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Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta
I’m OBSESSED with this burst cherry tomato pasta! It is so summery, easy to come together and just so delicious. Truly the best pasta dish. You make your own sauce with garlic and basil and serve with your favorite pasta. These flavors are unreal!
I am always in the mood for a bowl of this! It starts off with a quick sizzle in olive oil with garlic and your tomatoes. You’ll stir them until they burst, add a lil bit of pasta water, fresh sliced basil and your pasta with a drizzle of parmesan. It is perfect!
I probably make this recipe once a week, and I’m not even kidding. This is a vegetarian recipe, but feel free to add any proteins on top or alongside of like chicken or shrimp.
What ingredients do you need for this burst cherry tomato pasta?
Pasta of choice: we’re using spaghetti but you can use any kind of pasta like penne, fussili or anything on hand!
Burst cherry tomatoes: these are typically seasonal for the summer, but you can sub for any tomato you have on hand. For a cherry sauce like this, I would use any small-ish tomatoes, but you can always use heirloom or roma tomatoes, too and just chop them up.
Additionally, when it’s not tomato season, you can sub for canned/jarred tomatoes and tomato paste, too!
Fresh basil: which is mixed in the sauce and topped in! The flavors and aroma fresh basil gives mixed in this sauce is unmatched!
Aromatics: sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes fresh garlic cloves and of course extra virgin olive oil as the base!
Parmesan cheese: You can easily make this recipe vegan by removing the cheese!
Lemon juice to finish off (optional): I would say this depends on the tartness of your tomatoes! If your tomatoes are more on the tart side, and less on the sweet side, I don’t think it needs lemon, but you can add a splash if it’s missing this flavor!
Yup, that’s it!
This is a red based pasta sauce, but if you’d like to make a pink sauce (also fantastic!) just add heavy cream to this.
Steps To Make This Pasta Recipe
Boil pasta
Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
Start your tomato sauce
In the meantime, while your water and pasta are boiling, heat a skillet, pan or pot with olive oil. Add in salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to bloom your spices, stir for 1 minute. Then add in your tomatoes and sliced fresh garlic. Stir and burst. Season as needed and add a pinch of sugar here (optional).
Cook well and simmer until the tomatoes burst and release their juices to create your sauce. (You can use the back of the spoon to burst them as well. I like to keep some not bursted as well) About 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Add in pasta water and basil
Add in chopped basil, stir until incorporated with the sauce. Next, add in a dash of pasta water from your cooking pasta and stir for 1-2 minutes until cooked down and the sauce becomes creamy and saucy.
Finish your pasta
Toss in or drain your al dente pasta with a slotted spoon and finish off with your grated parmesan, a knob of butter and pasta water as needed, salt and pepper and stir until your pasta is cooked throughout the way you prefer. Adjust with the rest of your parmesan and pasta water.
Serve and top with parmesan and basil leaves!
Some ideas & inspiration to serve with this dish:
- Grilled Baby Artichokes with Tarragon Aioli
- Steamed Mussels in White Wine & Lemon
- Pear & Prosciutto Crostini with Gorgonzola
- Mushroom Toasts
Looking for more pasta ideas? Check Out The Below Recipes!
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Watch How To Make This Recipe
Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound pasta I'm using spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves finely sliced
- pinch of red pepper flakes omit if you don't want spicy
- 2-3 cups cherry tomatoes
- pinch of sugar optional
- 1/2 cup pasta water more if needed
- 1/4th cup chopped basil and additional leaves to serve
- 1/4th cup parmesan adjust with more or less to preference
- 1 tablespoon butter optional
- freshly grated parmesan for serving
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
- In the meantime, heat a skillet or pot with olive oil. Add in salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to bloom your spices, stir for 1 minute. Then add in your tomatoes and sliced fresh garlic. Stir and burst. Season as needed and add a pinch of sugar here (optional).
- Cook well until the tomatoes burst and release their juices to create your sauce. (You can use the back of the spoon to burst them as well. I like to keep some not bursted as well) About 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Add in chopped basil. Stir until incorporated with the sauce. Next, add in a dash of pasta water from your cooking pasta and stir for 1-2 minutes until cooked down and the sauce becomes creamy and saucy.
- Toss in or drain your al dente pasta with a slotted spoon and finish off with your grated parmesan, a knob of butter and pasta water as needed, salt and pepper and stir until your pasta is cooked throughout the way you prefer. Adjust with the rest of your parmesan and pasta water.
- Serve and top with parmesan and basil leaves!
We’ve made it several times and it always turns out great!
Amazing! So happy to hear! Enjoy Claire!
Hi Anne, I would love to hear what went wrong and I can help to ensure this turns out the way you were expecting! You can email us directly lindsey@lindseyeatsla.com!
Love this! So quick and easy. I added some shallot with the tomatoes as well.
Hi Caitlin! Thank you so much for your review – I’m so glad you enjoyed!! This is definitely one of my favorites, too!
I am obsessed with this pasta! It’s so light and flavorful and so easy to make. I make it at least once a week!
Thank you so much for your review! I also make this once a week, so good! I’m glad you are enjoying 🙂
This was great! I threw in some chopped spinach I had that was about to spoil too.
What a great add! So glad you enjoyed!
So slay my dad loved it! So easy to make for a weekday dinner, especially since I have to study often and can’t take too much time on making food. Just drop tomatoes and pasta in and customize to your liking!
Thanks for your review Danica! So happy you and your dad love it!