This fresh tomato pasta is exactly what I want to eat on a cool summer evening, on its own or with a nice piece of grilled steak.
So simple, but so elegant and refined. This summer tomato pasta actually tastes fresh. Cherry tomatoes are in peak season over the summer, so buying them when it’s warm will result in a more flavorful pasta.
With a recipe as minimal as this one, high quality ingredients are important, since there’s nowhere to hide! Extra-virgin olive oil is a big part of the dish, so opting for a good bottle will really make your tomato pasta shine, pun intended. To me, it’s worth every penny!
Waiting for water to boil is frustrating when you’re hungry and want to whip up food quickly. I usually run my sink’s hot water until it gets as hot as possible, then fill up my pot with that. I also recommend waiting to salt your pasta water until after the water is boiling. The water will boil faster unsalted, and there also won’t be any white salt spots on the bottom of your pot.
Ingredient Notes:
- Spaghetti – The cooking time for this recipe is based on a classic gluten-free or regular spaghetti. If you’re using a chickpea or lentil pasta, you’ll want to boil the pasta for a couple minutes less. I find Barilla makes an excellent gluten-free spaghetti, which you can find in most grocery stores.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – High-quality olive oil is preferred for this recipe. One with excellent flavor, since it’s a large part of this summer tomato pasta recipe. My two favorites are Lapas and Frantoia.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Feel free to buy heirloom cherry tomatoes that are different colors, too! Whatever looks the freshest. If you can only find grape tomatoes, you can substitute those instead.
- Fresh Basil – if you can’t find fresh basil, you can substitute parsley or chives.
Summer Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 6 oz. (1/2 box) spaghetti
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ large yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced lengthwise
- 12 oz. cherry tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ lemon juiced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves torn, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 8 minutes, until almost cooked through but still a bit stiff (TIP: If using an alternate grain pasta, like Banza, cook for a few minutes less). Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water (double this amount if doubling the recipe).
- Meanwhile, heat half the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and a pinch of Kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, until starting to turn golden. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until starting to brown.
- Add tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of Kosher salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, until tomatoes starting to wrinkle and soften. Add ¼ cup reserved pasta water (double this amount if doubling the recipe) and cook until sauce has thickened, pressing down lightly on the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to help them burst.
- Add drained pasta and ¼ cup pasta water into the pan and toss to combine. Continue to cook, adding in more pasta water as needed, little by little, until noodles are cooked to preference and sauce coats pasta.
- Remove from heat. Add in lemon juice and remaining olive oil and toss to coat. Season with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and additional red pepper flakes, if desired (I used an extra ¼ teaspoon). Drizzle in more pasta water if noodles are looking too dry. Toss in torn fresh basil leaves, to taste.
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