15-Minute Cherry Tomato Pasta

If you’re looking for an easy dinner recipe that can be put together in a pinch but is packed with flavor and healthy ingredients, then this pasta with bursting cherry tomato sauce is a must-try!

Cherry Tomato Pasta is one of my favorite go-to weeknight dinners. In just 15 minutes you can transform a couple pints of cherry tomatoes into a sweet tomato sauce that rivals the best slow-cooked homemade sauces.

If there’s a secret ingredient here, it’s the humble cherry tomato. Small in size, but big in flavor, is what makes this little fruit ideal for quick sauce.

To finish things off, al dente pasta (penne is my favorite) is added to the skillet of cherry tomato sauce, with parmesan and fresh herbs tossed in. So easy! So amazing!

Why You’ll Love this Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

Light Pasta Dish. Made with whole cherry tomatoes that burst into sauce, this pasta dish is on the lighter side, compared to heartier pasta recipes, loaded with mozzarella cheese and meat sauce. (Lasagna, I’m looking at you).

This dish makes a fantastic summer meal, when tomatoes are at peak ripeness.

Seriously quick & easy. 15 minutes is all it takes to prep this pasta dish! What’s not to love about that? Sure a jar of pasta sauce is even quicker, but this cherry tomato sauce from scratch, with fresh basil and parmesan, is so much more gourmet.

Customizable. This dish is completely customizable. Don’t like parsley? Make it with only basil. Want it spicier? Toss in some red pepper flakes. Keeping things vegan? Leave out the cheese. Want some protein? Add in cooked chicken or sausage.

Ingredients

For the best flavor, make homemade tomato sauce with fresh herbs and produce.

Cherry Tomatoes: You’ll need about 2 pints for this recipe. You can substitute with grape tomatoes, but may need to add a bit of sugar to the recipe since they’re not quite as sweet as the cherry variety.

Cherry tomatoes are ideal for quick sauces! They’re loaded with flavor and lots of natural sugar. This means they don’t need to cook as long as other varieties to make a flavorful sauce.

Onion: Grab a yellow onion and dice it up into small pieces. They’ll cook faster that way.

Garlic: A must for pasta sauce, use 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic. You can mince it or cut into thin slices.

Olive Oil: Olive oil makes up the base of this sauce, so go with a good extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin means it’s first-pressed so it’s richer and has more nutrients than regular olive oil.

Parsley & Basil: A handful of finely chopped herbs gives the dish color and flavor. You can use only parsley, only basil or both.

Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated, block parmesan cheese is so much better than the pre-grated kind. This aged cheese adds another dimension of flavor and creaminess to the sauce.

Salt: Needed for cooking the pasta noodles and for enhancing the sauce.

Pasta: I prefer to use a short pasta that combines easily in the pan of sauce. Ribbed penne pasta (penne rigate) is my go-to since the ridges help trap the sauce.

Pasta Water: While not an ingredient per se, I want to highlight the fact that you need to reserve some pasta water for the sauce. This is your warning: don’t dump it all down the drain.

Steps to Make Penne Pasta with Cherry Tomato Sauce

1. Bring pot of salted water to a boil and bring a large saucepan to medium heat.
2. Add oil to pan. Let it warm up for about a minute, then add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add whole cherry tomatoes to the pan. Place a lid on it.
3. Add pasta to boiling water and cook al dente. (See suggested time on package, but taste test, as well.)
4. Once the tomatoes begin to burst, remove the lid and smash the tomatoes with a potato masher, spatula or back of large spoon. Reduce heat to low and add in salt.
5. Drain pasta, reserving some pasta water, and add noodles to sauce. Stir in 1/4 cup pasta water and toss everything together. Continue cooking to reduce sauce.
6. Stir in parmesan, then add fresh basil and parsley. Add more pasta water for the desired sauce consistency.
7. Serve immediately.

Detailed recipe and instructions are in recipe card at bottom of post.

A Few Tips to “Up” Your Pasta Game

Cook pasta to al dente. Al dente is that coveted spot between undercooked and firm, and overcooked and mushy.

It literally means “to the tooth” which is a great way to test a noodle for doneness. Give it a little bite. If the pasta still has a little resistance, it’s good to go.

Al dente pasta holds sauce well and it’s especially important when adding noodles to a hot pan with sauce, as in this recipe.

Use the al dente directions on your pasta box as a guide, and check before that time is reached.

Add some pasta water to homemade sauce. The starch in pasta water helps sauce cling to noodles. The starch along with a fat like butter or olive oil, help the sauce emulsify into the perfect consistency.

I like to scoop my cooked pasta out of the pot with a long handle pasta strainer, also called a spider strainer.

I used to just drain it all into a colander in the sink, but often forgot to reserve some pasta water. Oops!

Add the pasta to the sauce. If you pour sauce over pasta, you’re missing out. When you combine them in the pan and heat through, it allows the sauce to cling to the pasta and brings the dish together.

Want to save this recipe to make later?
PIN it to your Pinterest board!