Description
This Fast and Easy Pasta with Blistered Cherry Tomato Sauce is a vibrant, flavorful dish featuring tender pasta tossed in a rich, creamy sauce made from blistered cherry tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil. Finished with extra virgin olive oil and Parmesan cheese, it’s a perfect weeknight meal that comes together quickly with pantry staples.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound dry pasta
- Kosher salt
Sauce
- 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes (about 2 pints; 675 g)
- 1 ounce fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (about 1 cup; 30 g)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Place pasta in a large skillet or sauté pan and cover with water and a big pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructions recommend, then drain and reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- Prepare the garlic and tomato sauce: Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and stir frequently until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring and pressing on them gently with the back of a wooden spoon, until they begin to burst, about 10 minutes. Continue cooking until the sauce becomes rich and creamy, about 5 minutes more.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the roughly chopped basil leaves. Season the sauce to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Toss pasta with the sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Increase heat to medium-high and toss constantly, gradually adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy, flowing consistency. Remove from heat.
- Add final touches and serve: Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and grate a generous amount of Parmesan cheese over the pasta. Serve immediately, offering extra Parmesan at the table.
Notes
- You can substitute cherry tomatoes with in-season grape tomatoes if preferred.
- Be careful not to brown the garlic; it should be softened to release flavor without bitterness.
- Reserving pasta water is essential to adjust the sauce’s consistency and help it cling to the pasta.
- For a vegan version, omit Parmesan cheese or substitute with a vegan cheese alternative.
- This dish pairs well with a simple green salad and crusty bread.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
