These cherry tomato pasta combine sweet tomatoes simmered in a hot skillet with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. An easy dinner idea that’s just gorgeous!
Here’s an easy, mind-blowing meal using the best summer ingredients: Cherry tomato pasta! Just looking at these photos makes you swoon. (And yes: it tastes as good as it sounds.) This easy dinner idea includes blistered tomatoes, a technique that involves cooking tomatoes in a hot pan until the skin blisters and turns black. . Toss the tomatoes with the tangy balsamic vinegar, then add the al dente pasta and peppery fresh basil. You’ll be amazed at how much flavor these classic summer ingredients unfold in 20 minutes. Use it to impress your guests or as a quick and easy dinner that’s delicious.
Ingredients for pasta with cherry tomatoes
Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need for this Cherry Tomato Pasta recipe. It’s only a handful, but of course you want the best tomatoes you can find.
- cherry tomatoes: Only use the best and ripest cherry tomatoes. Tomatoes from the farmer’s market or garden are ideal. Some grocery stores sell hydroponic greenhouse cherry tomatoes, which can taste great. Make sure you know the quality before making this recipe!
- Pasta: You can use any type of pasta here. We like to use short pasta so the tomatoes don’t go to waste. See below!
- Fresh Basil: Fresh basil is a must! Not only does it have a nice contrasting color, but it complements the flavor.
- Grated parmesan : This is the kind that looks like powder snow, not flimsy sticks. You can use both, but the powdery effect blends better into the pastes.
- Olive Oil, Garlic, Salt and Pepper: Top it off with the usual suspects for an Italian dish!
Tips for blister tomatoes
The blistered tomatoes are cooked quickly in a hot pan so the outside is charred and the tomatoes deflate but don’t pop. The technique for making bubbling tomatoes is quick, but you need to know a few guidelines before you begin! Before you continue with the cherry tomato pasta, read this:
- Important: Do not overload the pan! If the pan is overcrowded when trying this recipe, the tomatoes will steam instead of bubbling. They will all be wet and muddy. That’s not what you want!
- You may need to incorporate the tomatoes into bubbles in batches. Use your largest pan and make sure there is space between the tomatoes. Otherwise, blow the tomatoes in twice!
- Do not touch the tomatoes for the first minute of cooking. This allows the tomatoes to be perfectly blackened on one side. Then shake the pan throughout the rest of the cooking process so they cook on all sides.
Use a short pasta shape
You can use any type of pasta for this cherry tomato pasta. But we prefer to use abbreviations. Why? Tomatoes can get lost in long pasta because everything clumps together. Short pasta makes it easy to get tomatoes and pasta into every bite. Here are some of the pasta shapes we recommend here:
- Orecchiette: This is the pasta shape shown here! It means “little ears” in Italian and has a fun and unique shape.
- Penne: Penne is easy to find and works well.
- Rigatoni: This tubular pasta shape is another favorite of ours.
- Corkscrew: Corkscrew shaped pasta would be perfect here.
- Shellfish: If you can’t find orecchiette, small or medium-sized shells are good substitutes.
How to cook cherry tomato pasta perfectly al dente
No pressure, but making pasta perfectly al dente is key to this recipe! Cherry tomato pasta is only Great when your pasta has just the right bite. In reality, al dente means “bite” in Italian. The ideal texture is delicate exterior balanced by a firm bite with a white spot in the heart. Here are our tips for cooking pasta al dente:
- Try often. Don’t trust the instructions on the packaging! While cooking, constantly check the cooking of the pasta. Many packaging instructions have imprecise timing.
- Look for a small white spot. Drain the noodles once the noodles are tender on the outside but have a white spot on the inside! Just a few seconds can make the difference between al dente and soft pasta.
- Remember to save water for the pasta! For this recipe, you will need some cooking water before draining. See below!
Deglaze the pan with the pasta water
A tip from the Italians: reserve the cooking water for your pasta and use it for a sauce! This technique is crucial in Italian cuisine: the starchy water from cooking pasta makes the best bulky sauces. (That’s the key to this Creamy White Sauce Pasta with Pesto Pasta.) Here’s what you need to know about using this technique in this cherry tomato pasta recipe:
- Using a liquid measuring cup, remove the water from the pasta before draining. It’s actually easy to forget. (We do this all the time!) Get your liquid measuring cup out ahead of time and place it on the counter right next to the pot as a reminder.
- Deglaze the pan juices with the pasta water. You will sauté the garlic in the same pan as the tomatoes with bubbling, then add a little water to deglaze any cooking juices. (You could use white wine for this part if you wanted to be fancy.)
What to serve with cherry tomato pasta
And that’s it: all the tips you need to prepare pasta with cherry tomatoes! When it comes to serving this pasta as a meal, it needs a bit of plant-based protein to top it off if you’re going vegetarian. Of course it would be a fantastic accompaniment to grilled salmon or grilled fish. If you want a meal without meat, we recommend the following:
This Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe is…
Vegetarian.
The description
These cherry tomato pasta combine sweet tomatoes simmered in a hot skillet with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. An easy dinner idea that’s just gorgeous!
- 8 ounces short pasta (penne, rigatoni, orecchiette (pictured here), shellfish, cavatappi, etc.)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, shared
- 2 liters whole cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Garlic cloves
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ¼ cup pasta water
- 1 a handful of small fresh basil leaves, chopped if large
- Make the noodles: Boil a pot of well-salted water. Cook the noodles almost al dente. Start tasting a few minutes before the packaging recommends it: you want it to be tender but still a bit firm inside; usually around 7-8 minutes. Before draining, reserve some of the pasta water with a liquid measuring cup (at least ¼ cup). Drain noodles.
- Blow the tomatoes: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a very large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the tomatoes, making sure there is space around each tomato (they aren’t touching) and the pan isn’t overcrowding. If using a medium saucepan, cook the tomatoes in 2 batches.* Cook without touching the pan for 1 minute, then cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until bubbles, shaking the pan several times to separate rotate the tomatoes. Turn off the heat and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, tossing gently several times to coat well. Add 2 pinches of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove the tomatoes from the pan into a bowl.
- Finish the dish: Chop the garlic. Once the pasta is cooked, in the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup pasta water and scrape the pan with a spoon to release all of the tomato juice’s flavor. turn off the fire
- Add the noodles to the pan and flip to coat. Add the diced tomatoes, ¼ cup grated parmesan and basil. Season with 2 pinches of kosher salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve with the remaining ¼ cup of grated Parmesan and sprinkle on top.
Remarks
* If the pan is too full, the tomatoes will steam instead of bubbling. It all depends on the size of your pan: if you’re using a medium pan, you’ll need to cook 1 pint at a time.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Italian
- Diet: vegetarian
Keywords: Cherry tomato pasta
