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Yields:
4 serving(s)
Prep Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
20 mins
Cal/Serv:
606
Craving something bright, fresh, and overall easy to make for a wow-worthy summer dinner? This cherry tomato pasta, bursting with fresh tomato flavor, is the answer. With just 11 ingredients, you can have a crowd-pleasing pasta on the table in about 20 minutes that rivals even the best Italian restaurants. Plus, this recipe doubles well, making it a great dish to please at dinner parties.
The sauce.
A killer tomato sauce doesn’t need a long simmer on the stovetop. You'll create a robust sauce in this recipe by concentrating the cherry tomatoes' flavor through bursting them in the skillet, along with other classic enhancers like olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Tomato paste intensifies the tomato flavor while also adding umami—that "what makes this so tasty" component—which boosts the dish's savory qualities.
This sauce is flavorful enough on its own with a sprinkle of Parmesan, but if you’re feeling extra cheesy, a dollop of ricotta or some burrata (like in our creamy tomato pasta with burrata recipe) would be the cherry on top of this pasta.
The cherry tomatoes.
This dish is especially great with in-season cherry tomatoes, but also fabulous with greenhouse-grown ones if you’re making this out of season. If grape tomatoes are looking better, swap those in for the cherry instead—both will work fine in this recipe.
The pasta.
Any short or long pasta can be swapped for the orecchiette, but its cupped shape (Italian for "little ear") cradles the chunky sauce nicely. If you’re looking for alternatives, penne, farfalle, or fusilli would all be delicious options.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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Ingredients
Kosher salt
- 12 oz.
orecchiette
- 1/3 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
- 4
large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp.
tomato paste
- 5 cups
cherry tomatoes, halved (about 1 1/2 lb. total)
- 1/4 tsp.
red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish
- 1 Tbsp.
balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 tsp.
sugar
- 1/2 cup
finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Chopped fresh basil leaves, for serving
Directions
- Step 1In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, usually 2 to 3 minutes less than package instructions. Reserve 1 c. pasta water and drain pasta.
- Step 2Meanwhile, in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and light golden, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until paste is brick-red, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and ¾ tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are tender and starting to burst, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3Increase heat to high and add vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Add pasta, Parmesan, and ½ c. reserved pasta water. Cook, stirring, until sauce thickens and coats pasta, about 2 minutes more. Add more reserved pasta water by the tbsp., if necessary, to thin sauce so it coats pasta.
- Step 4Divide pasta among bowls. Top with Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and basil.
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