This cherry tomato pasta gives you a quick, comforting dinner with a fresh, silky tomato sauce and simple ingredients, ready in just 20 minutes.
If you love simple tomato pasta recipes, try our pasta pomodoro, sun-dried tomato pasta, or creamy tomato pasta next.
Don’t Lose This Recipe
Enter your email to save this recipe. We'll send it to your inbox, and you'll also be subscribed to our FREE recipe newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime.
Why you’ll love this Cherry Tomato Pasta!
This cherry tomato pasta is one of those simple Italian recipes I never get tired of. I grew up in Italy eating pasta almost daily—my first spoken word was pasta, and apparently I could salt the pasta water before I could properly talk 🍝🤌!
The magic is all in the simplicity: juicy cherry tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, and Parmesan. The tomatoes burst right in the skillet, while a splash of starchy pasta water creates a glossy, silky sauce without a single drop of heavy cream.
Louise and I make this constantly when we want a quick, comforting dinner. It fits beautifully into a Mediterranean-style eating pattern, with plenty of fresh tomatoes, herbs, and extra virgin olive oil 🍅.
Best of all, it’s ready in 20 minutes using basic, affordable ingredients 🌿. After cooking versions of this dish hundreds of times, I’ve learned a few small techniques that make all the difference, and I can’t wait to share them with you.
P.S: For more easy vegetable pasta recipes, try our colorful orzo primavera, creamy broccoli pasta, or roasted red pepper pasta.
Ingredients
Full ingredients and substitutions are in the recipe box below.
- Pasta: Spaghetti is my favorite for this fresh tomato pasta, but linguine, bucatini, rigatoni, or penne work well. Use whole-wheat or gluten-free pasta if preferred.
- Cherry tomatoes: Fresh, ripe cherry or grape tomatoes burst quickly and create a juicy cherry tomato pasta sauce. Substitute small plum tomatoes or good-quality canned cherry tomatoes.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Adds richness and helps the tomatoes soften and release their juices. Regular olive oil works too.
- Garlic: Fresh grated or pressed garlic melts into the sauce. If you’re garlic intolerant, leave it out or use garlic-infused olive oil if tolerated.
- Fresh basil: Adds freshness and classic tomato basil pasta flavor. Fresh is best, but dried oregano is the best substitute for a slightly different Mediterranean flavor.
- Parmesan: Makes the sauce savory, creamy, and glossy. Substitute Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, or a dairy-free Parmesan alternative.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional, but excellent for gentle heat. Substitute chili powder, cayenne, or simply leave them out.
How to make cherry tomato pasta
1. Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously.
Add the pasta and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions, stirring a couple of times so it doesn’t stick together. It will finish cooking in the sauce, helping it turn creamy and cling to the pasta.
2. Make the burst tomato sauce
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes, salt, black pepper, grated or pressed garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften, burst, and release their juices.
The fairly high heat helps create a flavorful burst cherry tomato pasta sauce in a short time.
3. Finish the pasta in the sauce
Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet.
Add about ½ cup of pasta water and the fresh basil. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce is glossy and clings to the noodles.
Add another splash of pasta water if needed.
4. Add Parmesan and serve
Turn off the heat and stir in the grated Parmesan until it melts into the sauce and makes it creamy and silky.
Serve your spaghetti with cherry tomatoes right away with fresh basil, black pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
For a special occasion, you can also add creamy burrata on top.
Tips
- Use freshly grated Parmesan: This is the most important tip. For the creamiest sauce, grate Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano from a block at home. It melts much more smoothly and is less likely to clump. Pre-grated Parmesan works, but don’t expect the same silky result.
- Add Parmesan off the heat: Turn off the heat before stirring in the cheese. This helps it melt gently into the pasta water and tomato juices instead of clumping.
- Use ripe, sweet tomatoes: The sauce is simple, so flavorful cherry or grape tomatoes make a noticeable difference.
- Cut the tomatoes in half: They’ll release their juices faster and create a saucy consistency without a long simmer.
- Keep the heat fairly high: Medium-high heat helps the tomatoes soften, burst, and concentrate their flavor quickly.
- Salt the pasta water: It seasons the pasta from the inside and makes the finished dish more flavorful.
- Undercook the pasta: Drain it 2 to 3 minutes early so it can finish cooking in the sauce without becoming too soft.
- Save the pasta water: Its starch helps the tomato juices, olive oil, and Parmesan come together into a glossy, creamy sauce.
- Add pasta water gradually: Start with about ½ cup and add more as needed. The sauce should be silky and juicy, not watery.
- Serve immediately: The sauce is at its creamiest and glossiest straight from the skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Grape tomatoes work well, although they’re usually a little firmer and less juicy. Cut them in half so they soften and release their juices more easily.
Yes. Good-quality canned cherry tomatoes are the best substitute. The sauce will have a slightly different texture and flavor, but it will still be delicious.
Spaghetti and linguine are my favorites, but bucatini, rigatoni, penne, and other shapes work too. Choose a good-quality pasta and cook it al dente.
The heat is probably too high, or the cheese may be pre-grated. Turn off the heat before adding Parmesan and, for the best result, finely grate Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano directly from a block.
Absolutely. You can simply leave it out or use a dairy-free Parmesan alternative. The sauce won’t be quite as creamy, but the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil provide plenty of flavor.
Yes. Try adding chickpeas, white beans, lentils, or tofu for an easy plant-based option. For something extra creamy, serve the pasta with burrata.
Serve cherry tomato pasta with grilled chicken, shrimp, baked tofu, or white beans for extra protein. For vegetables, pair it with a simple green salad, arugula salad, grilled zucchini, roasted broccoli, or asparagus.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet with a splash of water. I don’t recommend freezing it, as the pasta can become too soft.
More Easy Italian Pasta Recipes
- Lemon Pasta
- Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- Eggplant Pasta
- Pasta and Peas
- Pasta e Ceci
- Pasta e Fagioli
- Aglio e Olio
- Lentil Pasta
If you try this Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it turned out in the comments—we love hearing from you.
Cherry Tomato Pasta (Italian in 20 Minutes)
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine, bucatini, or your favorite pasta
- 2 pounds cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon salt + black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- ½ cup basil leaves loosely packed, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese finely grated from a block of Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano for best melting
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously.Add 12 ounces spaghetti and cook for 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions.
- Make the tomato sauce: Cut 2 pounds cherry tomatoes in half. Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.Add the tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic (grated), 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices.
- Finish the pasta: Before draining the pasta, save 1 cup of pasta water.Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with ½ cup pasta water and ½ cup basil leaves.Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce clings to it. Add more pasta water if the sauce looks dry.
- Add Parmesan and serve: Turn off the heat, then stir in ½ cup Parmesan cheese until melted and creamy.Serve immediately with extra basil, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
- Pasta → Linguine, bucatini, rigatoni, penne, whole-wheat, or gluten-free pasta.
- Cherry tomatoes → Grape tomatoes, small plum tomatoes, or canned cherry tomatoes.
- Extra virgin olive oil → Regular olive oil.
- Garlic → Garlic-infused olive oil if tolerated, or omit.
- Fresh basil → Dried oregano.
- Parmesan → Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, or dairy-free Parmesan.
- Red pepper flakes → Chili powder, cayenne, or omit.
- Grate Parmesan fresh: Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano from a block melts best.
- Turn off the heat: Add Parmesan off heat to prevent clumping.
- Choose ripe tomatoes: Sweet, juicy tomatoes make the best sauce.
- Halve the tomatoes: They soften and release their juices faster.
- Keep the heat up: Medium-high heat helps the tomatoes burst quickly.
- Salt the pasta water: It seasons the pasta as it cooks.
- Undercook the pasta: Drain it 2–3 minutes early and finish it in the sauce.
- Save pasta water: Add about ½ cup first, then more as needed.
- Serve immediately: The sauce is best while creamy and glossy.
- Store leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Don’t Lose This Recipe
Enter your email to save this recipe. We’ll send it to your inbox, and you’ll also be subscribed to our FREE recipe newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hi! We are Nico & Louise
We're here to share easy, healthy, and delicious recipes 🌿✨.
Welcome to our blog, we are glad you are here.
When do I add the 1/2 cup of basil leaves to the dish?
Hi Diana, you’ll find when to add the basil in the recipe instructions. Just click “Jump to Recipe” at the top of the page to go straight to them 😊
The basil is added with the drained pasta and pasta water. Hope you will give it a try 🙂
Thank uou great recipes
Yummy!
I made this dish last night and it was delicious. I’m having it for left overs for tonights dinner. Will definitely make it again. It was so quick, tasty, Iand so delicious.
This is the best pasta dish I have ever made. Full of flavor!!
So simple, yet so delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
WOW! Thank you! This was so Amazing! So Delicious and Simple, this will be on my table at least three times a month! LOVE IT! You are the BEST!!!!!
Hi Janice, Wow — thank you for the amazing comment! I’m so happy you loved the cherry tomato pasta and that it’s earning a regular spot on your table. You’re the best for trying it and sharing your love!
Kindest, Louise
This recipe is so delicious!! Definitely adding this to the weekly menu for my family!! It is so easy to make!! Everyone loves this recipe!!!!
Hi Mia, Oh I’m delighted you enjoyed the pasta – and that your family eats it too 🎉
Thanks so much for sharing and for leaving a comment here. Kindest,
Louise
Ciao Chef,
Sono due giorni di seguito che me la faccio. BUONISSIMA!
Question: can you tell us which pans you use? Specifically the white ones that appear in most of your videos.
Grazie mille!
Ciao Sara,
Thank you so much for the message! We are happy you like the recipe.
We use Amazon Basics Cast Iron pans. You can find them on the Italian or American Amazon.
Ti lascio il link per amazon it.
Comprata. Grazie!
This was delicious and easy to make!
Amazing, I’m very happy you liked the recipe. Best,
Louise