Go Back

Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta With Garlic And Basil

Burst cherry tomato pasta with garlic and basil is a skillet-ready dinner where cherry tomatoes blister and burst into a garlicky, basil-flecked sauce that coats al dente spaghetti. Tossed with reserved pasta water and finished with parmesan, it delivers a bright, juicy texture in under 30 minutes.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

spaghetti
  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • 0.75 cup salt for boiling water, to taste
olive oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves sliced
cherry tomatoes
  • 4 cup cherry tomatoes
red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh basil
  • 0.5 cup fresh basil torn
parmesan
  • 0.5 cup parmesan grated
pasta water
  • 1 cup pasta water reserved

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the spaghetti until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
  2. Drain the spaghetti and keep it warm while you start the skillet sauce.
Make the tomato-garlic sauce
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering, then sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  2. Add the cherry tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and cook until the tomatoes blister and burst, about 10 minutes.
  3. Mash some of the burst tomatoes with a spoon in the skillet to help form a sauce.
Toss and finish
  1. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss with a splash of the reserved pasta water, stirring to coat.
  2. Remove from heat, then stir in the torn basil and parmesan and season with salt to taste.

Notes

Pro tip: press down gently on the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to help them burst faster and release their juices. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended because the tomatoes and basil can lose texture. For a dairy-free swap, use a plant-based parmesan-style topping and add extra basil to keep the flavor bright.