This quick & easy Basil Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes is the perfect light summer dinner. It is full of fresh blistered tomatoes, basil, parmesan cheese, and garlic. This dish comes together in only about 15 minutes.
Tomato basil pasta is a classic. The flavors pair so well together and it is so easy to make, just like my creamy Pink Sauce Pasta, Easy Lobster Ravioli Sauce Recipe, & one pot Lemon Ricotta Pasta.
My Pesto Orzo Salad is a great cold pasta salad option.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This pasta with basil recipe is light, fresh, and only requires simple ingredients, making it my version of healthy.
- The blistered cherry tomatoes and pasta water add enough liquid to create a simple pan sauce that lightly coats the pasta.
- This fresh basil pasta only takes about 15 minutes to make, perfect for hot summer days.
- The fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, and basil give this dish so much flavor.
- Easy basil garlic pasta is kid friendly.
- This dish is a great way to use up an abundance of garden tomatoes and basil.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Spaghetti: Use any pasta shape you like or even zucchini noodles.
- Tomatoes: You can use chopped large tomatoes or omit them completely, but you will need to use more pasta water to make up for the lost liquid.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Basil Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Quick Overview
- Sauté garlic.
- Blister cherry tomatoes.
- Add pasta & water.
- Add parmesan & basil.
- Toss well & serve warm!
Step by Step Instructions
The tomatoes should release water in the pan. Be sure to not cook this off.
Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
Step 2: Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Step 3: Add the tomatoes and season with red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. While the tomatoes cook, boil the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
Step 4: Cook the tomatoes for 6-8 minutes or until most of them have burst. Remove from the heat.
Be sure to remove the tomatoes from the heat before adding the pasta, basil, & parmesan.
Step 5: Use tongs to remove the spaghetti and put it into the skillet with the tomatoes. Be sure to save the pasta water.
Step 6: Add about ½ cup of pasta water. You can add more at the end if needed.
Step 7: Add the parmesan and basil.
Step 8: Toss until the pasta is completely coated in the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This tomato basil pasta is delicious on its own, but here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with it:
- Bread: Easy Rustic Bread or Texas Toast Garlic Bread
- Salad: Kale Crunch Salad or Panera Greek Salad
Top with protein: sliced Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast
Expert Tips & Variations
- Use good quality parmesan. I recommend parmesan reggiano. It has the best flavor.
- Salt the pasta water. Use about a heaping ½ Tablespoon of salt.
- Cook the pasta al dente. I normally boil it for one minute less than the shortest time suggested on the package.
- Save the pasta water. This is gold! The salty starchy water creates a sauce in the pan. You can add more as needed to loosen the pasta.
- Top with more basil. Add more fresh basil before serving.
- Add pesto. Add 1-2 spoonfuls of pesto with the basil and parmesan for a more intense herb flavor.
- Make a creamy basil pasta. Add about ¼ cup of cream the basil and parmesan.
- Add mini mozzarella balls or burrata. Add these right before serving.
- Add lemon zest or a squeeze of juice. Add this at the end with the basil.
Recipe FAQs
Add basil to pasta at the very end. This helps the flavor to not get lost. Chiffonade or tear the leaves.
The basil flavor will get lost if cooked for long periods of time over high heat. I recommend adding it at the end once the pasta has been removed from the heat.
More Pasta Recipes
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or comment! I always appreciate your feedback. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram.
Basil Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces spaghetti, plus pasta water*
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes*
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup sliced fresh basil, plus more for serving
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and season with red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. While the tomatoes cook, boil the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package.
- Cook the tomatoes for 6-8 minutes or until most of them have burst. Remove from the heat.
- Use tongs to remove the spaghetti and put it into the skillet with the tomatoes. Be sure to save the pasta water.
- Add about ½ cup of pasta water. You can add more at the end if needed.
- Add the parmesan and basil.
- Toss until the pasta is completely coated in the sauce.
Notes:
- Spaghetti: Use any pasta shape you like or even zucchini noodles.
- Tomatoes: You can use chopped large tomatoes or omit them completely, but you will need to use more pasta water to make up for the lost liquid.
- Salt the pasta water. Use about a heaping ½ Tablespoon of salt.
- Save the pasta water. This is gold! The salty starchy water creates a sauce in the pan. You can add more as needed to loosen the pasta.
This was so good. We added zucchini, a touch of lemon juice and chicken for the meat eaters in our family. Everyone loved the meal and said it was a keeper!
Awesome!