Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe
Who said you always need to have meat in your pasta? Not when you're using a sauce that is as light and flavor-packed as this one. This 15-Minute Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta certainly ticks those boxes!
Servings: 2
Calories: 419kcal
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Garlic press
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 & 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered, (about 15 pieces)
- 8 whole green olives, pitted, chopped
- 5 ounces spaghetti
- salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
Preparing pasta:
- Cook spaghetti as per package instruction.
- Start by boiling salted water for pasta, then proceed as indicated; prepare the sauce while cooking the pasta on the side.
Preparing cherry tomato sauce:
- Place a medium or large skillet over medium-high heat and pour olive oil into it.
- Once the oil is ready, add garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant.
- Add cherry tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix and cover the pan with a lid. Adjust heat to medium and bring fresh tomatoes to a boil.
- Adjust heat to low and simmer for about five minutes.
- Add chopped olives.
- Mix, then cover again with a lid and simmer for two more minutes; taste and adjust seasoning.
- Add cooked spaghetti and mix to coat the pasta with cherry tomato sauce.
- Serve, with some fresh parsley or grated cheese on top, if desired.
Notes
- Cook's Tip #1: Cook the pasta and the sauce at the same time. If your pasta cooks for more than 9 minutes, then adjust your timings. For reference, the spaghetti that I used in this recipe requires 9 minutes to cook --- so I start with my sauce when the pasta water is close to boiling.
- Cook's Tip #2: Remember to adjust the seasoning after adding the olives. It is also the right time to add fresh herbs if you prefer to have them.
- Recipe Variation #1: You can add dried or fresh herbs to the sauce like parsley or oregano.
- Recipe Variation #2: If you want a bit of kick in the burst cherry tomato sauce, add chili flakes with the cherry tomatoes, then just adjust before turning the heat off.
- Recipe Variation #3: Feel free to skip green olives if you are not a fan of them. Alternatively, you can use black olives as a substitute for this fresh tomato pasta instead.
- Recipe Variation #4: You want more earthy flavor? Then add a teaspoon of capers in there -- don't forget to rinse them first, of course.
Nutrition
Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 80mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 563IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 2mg