Cherry Tomato Pasta
You know what we all need right now? Easy, deliciousness for dinner because life is a little much right now. Enter this fresh cherry tomato pasta made with those delicious little heirloom tomatoes!!
Just after we moved to Sacramento last year, my husband and I went to the Davis Outdoor Village Feast. Course after course of local farm-to-fork-focused cooking. I will remember many of the dishes, but you know what I will remember most? The platter of heirloom tomatoes drenched in scrumptious olive oil.
I will remember the dish for two reasons. First, it was delicious. Second, the guy next to me passed on the dish because he was “sick of tomatoes” by that point in the summer. I suppose if you’re growing them in your garden, you might get tired of them, but I couldn’t imagine it last summer and I still can’t this summer!
CONTENTS
Cherry Tomato Pasta
We so often think of thick tomato sauce with pasta, but this recipe is somehow altogether different.
Instead of a thick sauce that coats all the pasta, this recipe lets the pasta be part of the flavor profile with bursts of tomato on every forkful. And because the tomatoes aren’t cooked down and pureed, the taste is so much lighter. It’s perfect when it’s a million degrees outside (give or take a few degrees).
See how to store tomatoes properly!
I remember trying to make a similar dish to this years ago. I made the mistake of leaving the tomatoes whole. While I did cook them a bit to soften them, they still weren’t the right consistency and they were too big to enjoy easily.
Slicing the tomatoes in half (you could even do quarters if you wanted) was just right, however!
If you have fresh summer tomatoes, try this simple tomato sandwich for a tasty recipe that’s no cook and uses all the flavor of seasonal produce!
Good Olive Oil
And as for the olive oil or “good olive oil” as the recipe calls for. If you’ve never done any sort of olive oil tasting, definitely try to. Good extra virgin olive oil can be expensive, but I think it’s so worth it, especially in dishes like this cherry tomato pasta.
My favorite California olive oils are Lucini, California Olive Ranch, and Combram Estates. I was recently sent award winning olive oils from Seka Hills. I couldn’t say yes fast enough, but when I opened the Picual olive oil, I knew it was going to be good.
The scent is strong, but bright and full of deliciousness. We’ve been enjoying it just drizzled on tomatoes from the garden with some salt and pepper. In this cherry tomato pasta, however, it’s the perfect finishing addition! So, so good!
Pasta Recipes
Want some other good pasta recipes? This tuna pasta is easy, inexpensive and delicious! Ham Pasta is another family favorite (often after holiday meals)!
Simpler versions (great as a side dish too) are pasta and this one pot summer veggie pasta is a mandatory one in our house. On the lighter side, this summer corn and zucchini pasta is divine and this broccoli pasta is heartier than you’d ever expect from a plant-based meal!
CHERRY TOMATO PASTA
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry fettuccine noodles
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 16 ounce container heirloom cherry tomatoes halved
- 6 large basil leaves sliced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
- ¼ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- Basil leaves and shaved Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the water from the pasta. Immediately add the olive oil, tomatoes, and sliced basil to the hot pasta in the pan. Sprinkle in the salt and black pepper. Toss well.
- Transfer to a serving platter. Top with small dollops of the ricotta cheese. Garnish with small basil leaves and Parmesan before serving.
Pasta is my fav dish and this was easy to make and really good! Perfect vegetarian dish for the hot summer weather.
Seriously … that guy passed on beautiful tomatoes because he was sick of them??? Is that even a THING that can happen?!? I’m noting NO, at least as far as perfectly sun-ripened, home grown and heirloom tomatoes are concerned. They’re one of summer’s purest joys! I’m so excited to find this recipe – utterly simple and gorgeous. A true celebration of those lovely tomatoes! Thank you so much!
My thoughts exactly! I can imagine a diminished craving for the deliciousness by the end of summer, but past that – pure blasphemy in my book! 🙂
A lovely summer dish. Was a hit for meatless Monday at my house!
This pasta recipe is so light, fresh and easy to make! This was a great way to use up our cherry tomatoes from our garden! Thank you!
Everyone at my house loved it! It is so good!
Such a simple yet flavorful and tasty pasta dish. Love fresh tomatoes and I am sure this dish must have tasted amazing with them.