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Cherry Tomato Pasta with Garlic and Lots of Basil

15 minute cherry tomato pasta is what summer dinners are made for! Sweet cherry tomatoes burst in olive oil and lots of garlic, creating the most delicious, slightly sweet and bright summery pasta.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 610 kcal

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Large skillet
  • Wooden spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound linguini
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil plus more for garnish
  • 3-4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 pints cherry tomatoes any variety
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves roughly torn
  • Flaky sea salt for garnish
  • Red pepper flakes optional, for heat

Instructions
 

  • Begin by boiling a pot of water for the pasta and season liberally with kosher salt. Cook linguini according to directions, until al dente. About 8-9 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds until just softened but color has not changed.
  • Add cherry tomatoes and cook until tomatoes begin to burst. Use a wooden spoon to gently press on the tomatoes as they soften to help them burst. Season with salt and cook for about 10 minutes or until tomatoes have started to release their juices.
  • Once pasta is done, add cooked pasta directly to tomatoes and toss to combine and stir in Parmesan cheese. If sauce is too dry, add a bit of pasta water and another good drizzle of olive oil.
  • Roughly tear up some of the basil and add to pasta, tossing everything together.
  • Plate pasta with cherry tomatoes and top with fresh basil, red pepper flakes, drizzle of olive oil, sea salt and Parmesan cheese.

Notes

To help cherry tomatoes cook a bit quicker, place a lid over the skillet, which will also help retain any juices/liquid.
If you don't have cherry tomatoes, larger tomatoes will work well, just chop them into 1/2 inch cubes.
Save 1/2 cup of pasta water and if the sauce is too dry, add the starchy pasta water and stir to combine.
Keyword cherry tomato pasta, garlic basil pasta, linguini with cherry tomatoes, quick tomato pasta, summer pasta