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This Tomato Basil Pasta recipe is easy to make with garden fresh tomatoes, chopped basil and garlic. Add grilled chicken for a complete meal perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
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Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil
This simple tomato pasta is a delicious way to use up juicy ripe tomatoes from your garden or farmers market. I make this easy recipe and variations of the recipe every summer when we have plenty of tomatoes and basil from the garden.
Although this simple pasta dish is delicious on its own, we like to throw in some grilled chicken for extra protein. My husband cooks chicken on the Blackstone while I’m making the pasta, and I toss the meat in before serving. Easy peasy!
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make cherry tomato and basil pasta. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.
- Tomatoes — I use a combination of cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and Roma tomatoes from our garden. Slice bigger tomatoes into bite-size pieces and leave the smaller ones whole.
- Fresh Basil — I use 1 or 2 bunches of basil, but you can use as much or as little as you want. Either chiffonade basil leaves or chop it into large pieces.
- Garlic — for extra flavor
- Butter — for the sauce
- Extra Virgin Olive oil — for the light tomato sauce
- Pasta — I used spaghetti here, but any pasta shape works.
- Seasonings — Sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning to amp up the flavor.
- Optional — Parmesan cheese or feta cheese and cooked chicken. I add these at the end of cooking.
How to Make Tomato Basil Pasta
To make this a one-pot meal, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. Use the directions on the package, and cook until al dente for best results. If you don’t mind extra dishes, you can cook the pasta and start on the simple sauce in a different pan or large skillet.
Before the pasta is done, reserve a cup of pasta water for the sauce. Then, drain the pasta, drizzle a little olive oil on top of the pasta, and set aside.
In the same pot, melt butter and olive oil. Add the tomatoes and chopped garlic, and cook until tomatoes are hot and begin to burst. Note — I like a mix of burst tomatoes and whole tomatoes, but you can cook to your liking.
Add the pasta and reserved water back to the pot, and toss so the pasta is well coated in the sauce mixture. Stir in the basil and chicken — if you are using chicken. Finish with some grated Parmesan and more basil if you like.
What to Serve with Fresh Tomato Pasta
We like homemade garlic bread or crusty bread and butter on the side. And, although you don’t really need any other sides, an Olive Garden Salad or simple green salad or even creamy cucumber salad would be perfect!
Storage
Refrigerate leftover pasta in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can enjoy leftovers cold or reheat on the stove or in the microwave. This pasta freezes well for up to 3 months.
Recipe Tip
If using a blend of garden tomatoes, cut larger ones in half if necessary. I use a mix of cherry and grape tomatoes and small Roma tomatoes.
I like a mix of burst tomatoes and whole tomatoes, but you can cook them to your personal preference.
More Fresh Tomato Recipes
Looking for more ways to use up tomatoes? Try my bruschetta with tomato and basil or my easy pico de gallo recipe or my pasta with grape tomatoes next!
Tomato Basil Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz spaghetti
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes about 1 pint
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 2 bunches fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water
- Drain pasta in colander, and drizzle a little olive oil over pasta
- In the same pot, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat
- Add tomatoes and garlic, and cook until garlic is soft and tomatoes are warm an d ready to burst
- Add pasta, seasonings and reserved water to pot, and toss to coat with the tomato sauce
- Add basil, and mix into pasta. Add more olive oil and garnish with additional basil and grated Parmesan cheese if desired before serving
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This was so good. I tried it with leftover sausage and the result was amazing.
Thanks, Greg. I’m glad you enjoyed the pasta!
This was awesome! Had basil and tomatoes from our own garden and grilled chicken on the Blackstone” So simple too!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!