A sungold cherry tomato recipe this simple has no business tasting this good, but that's the thing about great summer produce. When the tomatoes are this sweet, you barely have to do anything to them. Garlic, shallot, a generous pour of olive oil, and a little pasta water work together to turn a pint of sungolds into a sauce that's bright, silky, and loaded with flavor.
Sungold Tomato Pasta
- ⏱ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍝 Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 262 calories per serving
- 🍅 Flavor Profile: Light, summery, garlicky with fresh tomatoes.
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy, quick and fresh summer dinner.
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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!
If you love a quick pasta that leans on fresh, seasonal ingredients, this Sweet Corn Pasta with Basil and Quick Arugula Pesto are proof that you don't need much to make something really delicious.
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Why you will love this recipe
- This recipe is so easy to make, it's hardly even a recipe!
- Sungold tomatoes are super sweet and have tons of flavor.
- Sungold cherry tomatoes, shallot, garlic olive oil, pasta - the ingredient list is simple and short, but the result is restaurant quality.
- It works with any kind of pasta you have on hand.
- This pasta is great served warm or room temperature. Perfect for al fresco dining or a picnic.
Ingredients
- 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. Do not forget to reserve some pasta water!
- Fresh garlic, shallot and basil - this recipe is super simple and every ingredient matters. Use fresh only!
- Good olive oil - you will taste the difference!
- Parmesan cheese - Freshly grated parmesan will melt into the sauce more smoothly than the pre-shredded kind. Go with the good stuff and grate it yourself if you can.
Sungold Cherry Tomato Pasta Step By Step
Step 1: Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions. Cook it just about a minute shy of al dente as it will finish in the sauce. Reserve a cup of pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, finely mince the garlic and shallots. Heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic and shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add in whole tomatoes, lower the heat and cook gently until they start to burst and bubble, about 5-8 minutes.
Step 2: 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.
Recipe Tips
- Salt your pasta water! This seasons the pasta and adds to the sauce.
- Don't forget to reserve some pasta water! The starchy water helps to bring the sauce together and make it silky.
- Use a deep pot - I use the pasta pot to make the sauce. The tomatoes will burst and bubble while they cook, a deep pot helps avoid splatters and mess. I help the softened tomatoes break down a bit by gently pressing with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add pasta water gradually. Start with ¼ cup and toss well, then add more as needed. The sauce will keep loosening as you toss, so give it a minute before adding more.
- Grate parmesan directly into the pan while it's off the heat or on very low heat. This helps it melt smoothly into the sauce instead of clumping.
- Chiffonade the basil into thin strips so you get some in every bite. To do this, stack the leaves on top of each other and roll into a tube shape. Cut thin slices to create perfect basil ribbons.
- Add basil at the end! Heat destroys its bright, fragrant flavor fast. Add it right before serving.
- Measure with your heart. The measurements in this recipe are meant as a guideline. By all means, measure garlic and parmesan cheese with your heart!
Recipe FAQs
Sungolds are a summer variety and peak season is roughly July through September. Your best bet is a local farmers market, they're one of the most popular tomato varieties and most vendors will carry them. You can also find them at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods during peak summer. If you can't track them down, any sweet cherry tomato will work in this recipe.
Yes! Angel hair cooks fast and catches the light, silky sauce really well, but this recipe works with spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, or even a short pasta like rigatoni or penne. Just adjust your cook time accordingly.
Yes. I think this delicate pasta pairs quite nicely with shrimp. Italian sausage also works well. Add cooked protein to the pan when you toss the pasta with the sauce.
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of water to loosen the sauce back up. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Note that angel hair can get a little soft as it sits, so this one is really best eaten fresh.
What to serve with sungold cherry tomato pasta
Simple is the name of the game here so don't overthink it!
- A garden salad and crusty bread will do the trick! Make it fancy for company and do a fun butter board and add some french breakfast radishes!
- Love it with Sauteed Broccolini and this Roasted Beet Salad
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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.
Notes
- Salt your pasta water! This seasons the pasta and adds to the sauce.
- Don't forget to reserve some pasta water! The starchy water helps to bring the sauce together and make it silky.
- Use a deep pot - I use the pasta pot to make the sauce. The tomatoes will burst and bubble while they cook, a deep pot helps avoid splatters and mess. I help the softened tomatoes break down a bit by gently pressing with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add pasta water gradually. Start with ¼ cup and toss well, then add more as needed. The sauce will keep loosening as you toss, so give it a minute before adding more.
- Grate parmesan directly into the pan while it's off the heat or on very low heat. This helps it melt smoothly into the sauce instead of clumping.
- Chiffonade the basil into thin strips so you get some in every bite. To do this, stack the leaves on top of each other and roll into a tube shape. Cut thin slices to create perfect basil ribbons.
- Add basil at the end! Heat destroys its bright, fragrant flavor fast. Add it right before serving.
- Measure with your heart. The measurements in this recipe are meant as a guideline. By all means, measure garlic and parmesan cheese with your heart!
Nutrition
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.