Description
A quick and flavorful pasta dish featuring blistered cherry tomato sauce with garlic and fresh basil. This recipe uses simple ingredients and cooks everything in one skillet for a rich, creamy sauce that pairs perfectly with Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound (450 g) dry pasta
- Kosher salt, for pasta water
Sauce
- 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons (90ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes (about 2 pints; 675g)
- 1 ounce fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (about 1 cup; 30 g)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To Serve
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta. Place the dry pasta in a large skillet or sauté pan and cover with water and a generous pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil until the pasta is just shy of al dente—about 1 minute less than the package instructions indicate.
- Prepare the Garlic and Olive Oil. While the pasta cooks, heat 4 tablespoons (60ml) of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is softened but not browned—this should take about 3 minutes.
- Cook the Cherry Tomatoes. Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet with garlic. Stir and cook until the tomatoes start to burst and soften, approximately 10 minutes. Press gently on them with the back of a wooden spoon to help break them down.
- Simmer the Sauce. Continue cooking the sauce for about 5 more minutes until it becomes rich and creamy. Then stir in the roughly chopped fresh basil leaves and season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup (240ml) of the pasta water. Add the pasta directly into the skillet with the tomato sauce. Turn the heat to medium-high and toss the pasta constantly with the sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a luscious, creamy consistency.
- Finish and Serve. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons (30ml) of olive oil, and grate a generous amount of Parmesan cheese over the pasta. Serve immediately, offering extra Parmesan at the table.
Notes
- Pressing the tomatoes gently helps to release their juices and creates a creamy sauce texture without heavy cream.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency; its starch content helps the sauce cling well.
- Do not brown the garlic to avoid bitterness; cook it just until softened.
- Use fresh, ripe cherry tomatoes for best flavor.
- This recipe serves well for 4 to 6 people depending on portion size.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/5 of recipe)
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 7mg
