Make the most of your summer garden tomatoes and serve this simple and delicious cherry tomato pasta! Every bite sings with creamy tomato sauce, rich notes of parmesan, a little heat from red pepper flakes, and fresh basil. It’s the tastiest and easiest pasta dish!

A white bowl with rigatoni pasta in a cherry tomato sauce. The bowl of pasta is sitting on a tan background with fresh herbs and a small bowl of red pepper flakes arranged around it.

My cherry tomato plants have been producing tons of sweet tomatoes this summer, and I’ve been trying different ways to put them to good use. Along with adding them to all of our salads, they go perfectly with this quick and easy pasta recipe.

The sauce in this dish is made of cherry tomatoes, lots of garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh herbs. We also use starchy pasta water to create a creamy consistency with the tomatoes and cheese! The preparation is simple, but the flavors are elevated, like a restaurant-worthy pasta dish.

We loved every bite of this dish, and it’s quickly turned into our favorite summer pasta!

Key Ingredients

The best thing about this recipe is it uses a handful of simple ingredients! You’ll find a mixture of pantry staples and fresh produce and herbs.

Ingredients for cherry tomato pasta arranged on a tan colored background.

See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and exact measurements.

Pasta – I prefer using smaller pasta shapes like mezze maniche, rigatoni, fusilli, or shells. You can also use spaghetti, linguini, or bucatini!

Tomatoes – cherry tomatoes are the best for this recipe because they are the sweetest in flavor and perfect for cooking quickly.

Garlic – This recipe uses a lot of fresh garlic. And it’s not super garlic, either! It adds the perfect amount of rich flavor.

Fresh basil – This is key for fresh herb flavor. I don’t recommend using dried basil.

Parmigiano Reggiano – freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese will add creaminess and cheesiness! I don’t recommend using pre-shredded parm because it will not melt the same.

Olive oil – for the sauce and to saute the garlic.

Red pepper flakes – This adds the perfect touch of heat to the pasta dish.

How to Make Cherry Tomato Pasta

See the recipe card below for complete recipe instructions.

A collage of three photos showing how to sauté tomatoes for pasta. The first photo is a stainless steel pan with minced garlic being sautéed with a wooden spoon. The second photo is cherry tomatoes being added to the same pan. The third photo is a wooden spoon stirring the cherry tomatoes that have cooked down in the pan.

1

Sauté the garlic and start the pasta water. First, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta as the package instructs until al dente. While the pasta cooks, in a large sauté pan, cook the garlic in the olive oil for about 30-60 seconds. Make sure the pan is low to medium heat, and not super hot.
2

Add the tomatoes. Next, add the tomatoes with the garlic and stir together with a healthy pinch of salt and red pepper flakes.
3

Cook the tomatoes. On low-medium heat, cook the tomatoes until they are broken down and like a chunky sauce (about 10 minutes). Use the back of a spoon to crush any tomatoes to break down more while they cook.

A collage of three photos showing how to make cherry tomato pasta. The first image is pasta being added to a pan of cooked cherry tomatoes. The second photo is a picture of the pasta in the pan with freshly grated parmesan cheese over top. The third photo is showing the pasta being mixed with the cheese and tomatoes in the same pan.

4

Add the pasta to the tomatoes. When the pasta is done and the tomatoes are cooked down, reserve 1 1/2 to 2 cups of pasta water before draining the pasta. Then add the hot pasta noodles to the tomatoes and toss together.
5

Add the parmesan and herbs. Then add the freshly grated parmigiano, chopped fresh basil, and 1/2 cup of pasta water or as much as needed.
6

Toss the pasta and cheese together. Last, toss everything together until its completely combined. If the sauce needs more creaminess or has dried up a little, add more pasta water (make sure the dish is on a low heat as you add the pasta water). Finish with a generous pinch of black pepper over top and serve!

Tips for Success

Always reserve pasta water. Pasta water is a key ingredient in a lot of Italian pasta dishes. It has flavor but, most importantly, starchiness from the pasta, so it naturally adds a perfect creamy touch to cheesy pasta dishes such as this one. It’s also perfect for adding moisture to creamy dishes if the sauce dries.

Freshly grated cheese is best. I only use freshly grated cheese – especially Parmigiano Reggiano when cooking a cheesy or creamy pasta dish. Pre-shredded parm is generally less flavorful and has little to no moisture, which is needed to make the dish cheesy. So use fresh parm if available!

Fresh herbs. A lot of the flavor comes from the basil in this dish. Because of that, I recommend only using fresh basil. Dried herbs will add a completely different flavor and lack the fresh taste we want!

Leftovers. This pasta will keep for about 3-4 days, chilled in the refrigerator. To reheat it, add the pasta to a pan with a splash of water to add moisture and cook until hot. Then serve with fresh parmesan cheese on top!

Recipe Variations

Add protein. If you’d like to make this recipe with additional protein, you can add grilled chicken or shrimp, or for plant protein, add garbanzo beans.

Use Pecorino Ramano. This hard sheep milk cheese is a popular choice for many Italian pasta dishes. You can swap the Parmigiano with pecorino if you prefer. If you’re grating the pecorino yourself, make sure it is shredded finely so it melts properly.

Use healthier pasta. Instead of regular wheat pasta, use whole-grain pasta (my favorite brand) or chickpea pasta. For gluten-free, I like jovial!

Additional herbs. I like using lots of fresh basil in this recipe, but I also love adding fresh oregano! Fresh parsley can be used, too.

A close up of a fork in a bowl of rigatoni pasta that is coated in a cherry tomato sauce.

What to Serve it With

Salad. Alongside this pasta dish, we love to serve it with an Italian-style salad, such as our Tuscan artichoke salad, Panzanella salad, or grilled corn and tomato salad.

Bread. Of course, delicious Italian bread or sourdough would also be perfect served on the side! Be sure to dip it into that delicious tomato & parmesan sauce.

Meatballs. We love serving this pasta dish with our baked Italian chicken meatballs, chicken parmesan meatballs with zucchini, or our Italian meatball recipe!