15-Minute Cherry Tomato Pasta
4.6
(261)
![Platter of spaghetti with quick cherry tomato sauce one of our favorite easy summer pastas.](https://assets.epicurious.com/photos/55f72d733c346243461d496e/1:1/w_2560%2Cc_limit/09112015_15minute_pastasauce_tomato.jpg)
This cherry tomato pasta recipe takes full advantage of the juicy sweetness and acidic pop of ripe summer tomatoes, but don’t let that stop you from making it year-round. Thanks to the fact that cherry and grape tomatoes ripen in less time than larger varieties—and because they’re easy to grow in hothouses and warmer climates—good ones can be found any time you go to the market.
The easy pasta dish makes a wonderful weeknight dinner. By the time the noodles are finished cooking, the tomatoes will have softened and split, and their sweet-tart juices will have coalesced into a light pasta sauce. If you crave a little more heat, a dash of crushed red pepper flakes wouldn’t be unwelcome; or if you’d like some crunch, top the pasta with toasted Italian breadcrumbs. Reserve some of the starchy pasta water and add it to the skillet bit by bit to give the sauce a little more body.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves and Parmesan cheese (ideally grated right over each serving with a convenient Microplane), and dinner is ready.
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What you’ll need
8-Quart Stockpot
$380 $350 At Amazon
12-Inch Stainless Steel Skillet
$220 $100 At Amazon
Olive Oil
$33 $30 At Amazon
Calamarata Pasta
$17 $14 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cook 1 lb. pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain pasta, reserving pasta water, and transfer to a large bowl.
Step 2
Meanwhile, warm ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet (12" diameter) or wide heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped, then 3 pints cherry tomatoes, ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of sugar, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Cook pasta sauce, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes burst and release their juices, 6–8 minutes.
Step 3
Toss cooked pasta with cherry tomato sauce; if needed, thin sauce with a little reserved pasta water. Toss in 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil and top with freshly grated Parmesan.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first published online in September 2015 as ‘Pasta With 15-Minute Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce’. Head this way for more of our best recipes for fresh tomatoes →
Leave a Review
Reviews (261)
Back to TopAbsolutely delicious! I can’t recommend this enough. How can something so simple taste so good?
Anne
Durham, NC
11/13/2022
Hmmm
Anonymous
Hobby
1/24/2023
Mgujnvg
Anonymous
1/24/2023
Delish and extremely easy to prepare!
Anonymous
1/27/2023
Perfect for a lazy night.
B
NY
2/1/2023
Yummerino
Anonymous
2/23/2023
So good
Anonymous
2/23/2023