Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe
My quick and easy Cherry Tomato Pasta recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. You need fewer than 10 ingredients and just 30 minutes to make it! This easily customizable dinner recipe is excellent for Meatless Mondays, but can also be gussied up with chicken or shrimp to make a heartier meal fit for company.
Tomatoes and pasta go together like macaroni and cheese; they’re made for each other! From creamy tomato mascarpone pasta to spicy pasta arrabiata, one-pot tomato pasta to this burst cherry tomato pasta, this dynamic duo just won’t quit. Best of all, this simple recipe is made in a flash using mostly pantry staples.
Why You’ll Love Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
- When I’m tired after a long day of work, I want comfort food and I want it fast. This delightfully bright and carb-y recipe checks both boxes—it’ll be ready in a half hour.
- Minimal ingredients also means minimal mess in this easy pasta with cherry tomatoes. Just crush some garlic, tear some basil, and your prep work is done!
- While I typically toss it with noodles, my versatile cherry tomato sauce is no one-trick pony. It’s just as delicious spooned over chicken schnitzel as a shortcut for chicken parmesan, as the sauce for zucchini rollatini, or served with classic Italian meatballs.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Olive Oil – No need to get out the fancy cold-pressed stuff—just your normal cooking oil is perfect.
- Garlic – Use a garlic press to quickly crush it, or use jarred garlic paste as an extra speedy, mess-free short-cut.
- Cherry Tomatoes – My favorite thing about these little greenhouse-grown orbs is they’re perfectly sweet all year long. Feel free to use grape tomatoes or diced fresh tomatoes if you prefer.
- Chili Flakes – An optional few shakes of crushed red pepper adds a bit of tongue-tingling pizzazz.
- Fresh Basil – Because the only thing better than cherry tomato pasta is cherry tomato basil pasta. Just a few leaves adds a lovely freshness and pretty pop of color.
- Pasta – Any shape will work, but I tend to reach for shorter shapes with nooks and crannies for the burst tomatoes to get lost in.
- Parmesan/Pecorino – A quick dusting of freshly grated hard-aged cheese adds richness, salty-umaminess, and a little bit of cheesy stretch.
This is just a short review of the ingredients; for the complete recipe, including quantities, scroll down to the recipe card 👇
Cherry Tomatoes vs. Grape Tomatoes (and the Rest!)
When you’re after an easy, vibrant, and just-sweet-enough pasta sauce, cherry tomatoes are hard to beat. Here’s why:
Cherry tomatoes are round, juicy, and slightly sweet with a thin skin that bursts when cooked, perfect for creating a naturally silky sauce right in the pan. Grape tomatoes, on the other hand, are more oblong, meatier, and have thicker skins, making them less juicy but great for roasting or slow simmering.
Compared to larger varieties like Roma or heirloom tomatoes, cherry and grape tomatoes have a higher ratio of skin to flesh and fewer seeds, which makes them less watery and more intense when cooked. For this recipe, cherry tomatoes offer a perfect balance of juiciness and concentrated sweetness once blistered, creating a simple sauce that feels rich without needing much else.
How to Make Cherry Tomato Pasta
Watch the full video recipe to learn how to make Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta. This step-by-step tutorial simplifies the process, offering tips and tricks to guarantee perfect results every time.
Prefer the written recipe? Scroll down to the recipe box 👇
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Creamy Cherry Tomato Pasta – Stir in a splash of heavy cream, a spoonful of mascarpone, or a dollop of ricotta just before adding the pasta for a luscious finish.
- Vegan Tomato Sauce – Skip the cheese or use a plant-based Parmesan-style alternative. You can also blend in a bit of cashew cream for richness.
- Try Different Herbs – Swap basil for fresh oregano, thyme, or parsley depending on what you have on hand—or add them all for an herb-forward flavor. In a pinch, use â…“ as much dried herbs for fresh, but add them earlier to give their flavor time to meld with the tomatoes.
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta – For deeper flavor, roast the cherry tomatoes in the oven with olive oil and whole garlic cloves at 400°F for 25–30 minutes before adding them to the pan.
- Add More Veggies РSaut̩ zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, or bell peppers along with the garlic for extra fiber and color.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Salt your pasta water. This is crucial! You only get one chance to season the noodles themselves, so don’t miss it.
- Save some pasta water. It’s both flavorful and starchy, making it an excellent addition for thinning out your cherry tomato pasta sauce upon reheating.
- Season at every step. Adding a pinch or two of salt to the pan while sautéing helps the vegetables release their liquid more quickly and also ensures even seasoning. Make sure to sprinkle from a height of about a foot above the pan to make it easier to distribute evenly.
- Add basil at the end. Fresh basil loses its brightness if cooked too long, so stir it in just before serving to keep its aroma and color vibrant. Also, in case you didn’t know, basil doesn’t like being in the fridge—it should be kept in a glass of water in the windowsill, like a bouquet of flowers. If you’re lucky, it’ll even grow roots for you to plant!
- Grate cheese fresh. Freshly grated cheese is cheaper per ounce, melts more smoothly and tastes far better than starch-coated pre-shredded varieties.
How to Serve
The beauty of this simple pasta with cherry tomato sauce is you get your carbs and veggies in every bite—there’s no need to add anything else to your plate! That said, here are a few ideas for rounding out your meal:
- Pair with bread. Serve alongside a warm, protein-packed cottage cheese bun, cheesy pão de quiejo or, challah bread to soak up every bit of that tomato-basil sauce.
- Garnish generously. Finish each plate with a drizzle of good (i.e. cold-pressed, extra virgin) olive oil, an extra sprinkle of chili flakes and cheese, and/or a few torn basil leaves for a fresh pop.
- Add a simple salad. A crisp mixed greens or peppery arugula salad with a light vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the pasta.
- Add protein. Toss in cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, crispy pancetta, or sautéed Italian sausage for a heartier meal.
- Breakfast pasta. Noodles for breakfast? You betcha. Top leftovers with a fried or poached egg with a jammy yolk for a savory start to your day.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigeration – Store leftover cherry tomato pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let it cool completely before sealing to prevent condensation from forming and making things soggy.
- Freezing – While the texture of the tomatoes may change slightly, you can freeze this pasta in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. For best results, freeze the sauce and pasta separately.
- Reheating – Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce. You can also microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until warmed through.
Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2-3 Garlic cloves crushed
- 2 lbs. (900 g) Cherry tomatoes
- Water for cooking the pasta and for the sauce
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon Chili flakes optional
- Basil leaves chopped
- 10 oz (300 g) Pasta of your choice
- Parmesan/pecorino optional
Instructions
- Sauté the garlic: In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, be careful not to brown it.
- Cook the tomatoes: Add all the cherry tomatoes and stir well. Pour in ¼ cup of water to help create steam and prevent the garlic from burning. Cook over medium heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently smashing the tomatoes as they soften. Add a splash more water if the pan dries out.
- Boil the pasta: While the tomatoes cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- Finish the sauce: Season the tomato mixture with salt, pepper, chili flakes (if using), and chopped basil. Stir to combine and let it simmer for 1–2 more minutes.
- Combine: Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together over low heat for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce clings to the pasta.
- Serve: Plate immediately and top with freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino.
Video
Notes
- Cherry or grape tomatoes both work well; using a mix of colors adds flavor and visual appeal.
- The riper the tomatoes, the sweeter and more flavorful the sauce.
- No cherry tomatoes? You can use a can of whole peeled tomatoes or crushed San Marzano tomatoes.
- Any pasta shape works: spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, orecchiette, or even short whole-wheat pasta.
- Add-ins: baby spinach, arugula, or kale can be stirred in at the end.
- For protein, add grilled chicken, sautéed shrimp, tuna, or a handful of cooked chickpeas.
- For extra depth of flavor, roast the cherry tomatoes in the oven at 200°C (400°F) for 25–30 minutes before adding to the pan.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
FAQs
Yes! In fact, I’d argue they’re some of the best tomatoes for making pasta sauce—their thin skin, high ratio of flesh to watery seeds, and small size (no chopping!) are all great qualities.
Yup! Read the recipe card above for full instructions.
You don’t need to slice or prep them for this cherry tomato pasta sauce, just toss them in the skillet with olive oil and garlic until they burst!
Oh goodness, NO! Can you even imagine how tedious that would be?!? Their thin skin basically melts into nothingness, adding little more than some fiber and the smallest bit of texture.
Made this for the kids today, both loved it.
lovely
Thank you!