This Cherry Tomato Pasta recipe is for when you have more cherry (or grape) tomatoes than you know what to do with, or simply when they’re in season and most enjoyable!
Little tomatoes, butter, garlic, and olive oil are simmered to make a deliciously effortless sauce that’s more than the sum of its parts. It coats spaghetti to glorious summery effect.
My Mom, Peddler of Cherry Tomatoes
Ever since we upgraded to a much larger garden, our summers have been blessed with a consistent, steady stream of vegetables. First come the asparagus—a few spears every couple days to mix into our mixed vegetable stir-fries.
There’s ma lan tou in the late spring to mix with cold five spice tofu and tender bok choy that seems to bolt faster than we can eat it.
When summer is in full swing, tangles of string beans and snap peas arrive, followed by the excitement of first early potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and summer tomatoes, and reassuring okra—one of the few vegetables that seem to grow perfectly in sync with how fast we eat them.
By late summer, the variety starts to give way to squashes, pumpkins, and gourds, and what seems to be an endless bounty—or what could also be described as an onslaught—of peppers and cherry tomatoes. So. Many. Cherry. Tomatoes.
In my parents’ garden, tomato plants tend to pop up everywhere from the previous year’s fallen fruits, and more often than not, they’re cherries.
Last year we successfully grew a basketful of beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes, but those are usually the first to go (See: The Perfect Tomato Sandwich and our Beef Tomato Stir-fry). The cherry tomato plants, however, go the distance, and for a couple of months, my mom is pushing paper bags busting with cherry tomatoes on me and anyone who sets foot near our house.
Long story short, I’ve been perfecting this recipe for the last two years. This Cherry Tomato Pasta with butter can make a bag of those cherry tomatoes disappear, and I’m a happy camper. It became the meal I ate sometimes twice a week throughout July, August, and September!
A Simple Pasta to Fall Back On
This pasta consists of extra virgin olive oil + garlic + tomato + pasta + butter — in that order! If you have basil on hand, I like to throw some stems in the simmering sauce and remove them before I toss in the pasta. Of course, you should season your pasta water and sauce with salt, but essentially, that’s it!
Like many delicious pasta recipes, it’s not about a volume of ingredients, but the way they’re layered that makes this pasta special. After all, simplicity is a hallmark of Italian cooking.
Little did I know it would be such a hit with my family. This was once my solo gremlin meal, but now all of us are making it. It was declared absolutely delicious by all when we photographed it for this post!
Sarah brought it home for dinner, and it earned me a hug from my 2-year-old nephew, who thanked me for making him “a tasty pasta,” remembered fondly the next day!
You can top it with parmesan cheese, but I don’t even think it’s necessary most of the time. I love savoring the fresh flavor of the tomatoes, and just a couple tablespoons of butter creates a subtle richness that really sets them off! Don’t skip it!
What boxed tomatoes should I buy?
I’ve noticed in the last two years or so that the competition in grocery stores among cherry and grape tomato purveyors has turned fierce. It seems that smarter minds than my own have devised all sorts of ways to grow reliably sweet and delicious little tomatoes virtually all year round.
From “cherubs” to “flavor bombs” and “wild wonders,” I’ve never felt so spoiled with choices.
That said, having sampled many at this point, I have a special fondness for Hiiros. No one paid me to say this. I only offer it up if you too are spending a little too long hemming and hawing over extensive tiny tomato marketing.
Ultimately, any grape or cherry tomato will work here—red ones, multi-colored ones, small ones, plump ones. You can even chop up larger tomatoes. Whatever you have, use it!
Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe Instructions
Set a medium pot of salted water to boil for your pasta. In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and smashed garlic cloves. Cook until the garlic is golden all around.
Meanwhile, halve your cherry/grape tomatoes (the grape tomatoes looked best when we blogged this) or chop larger tomatoes into chunks.
Add spaghetti to boiling water, and cook according to package instructions, just 1 minute shy of al dente.
Add the tomatoes and basil sprigs (if using) to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes. The tomatoes will start to break up, release their juices, and form a sauce. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break them up if needed.
Remove the basil sprigs, and use tongs to transfer the pasta from the boiling water to the skillet (reserve the pasta cooking water). Over medium heat, toss the spaghetti with the sauce until it’s well-coated, adding pasta water as needed until you get a nice silky texture.
Add the butter and salt to taste. Toss again to incorporate the butter into the pasta.
Serve immediately!
Our favorite summer tomato recipes
Here are some of our other favorite recipes for using summer tomatoes!
- Roasted Tomatoes
- The Perfect Tomato Sandwich
- Ultimate Roasted Tomato Meat Sauce
- Slow-Roasted Tomato Pasta
- Roasted Tomato Pasta Puttanesca
- Ratatouille Pasta
- Tomato and Egg Stir-Fry
- Beef and Tomato Stir-Fry
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Recipe
Cherry Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- Salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves (crushed)
- 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (or a mix of any sweet tomatoes you have on hand)
- 8 ounces dried spaghetti
- 3-4 sprigs basil (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Set a medium pot of salted water to boil for your pasta. In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and smashed garlic cloves. Cook until the garlic is golden all around. Meanwhile, halve your cherry tomatoes or chop larger tomatoes into chunks.
- Add spaghetti to boiling water, and cook according to package instructions, just 1 minute shy of al dente.
- Add the tomatoes and basil sprigs (if using) to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes. The tomatoes will start to break up, release their juices, and form a sauce.
- Remove the basil sprigs, and use tongs to transfer the pasta from the boiling water to the skillet (reserve the pasta cooking water). Over medium heat, toss the spaghetti with the sauce until it’s well-coated, adding pasta water as needed until you get a nice silky texture. Add the butter and salt to taste. Toss again to incorporate the butter into the pasta. Serve immediately!
