15-Minute Fresh Tomato Pasta
This 15-minute fresh tomato pasta is one of the fastest and most flavorful meals you can make at home. Cherry tomatoes are cooked down with garlic and olive oil, then finished with fresh basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, and rigatoni for a simple pasta that tastes like summer.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes
Servings
2
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Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 g) rigatoni
- 1 pint (about 10 oz / 280 g) cherry or grape tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- A handful of fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup (45 g) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Reserved pasta water, as needed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni until just shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they blister and start to collapse, 8–10 minutes. Help them along by pressing a few with the back of a spoon.
- Add a splash of pasta water and let the juices become a loose sauce.
- Add the pasta and toss until coated.
- Remove from the heat. Tear in the basil and toss with the Parmigiano Reggiano, adding more pasta water if needed.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Chef’s Notes
This is the weeknight tomato pasta: cherry tomatoes, garlic, oil, basil, and cheese. It is faster and looser than Pasta Pomodoro, and it does not get strained the way the tomato-and-zucchini version does. Use tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes.
Equipment Used
- Large pot
- Large skillet
- Tongs