Fresh, healthy, very sweet and delicious. This cherry tomato garlic pasta is creamy and garlicky with whole roasted tomatoes inside. Flavored with thyme, oregano, and basil, it bursts with Mediterranean flavors!
Nothing beats fresh tomato pasta, especially during summer. When tomatoes are sweet and ripe, and make the most delicious tomato sauce!
One pro of using cherry tomatoes to make tomato sauce is that they're sweet and flavorful all year round!
Another pro of using fresh cherry tomatoes to make sauce is that they don't require much preparation other than rinsing.
And because they're more fleshy and not as watery as tomatoes they make the creamiest tomato sauce when blended!
Cherry Tomatoes Vs Grape Tomatoes
Both can be used interchangeably in recipes. And in this recipe also. But if you're wondering how they differ, think of grape tomatoes as a sub-category of cherry tomatoes.
Grape tomatoes are about half the size of cherry tomatoes and have a more oval shape. They also have a thicker skin and they're not as sweet as cherry tomatoes but they do last longer than the latter.
How To Make
To make this fresh cherry tomato pasta recipe we roast the tomatoes first. Then blend half of them into a smooth sauce and reserve the remaining to mix into the pasta right at the end. This gives it a nice texture and a mouthful of sweetness in every bite.
You can roast the tomatoes in the oven like I do in this recipe, or use a non-stick frying pan to do it. If you prefer the frying pan method, toss and shake the pan every few seconds and roast the tomatoes over high heat with a splash of olive oil and some salt.
To blend the roasted cherry tomatoes use either a high-speed blender or a food processor. Allow the tomatoes to cool slightly before blending to avoid any explosive accidents.
Boil the pasta before you start making the sauce and reserve some pasta water (the water you cooked the pasta in) to add instead of water or stock. This contains pasta starch which helps thicken the sauce and adds glaziness to it.
Then saute the onion and garlic and pour the blended tomatoes and the pasta water. Add the fresh basil and dried oregano and mix in the cooked pasta. Lastly, mix in the remaining roasted cherry tomatoes and serve!
Pasta To Use
Whichever one you like really! For this cherry tomato and garlic pasta you can use from plain Spaghetti to Bucatini, Linguini, Pappardelle, Fussili, or Bow-tie. I like pasta with a bite to it so I prefer Linguini over Spaghetti. But Spaghetti makes this pasta feel even creamier!
Garnish
Freshly ground pepper is a must on pasta. You can also sprinkle some cayenne pepper on top (spicy goes well with this cherry tomato basil pasta).
You can also garnish with chopped fresh basil on top or some thyme like I did. If you like garlic you can drizzle some garlic oil on top.
Mince or press a garlic clove or two and mix with 5-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Allow to marinate for 5-6 hours or one day ahead in the refrigerator. Then drizzle over the pasta with cherry tomatoes to make it super garlicky (raw garlic is the best!).
Serve With
A salty hard cheese like Pecorino, Parmesan, Greek Kefalotyri, or even crumbled feta cheese to balance the sweetness of this tomato garlic pasta.
Or serve with a savory side dish like Fried Feta Saganaki, a Filo Cheese Pie With Anthotyro, or Spicy Baked Feta In Foil.
Recipe
Cherry Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 200 grams (7 ounces) linguini pasta
- 650 grams (1.7 pounds) cherry tomatoes
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4-5 small sprigs of thyme
- 40 grams (½ small) onion minced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 10-12 fresh basil leaves if too large, cut them in half
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C / 430°F.
- Cook the pasta for 1-2 minutes less than what's stated on the package instructions. Save ⅓ cup pasta water.
- Roast the cherry tomatoes. Cut them in half and add them to a pan that fits them. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 10-15 minutes.
- Save half of the cherry tomatoes in a bowl to add to the sauce later on. Allow the tomatoes to cool slightly.
- Blend the remaining half of the cherry tomatoes, along with the pan juices, and thyme. Use either a high-speed blender or food processor and pulse until you get a smooth sauce.
- Heat the remaining olive oil (3 tablespoons) in a non-stick frying pan.
- Saute the onion over medium-low heat until soft then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Pour in the sauce and pasta water. Taste and season with salt if needed.
- Add the basil leaves, and dried oregano, and cook for a minute.
- Stir in the pasta and then the cherry tomatoes.
- Serve with freshly ground pepper on top.
This is delicious! I have made it twice and everyone loves it! Thank you for sharing Fotini.
You're most welcome Eleni, glad to hear that!
This pasta was amazing! It's an easy recipe with big flavours but very balanced. It's my new favourite comfort food, as it was a hug for my soul. Thank you so much for sharing.
You're most welcome Catharina, glad you enjoyed it!