This tomato basil pasta is topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese. It has blistered tomatoes and fresh basil. It's so easy to make for a vegetarian weeknight dinner, and it's one of our favorite meals!
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I was looking through the recipes we’ve shared here over the past year, and I cannot believe we hadn’t shared this one for tomato basil pasta with parmesan cheese yet. It’s such a staple in our dinner repertoire. We probably have this at least once a week when tomatoes are in season. It hits 3 points:
- So easy to make
- Inexpensive!
- Perfect in summer since you don’t need the oven
I love cherry tomatoes this time of year. And this is the perfect dish to use them in! They get a little blistered and yummy. And topping off the pasta with some freshly shaved parmesan cheese makes it all even more delicious.
You can use any pasta you like to make this, but I prefer angel hair pasta. I just love how it all comes together, and the thinness of the pasta works great with this dish. Plus, it’s fun to twirl around your fork and then poke a tomato for the perfect juicy bite. However, you can use rotini, farfalle, spaghetti. Whatever you have around!
Ingredients:
- Angel hair pasta (spaghetti works well too, or whatever pasta you have)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Fresh basil
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Garlic
- Oregano
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
- Pepper
Where do you get fresh Parmesan cheese?
So in a pinch, you can use the grated stuff you get in a container at the store. However, I highly suggest keeping a wedge of Parmesan around. It's SO. MUCH. BETTER. when it's freshly grated. The wedges last for awhile, and you can save and freeze the rinds to use in soups and other things.
I also find that it's cheaper to actually buy the wedges and grate them yourself. You can use a regular cheese grater or a microplane, depending on how thinly you want the cheese grated.
We usually get our Parmesan cheese wedges at Costco. However, you can usually find them at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and a lot of grocery stores. Just ask!
Other recipes to love:
- Whole30 tomato chicken pasta with zoodles
- Spaghetti squash with bolognese sauce
- Oven roasted tomatoes on toasted bread
- Peach panzanella with tomatoes
- Easy tomato bruschetta
Tomato Basil Pasta with Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- ½ lb angel hair pasta
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6-8 basil leaves chopped, plus a few more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once heated, add the cherry tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add then garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and basil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until tomatoes are blistered, stirring occasionally. This will take about 7-10 minutes.
- While tomatoes are cooking, cook the pasta in a large pot until soft. Drain.
- Into the pasta pot, drain the cooked olive oil and herbs. Stir until pasta is coated. Add more olive oil if needed. Add salt and pepper.
- Plate, then top with the cooked tomatoes and top with the parmesan and extra basil leaves, if desired.
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