This summer pasta with basil and cherry tomatoes is bursting with fresh-from-the-garden flavor! It's a quick and easy dinner that's light, but still satisfying. Recipe includes a how-to video!
1cup(110g)finely chopped onionsweet, yellow, or white onion, I like sweet (about ½ large onion)
6large cloves garlicthinly sliced
24oz(680g)cherry tomatoesabout 6 cups
½teaspoongranulated sugar
½teaspoontable saltplus additional for cooking pasta and to taste/as needed
¼teaspoonground black pepper
¼heaping teaspoon dried thyme
¼teaspooncrushed red pepper
1oz(28g)fresh basil leavesshredded or cut into ribbons (about ⅓ cup)
⅓cupfreshly grated or shredded parmesan cheeseplus more for topping
Instructions
Cook pasta in well-salted water according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and set aside.
8 oz linguine pasta
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, then add garlic and cook about 30-60 seconds longer, until fragrant.
1 cup finely chopped onion, 6 large cloves garlic
Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper and cook, stirring frequently until tomatoes soften and burst. Once tomatoes are soft enough you can use a wooden spoon or spatula to squish them as you stir.
24 oz cherry tomatoes, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ heaping teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Add basil and stir.
1 oz fresh basil leaves
Add warm cooked, drained linguine and stir well. Add splashes of pasta water as needed to make a thin sauce, you basically want to ensure the pasta is not dry and the noodles are coated with a thin layer of the sauce. I typically need to add about ¼ cup of the pasta water.
Remove from heat, add parmesan and stir well. Taste-test and add additional salt or pepper as needed, then serve warm topped with additional parmesan as desired with a side salad or side of crusty bread.