If it was up to me, we’d be having this pasta at least three times a week for dinner. The name is fitting- Easiest Cherry Tomato Pasta with Pecorino- because not only is it easy, but it’s incredibly delicious and a great reminder that sometimes simplest is best. After going to Italy and eating all the pasta, I was craving this sauce- I had made a few weeks prior to going and had been thinking about it since- even with all the other pasta dishes we had in Italy.
See a reel of this recipe for a quick step by step here on instagram.
Behind the Recipe: Easiest Cherry Tomato Pasta with Pecorino
This recipe is incredibly simple, but here are a few helpful details and notes.
- This recipe is super forgiving– you can cook the tomatoes for 10 minutes or for 30 minutes. I generally just cook them for the time the pasta is cooking. If you are cooking them for a longer period of time, be sure to keep on simmer and monitor them a bit- add a touch more water if they are starting to look a little dry and not as jammy.
- While you can use whatever tomatoes you have on hand, I’ve found that cherry tomatoes have the best and most consistent flavor.
- Taste and season as you go: Two critical steps I recommend doing for any recipe, but especially this one. Tomatoes can vary in sweetness and acidity levels, so tasting to see what it needs is key. Add more butter to counter the acidity at the end before adding in the pasta.
- No white wine? No problem. Just use water in place of it. The white wine adds a touch of acidity to it so when using the white wine, I almost always add in unsalted butter at the end.
- Type of Pasta: You can really use whatever you want, but I personally love 365 Whole Wheat Spaghetti for this to get my fix of whole grains. It’s inexpensive and also adds flavor and texture. I’ve used in a bunch of other pasta dishes like these ones here.
Easiest Cherry Tomato Pasta with Pecorino
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 oz. white wine, optional
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, optional but so good
- salt, to taste
- 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, or other pasta of your choice
- 1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino or parmesan, for topping
- chopped fresh basil, for topping
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Boil pasta accordingnto directions (on the al dente side). While the water is boiling and pasta is cooking, prepare the tomato sauce.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add in olive oil. Once hot, add in onion and tomatoes. Saute until onion is lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes.
- Season with salt and add in garlic. Saute an additional minute or two and then add in white wine and water.
- Simmer over low to medium until mostly evaporated and is a thick jammy texture. Then just continue to simmer until pasta is ready. Taste before adding pasta; if the tomatoes are slightly acidic, add butter at end.
- Once cooked, add pasta to pan with tomatoes. Toss with tongs to lightly coat the pasta in the tomato sauce. Top with freshly grated pecorino and basil.
Tried this recipe?Mention @Kate_Cooks_ or tag #katecooks!
Made this pasta dish this evening… Delicious! Light and tasty and highly recommend it. Easy one to make!
It’s great for a weeknight!