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.
Top Tip
If you're using tomatoes from a home garden, you'll need 4 cups of cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes for this recipe.
More Pasta Recipes You'll Love
Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta
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.
Sandy Davidson says
Hi Lindsey. I made this recipe and it was very good. I added a can of drained sardines ( packed in water) to the garlic and pepper flakes for some added protein. I will make this again and again. Thanks for all your hard work. The fresh basil is so so so good!
Sandy
Lindsey says
Ooo, I love the addition of sardines, Sandy! I'll have to try that sometime. Thanks for the kind words and for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Sandy Davidson says
I wrote previously saying I added a drained can of water packed sardines to the garlic and and chili pepper sauté…FYI..the sardines melt and disappear after the tomatoes are added….I know the word “sardines” will turn off a lot of folks, but the flavor is wonderful and you can’t see the actual fish etc.