Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes is bright, saucy, and ready in under 30 minutes. An easy one-pot dinner you’ll come back to again and again.
Servings: 5 Servings
Calories: 456kcal
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta rigatoni, penne, or fusilli
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup basil pesto store-bought or homemade
- ½ cup reserved pasta water as needed
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional add-ins: fresh mozzarella pearls, burrata, pine nuts
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in well salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water then drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally until they soften and burst.
- Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. (Don’t let the garlic brown).
- Add cooked pasta to the pot along with pesto and reserved pasta water as needed. Toss until well coated. Stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Storage, Reheating, Make Ahead
- Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat with a splash of water and warm gently.
- Freezing isn’t ideal. I don’t recommend.
- Toss pesto off the heat to keep it green and fresh
- Salt the pasta water well
- Wait until after the pesto and Parmesan before salting
- Don’t let the garlic brown
Nutrition
Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 831IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 2mg