Angel hair with burst sweet sungold cherry tomatoes simmered in olive oil, garlic and shallots make a simple and delicious summer pasta dish. A quick and easy 15 minute dinner recipe.
This simple pasta with burst sungold cherry tomato sauce is the perfect summer weeknight dinner. It’s fresh, elegant and full of flavor. During peak tomato season, I’m all about celebrating summer’s bounty. If you find yourself with an abundance of cherry tomatoes from your garden, this is the perfect recipe to enjoy the surplus!
I live for summer tomato season and sun gold tomatoes are probably my favorite. They super sweet, rich and perfect for pasta, salads, toasts, whatever your tomato-loving heart desires!
This recipe is so easy to make, it’s hardly even a recipe. The pasta sauce is simply cooking the tomatoes in olive oil, tons of garlic, shallots and a splash of pasta water to create a silky sauce. Top with parmesan and loads of fresh basil and you’ve got yourself a restaurant quality meal at home. It’s summer on a plate! So next time you’re at the farmer’s market, grab a few pints of sungolds and make this.
Ingredients
All you need is a few simple, fresh ingredients to make this summery pasta.
- Sungold Cherry Tomatoes – these tangy and sweet golden orange cherry tomatoes have a distinct flavor that’s perfect for this recipe. If you don’t have sungold tomatoes, by all means, use any variety of cherry tomatoes you have on hand. It will be just as delicious!
- Pasta – I love angel hair in this recipe but use any kind of pasta that you have. I think long pasta works best like spaghetti or bucatini.
- Fresh garlic
- Shallot
- Fresh Basil
- Good olive oil
- Parmesan cheese
- Red pepper flakes – optional
Method
Start by cooking your pasta in large pot of water with salt according to package directions. Cook the past just about a minute shy of al dente as it will finish in the sauce.
While the pasta is cooking, finely mince the garlic and shallots.
In a large, deep saucepan or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. You want to use a deep pot because the tomatoes will sputter as they begin to burst while cooking. Add shallot and garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn, lowering the heat as needed. Add in whole tomatoes and cook gently until they start to burst and bubble, about 5-8 minutes. I help the softened tomatoes break down a bit by pressing them gently with the back of a wooden spoon while cooking. Season with a pinch of sea salt and red pepper flakes.
Drain pasta and reserve a cup of the pasta water. Transfer pasta to the sauce and add in a splash of pasta water and parmesan cheese. Toss together, adding more pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
Serve in big bowls, topped with lots of fresh basil, more parmesan and red pepper flakes. I prefer to chiffonade the basil leaves into thin strips so you get some in every bite. Stack the leaves on top of each other and roll into a tube shape. Then cut thin slices to create ribbons of basil.
This pasta is great served warm or room temperature. Perfect for al fresco dining or a picnic.
The measurements in this recipe are meant as a guideline. By all means, measure garlic and parmesan cheese with your heart!
What to serve with burst cherry tomato pasta
Simple is the name of the game here so don’t overthink it! I really think all you need is a simple green salad and some good crusty bread.
More pasta recipes you will love
- Pappardelle with Mushrooms in Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- Farmers Market Green Pasta
- Arugula Pesto Pasta
- Casarecce with Broccolini and Italian Sausage
Sungold Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ pound angel hair pasta or pasta of your choice
- 1 pint sun gold cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese plus more
- red pepper flakes to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil and cook pasta one minute shy of al dente according to package directions. Reserve a cup of pasta water and drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, finely mince garlic and shallot.
- In a large, deep sauce pan or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in garlic and shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Reduce heat if needed to avoid burning.
- Add in sungold tomatoes and cook gently for 5-8 minutes until tomatoes burst. Season with a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes.
- Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss with ¼ cup pasta water and parmesan cheese. Add more pasta water as needed until the pasta is coated in a silky sauce.
- Serve in big bowls topped with fresh basil, more parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
Matt E.
This was a very simple yet delicious dish with sungold tomatoes from our garden. We had so many tomatoes I didn’t know what to do with them, and this recipe blew our socks off. The crushed red pepper was an excellent finish touch.
Jessica
So glad you loved it. Definitely one of my summer favorites! xoxo – Jessica
Jazz
This made for the best light dinner last night with some grilled shrimp. I’m so glad I found your recipe because I had a pint of sweet tomatoes and was stumped on how to use them! 10/10!
Marta
This sungold tomato pasta was such a treat for our Meatless Monday meal this week. I loved the acidity the tomatoes gave the dish and combined with the parmesan cheese and fresh basil, it hit all of the flavor notes I wanted it to.