We're starting to hit the summer months and you know what that means: an abundance of fresh, summer produce that is ripe for the picking! A great way to use those cherry tomatoes is with this Cherry Tomato Pasta. It's an incredibly simple recipe and makes a delicious dish that highlights those amazing summer ingredients. This recipe also does not use any cheese or dairy!
If you're looking for other pasta recipes, check out this Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese and this Chicken Bolognese. This recipe would also be delicious to serve with Black Pepper Focaccia to soak up some of the olive oil and extra tomato juices.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- This easy recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and is a great way to use up the abundance of cherry tomatoes in the summer!
- Serve this Cherry Tomato Pasta on its own, or paired with a protein for a full meal!
- If you're not dairy-free, you can easily top this recipe with some of your favorite cheese (I'd recommend grated Parmesan!).
Ingredients
This is a very forgiving recipe, so feel encouraged to "measure with your heart" on this one! If you feel you want more or less of something, go for it!
- Crusty bread: A crusty bread like sourdough is fantastic to make the toasted bread chunks. If you prefer a finer breadcrumb, that works as well (just watch the baking time as those will not need to bake as long). This is also a great place to use up those ends of bread in the pantry that are a bit past their prime.
- Shallot: I recommend thinly slicing the shallot. It's nice to have a little texture, but you also want to make sure that there is enough to disperse throughout the pasta.
- Cherry tomatoes: This will work with any color / type of cherry tomato or grape tomato. I'd also encourage you to be generous here with your measuring. It will never be a bad thing to add a little extra!
- Honey: This is to help cut the acidity of the tomatoes. You could also use sugar instead, or leave it out if you feel your tomatoes are sweet enough!
- Dried pasta: Spaghetti noodles work well, but you could certainly use another pasta shape! Fresh pasta will work as well, just make sure to cook it according to the appropriate directions.
- Fresh basil: Chopped or shredded for topping.
- Flaky sea salt: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt is a great way to finish this dish! I like to use Maldon Sea Salt.
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Change up the colors: I've used red tomatoes for this recipe, but you could use any color so feel free to change it up!
- Use grape tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are great, but grape tomatoes work just as well with this recipe!
- Add a protein: This is a vegan recipe as written, but you could easily top this with some crispy prosciutto or bacon, or serve with a grilled chicken breast or Italian sausages!
I have not tested this recipe with other variations, but if you do, let us know how it turns out in the comments! I always love to hear how you're adapting these recipes and use those as ideas for future recipes as well!
How to Make Cherry Tomato Pasta
This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, so let's get started!
Tear your crusty bread into bite-sized chunks. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and bake for 10-12 minutes, watching closely (they'll burn quickly!).
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Sauté the garlic and shallot in olive oil in a large skillet.
Add the cherry tomatoes, honey, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Cook uncovered for 6-8 minutes until the tomatoes "burst" and release their juices.
Once the tomatoes are ready, toss with the cooked pasta and garnish with fresh basil, toasted bread chunks and pine nuts, and additional salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Expert Cooking Tips
- This recipe is incredibly forgiving, and I encourage you to measure with your heart! Do you really love garlic? Add a little extra. Do you have a TON of cherry tomatoes to use? Add some more to the mix!
- Tear the bread chunks into bite-sized pieces. Keep in mind that in one fork-full, you'll want to get pasta, tomatoes, and a bread chunk all together. You don't want the bread chunks to be too big!
- It only takes a few minutes for the tomatoes to burst. You don't want to cook them down to a tomato sauce, so once you see them pop, they're ready!
- If your pasta is feeling at all "dry," (especially if you're reheating leftovers), drizzle with a little additional olive oil to bring all the flavors. together.
Equipment
There are very few things you'll need for this recipe. I like to use a Staub Cast Iron Cocotte or another large pot to cook my pasta, but you could use any kind of pasta. I also recommend a large sautée pan for cooking the tomatoes.
Storage
Refrigerator Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up 3-5 days. If possible, store the bread chunks and roasted pine nuts in a separate airtight container at room temperature. If they're mixed in with the pasta, they'll lose their crunch in the refrigerator.
Reheat the pasta in the microwave for about 90 seconds. Drizzle with some fresh olive oil, then top with the bread chunks and pine nuts.
Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! If you want to add cheese, I'd recommend grating some Parmesan on top of the pasta before serving.
Yes! You could top the pasta with crumbled, crispy prosciutto or bacon. Or you could serve with grilled chicken breast or Italian sausages to make this a more substantial meal.
Yes, definitely. Spaghetti works well with the sauce, but feel free to use a noodle shape of your choice.
Cherry Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
For the bread chunks
- 2 slices crusty bread torn into bite-size chunks
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the pasta
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes (approximately 4 cups)
- 1 pound dried pasta noodles such as spaghetti
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- fresh basil chopped, for topping
- flaky sea salt for topping
- roasted pine nuts for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Tear bread slices into bite-sized chunks and place on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat and then spread evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Be careful - these will burn quickly. Set aside to cool.
- In a pot of salted water, cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot and sautée for 2 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, salt, honey, red pepper flakes, and black pepper and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes until the tomatoes burst and release their juices.
- Drain the pasta, then toss the noodles in the sauce to coat. Serve topped with toasted bread chunks, fresh basil, roasted pine nuts (optional) and flaky sea salt.
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