Cook some olive oil and garlic, toss in halved cherry tomatoes, boil pasta, mix the tomato sauce with pasta, stir in basil and starchy water, then finish with more olive oil before serving.
When I discovered this cherry tomato pasta recipe, it instantly became my go-to weeknight dinner solution. Created on a night when I needed to use up some ripe cherry tomatoes, this dish proves that the simplest ingredients often make the most memorable meals. What starts as a handful of basic ingredients transforms into a restaurant-worthy pasta that tastes like it's been slowly simmered for hours.
The genius of this recipe lies in its foolproof nature. Each time I share it with friends who claim they can't cook, they're amazed by how easily it comes together. The technique is straightforward, yet the results are consistently impressive - proof that excellent pasta doesn't require complicated methods or hard-to-find ingredients.
Essential Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes: Sweet and juicy, these create the foundation of the sauce. Multi-colored varieties add visual appeal but standard red ones work perfectly.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves provide essential aromatic flavor when gently sautéed in olive oil.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Choose a high-quality oil since its flavor shines in this simple dish.
- Fresh basil: Adds bright color and aromatic flavor that dried basil cannot match.
- Pasta: While spaghetti is traditional, any short or long pasta shape works well.
Essential Techniques
- Garlic preparation:
- Cook garlic slowly over low heat until golden but not brown for maximum flavor infusion.
- Tomato cooking:
- Allow tomatoes to blister and burst, developing deep caramelized flavors.
- Sauce creation:
- Gently crush some tomatoes while leaving others whole for textural contrast.
- Pasta water usage:
- Reserve and use starchy cooking water to create a silky, emulsified sauce.
- Final cooking:
- Finish pasta in the sauce to achieve perfect texture and flavor absorption.
- Oil finish:
- A final drizzle of olive oil adds fresh flavor and richness.
This recipe has evolved through countless iterations to reach its current perfectly balanced form. Earlier versions included additional ingredients that proved unnecessary. The magic lies in allowing the pure flavors of quality ingredients to shine through minimal intervention.