or a poached egg can be added to make it a more complete meal, cheese (dairy-free or regular), etc.

Equipment

Making this pasta requires no fancy equipment, just basic kitchen tools such as a chef knife, cutting board, pasta pot, tongs, spatula, and a large skillet (10-inch is perfect).

Storage

Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

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5 from 9 votes

Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta

Run, don't walk, and go make this burst cherry tomato pasta! For something so simple, it's incredibly flavorful, fresh, easy to make, and takes less than 20 minutes! This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan.

Prep Time2 minutes mins

Cook Time16 minutes mins

Total Time18 minutes mins

Servings: 3 - 4

Author: Lindsey Jenkins

Ingredients

• 8 ounces spaghetti noodles or another long variety
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 pints cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes or 4 cups
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt use ¼ teaspoon if using another type
• couple cracks black pepper
• pinch of sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter dairy-free or regular
• ¼ cup reserved pasta water
• handful torn fresh basil leaves

Instructions

• Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water, drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
• Warm a large skillet over medium-low heat with olive oil. Cook the garlic and chili flakes for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, but not browned. Bump the heat up to medium and add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and pinch of sugar.
• Cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes start to burst, about 5-8 minutes. You want a little more than half to burst, so carefully (they splatter) use the back of a spoon or spatula to help break them open and continue cooking for another 8 minutes to reduce their liquid. Stir in the butter until melted.
• Add the noodles and toss throughout the sauce. Pour in the reserved pasta water and toss again. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, remove from the heat and add torn fresh basil leaves before serving.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Make it gluten-free - use your favorite gluten-free pasta!

No cherry tomatoes? You can use any small tomato variety such as grape or pear or a combination. Larger tomato varieties won't work for this specific dish.

No red pepper flakes? - You can either use a little cayenne or omit it completely.

Add-ins - chicken, bacon, white beans, cheese, or a poached egg can be added to make it a more complete meal, cheese (dairy-free or regular parmesan, almond ricotta), etc.