Description
A quick and easy pasta recipe featuring a rich, creamy cherry tomato sauce blistered with garlic and fresh basil, finished with Parmesan cheese for a delicious weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound dry pasta
- Kosher salt
Sauce
- 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes (about 2 pints)
- 1 ounce fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Place pasta in a large skillet or sauté pan and cover with water and a big pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil until just shy of al dente, about 1 minute less than the package instructions recommend.
- Prepare the garlic and olive oil: Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the sliced garlic in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until the garlic softens but does not brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add and cook the tomatoes: Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 10 minutes. Press the tomatoes gently with the back of a wooden spoon to help them soften.
- Simmer the sauce: Continue cooking the tomato mixture until the sauce becomes rich and creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the chopped basil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the tomato sauce in the skillet. Increase heat to medium-high and toss constantly, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Finish and serve: Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and grate a generous amount of Parmesan cheese over the pasta. Serve immediately, passing extra Parmesan at the table.
Notes
- You can substitute cherry tomatoes with in-season or supermarket grape tomatoes for a similar flavor.
- Be careful not to brown the garlic to avoid bitterness.
- Reserve pasta water is key for adjusting the sauce consistency to creamy perfection.
- Use fresh basil for the best flavor, but dried basil can be used in a pinch.
- Serve with extra Parmesan cheese to suit individual taste preferences.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
