Savor summer and experience a delicious burst of flavor in every bite with this Cherry Tomato Pasta. Featuring perfectly cooked noodles and a simple sauce made with blistered tomatoes, fresh basil, and garlic, this recipe transforms simple ingredients into a restaurant-quality dish in no time!
Boil Pasta: Place a large pot of boiling water on the stove-top over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, generously season the water with kosher salt. Add the dry pasta and cook until the noodles are almost al dente (about 1 minute less that what the package instructions state for al dente). Then drain the pasta, reserving at least 1 ½ cups of pasta water.
Meanwhile, Sauté Aromatics: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallots and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are just starting to soften, about 1-2 minutes. Then, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is just softened, about 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Use a slotted kitchen spoon to remove the aromatics to a plate and set aside.
Add Fresh Cherry Tomatoes: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and then add the cherry tomatoes to the pan. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Shake the pan to distribute the tomatoes into a single layer. Cook the tomatoes UNDISTURBED for 1 minute. Then, stir the tomatoes and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes start to burst and begin to stick slightly to the bottom of the pan, about 6-8 additional minutes. (Note: If the tomatoes seem to be taking a long time to burst, you can help them along by occasionally pressing down on some of the tomatoes. However, don’t mash or press on all the cherry tomatoes, you want a nice mix of juicy tomatoes and burst tomatoes.)
Add Pasta, 1 Cup Reserved Cooking Liquid, and Aromatics: Add the drained and cooked pasta and 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid to the skillet along with the sauteed aromatics (shallots and garlic). Season the pasta with ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Next, increase the heat under the pan to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until the pasta is al dente, and the sauce is thick enough to coat all the noodles, about 2-3 minutes. Then, remove the skillet from the heat.
Add Finishing Touches: Add the vinegar, ¼ cup of parmesan, and most of the basil leaves (reserve some for garnish) to the cherry tomatoes pasta and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the flavors to suit your personal preferences.
Serve and Enjoy: Divide the pasta with cherry tomato sauce evenly among serving plates and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
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Recipe Serves: 4-6
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.