I didn’t come up with this simple pasta dish–I heard it on TV one morning and the recipe was so basic I remembered it exactly the next time I bought grape tomatoes. Whenever I eat it I swear there is nothing more perfect in life. I have yet to find a restaurant that makes such a delicious tomato basil pasta dish.
And it’s absurdly easy.
I have my own way of making this dish and love to share it! The freshness and quality of the simple ingredients really make it special.
I try to buy fresh pasta from a local farmer’s market. I also recommend Bucatini/Perciatelli Pasta if you do not have fresh pasta. While I’m at the farmer’s market, I buy some good looking grape tomatoes, fresh garlic, and basil. You will want a light tasting olive oil as well.
It’s easy to add other ingredients either to the cooking process or to use as a topping to make this sauce your own. I would suggest trying onions, red pepper flakes, spinach, cooked bacon, or a shredded hard, aged cheese. Try adding all if you like! This is a very versatile dish that can be great for lunch or dinner, served as a side or a main course!
- 1/2 lb. pasta of your choice
- 1 medium package grape tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 5-10 leaves fresh basil, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. After rinsing your grape tomatoes, set them in a glass casserole dish in a single layer. Add sliced garlic.
- Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat the tomatoes and garlic well, adding a little extra as sauce that will coat your pasta. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and black pepper.* Stir to coat evenly. If using dried basil, sprinkle the on top. Wait until 1 minute of cooking remains to add fresh basil.
- Cook for 40 minutes.**
- While your tomatoes and garlic are roasting, boil water for your pasta during the last 20-15 minutes, depending on if you are using fresh or boxed pasta. Cook pasta and drain. To serve, spoon the tomato, basil, and olive oil sauce over your hot pasta. Top with more basil or parmesan cheese. Pair with a sweet Moscato and be in heaven.
- *I'm usually good about low-sodium cooking, but you want to add a generous amount of sea salt to this dish. It really brings out the overall flavor of the sauce.
- **If you want to make this dish faster, you can certainly cook it for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't think it's perfectly slow roasted this way, but I'm occasionally pressed for time.