If you are looking for a simple, delicious pasta to eat anytime or even pack in your kids’ lunch boxes, look no further. This Cherry Tomato Pesto Pasta is perfect! It’s easy to make and super flavorful without requiring a ton of ingredients!
This cherry tomato pasta will be your new go-to recipe when things get hectic! It stores well for days and can even be served cold, so no need to worry about microwaving it when you are on the go. You’ll love how simple but delicious this pasta recipe is!
If you’re looking for other delicious pasta recipes, why not also try my Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta or my Cajun Chicken Mac and Cheese! Both pasta recipes are uncomplicated and made in 35 minutes or less, making them absolutely perfect for a busy weeknight.
Why You’ll Love this Pesto Tomato Pasta
- Great for the kids. I love packing this recipe for my kids’ for lunches, they love it!
- An easy pasta recipe. It really doesn’t get much easier than this simple pasta, easy to prep and you don’t even need to chop anything!
- Loaded with flavor! Colorful cherry tomatoes and golden pasta seasoned with garlic, pesto, pepper flakes and Parmesan – so good!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Penne — or Rotini pasta or any pasta of your choice
- Cherry tomatoes — or grape tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Pesto sauce — I recommend using fresh pesto sauce and not the shelf stabled jarred ones that you find in the pasta aisle. Get the one from the fridge aisle!
- Pasta water
- Red pepper flakes optional
- Basil
- Shaved parmesan cheese — for garnishing
How to Make Pesto Tomato Pasta
- Cook the pasta. Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Cook the tomatoes: In a frying pan with olive oil, sauté the garlic, then add in the tomatoes and let them cook on medium heat until the tomatoes are super tender, then mash them.
- Sautee: Add in the black pepper, chili flakes (optional), pasta water, salt, and pesto sauce. Sauté the ingredients together on simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the pasta: add in the cooked pasta and fresh basil. Allow the pasta to absorb the sauce for around 4 mins.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- When filling your pot to cook the pasta, use enough water that once the noodles begin to cook and expand, there will still be plenty of room for the pasta to move freely.
- Prevent your pasta from sticking together by stirring it immediately after you drop it in.
- Drain your pasta enough to remove most of the water, however, don’t let drained pasta sit and dry off, as the pasta will become too firm.
- Don’t put oil in your pasta water! You’ll just end up with greasy pasta.
- This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days, making for a great lunch box recipe.
- If you don’t have fresh basil, you can substitute it with dried. For every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, you can swap for 1 teaspoon of dried.
FAQs
I always use fresh pesto that’s sold in store. Most of the time I get mine from Costco. It’s the best out there. It freezes well and lasts for a while. But you can of course use whatever pesto you have to hand.
The pasta used can easily be swapped with another kind based on your family’s preferences. Usually my kids love it when I prepare this with elbow pasta or the Mini Farfalle pasta but I didn’t have any on hand when I decided to make some. Penne works well, it’s also a great pasta to eat cold. Fusilli, cavatappi, and rotini are also good options. The curves and grooves in them hold pesto and sauce well as well as allowing the oil to stick to the pasta.
This Tomato Pesto Pasta is great on its own but you can of course customize it with other goodies. Here are some ideas: crumbled Feta cheese, olives (pitted and halved), cannellini beans, chopped broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, or green peas.
You most certainly can! Whatever protein you choose to go along with this cherry pesto pasta recipe, you will want to make sure it is a bit lighter or without a sauce. Chicken and shrimp goes really well with this recipe.
Other delicious pasta recipes
- Garlic Parmesan Shrimp Spaghetti
- Easy Beef Lo Mein Noodle
- Creamy Broccoli Mac N’ Cheese
- Caprese Pasta Salad
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you including this delicious and simple Pesto Tomato Pasta. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!
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Simple Tomato Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz. penne pasta or any pasta
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes or multi colored graped tomatoes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ tsp. salt or more to taste
- ¾ tsp. black pepper
- ¼ cup pesto sauce fresh kind not jars
- ½ cup pasta water preserved from cooking pasta
- 1 tsp. pepper flakes optional
- 1/4 cup basil packed, freshly chopped
- shaved parmesan cheese for garnishing
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Save ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Wash and dry the tomatoes, I used the multi colored grape tomatoes. In a deep skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the minced garlic for 20-30 seconds. Add in the tomatoes and give them a toss then cover and let them cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are tender and blistered.
- Slightly mash the tomatoes to release some juices. Leave a few pieces of tomatoes that are not mashed all the way through to create different textures in the pasta.
- Add in the black pepper, chili flakes (optional), pasta water, salt and pesto sauce. Sauté the ingredients together on low heat for 2 minutes, then add in the cooked pasta and fresh basil. Cook together for about 5 minutes on medium low heat so the pasta absorbs all the sauce. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Remove from heat and garnish with some fresh basil and shaved parmesan cheese to finish off the toppings.
Notes
- When filling your pot to cook the pasta, use enough water that once the noodles begin to cook and expand, there will still be plenty of room for the pasta to move freely.
- Prevent your pasta from sticking together by stirring it immediately after you drop it in.
- Drain your pasta enough to remove most of the water, however, don’t let drained pasta sit and dry off, as the pasta will become too firm.
- Don’t put oil in your pasta water! You’ll just end up with greasy pasta.
- This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days, making for a great lunch box recipe.
- If you don’t have fresh basil, you can substitute it with dried. For every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, you can swap for 1 teaspoon of dried.
