Description
This Lemony Cherry Tomato Pasta is a vibrant, flavorful dish featuring fresh cherry tomatoes and zesty lemon, making it a perfect quick meal for any day.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (i used pappardelle)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound (450g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
- optional garnishes: chopped fresh basil, freshly-grated parmesan, extra black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare a large pot of generously salted water and bring it to a boil for the pasta.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes, cooking for 2 minutes while stirring frequently until fragrant.
- Add halved cherry tomatoes, salt, and black pepper into the skillet. At the same time, place the pasta in boiling water and cook until just shy of al dente. Let the sauce simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and reserving about 3/4 cup of starchy pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Once the pasta is drained, add it to the skillet along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together until the pasta is nicely coated with sauce, adding more pasta water as needed.
- Remove from the heat, then mix in the lemon juice and zest. Adjust seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, or red pepper flakes. Serve warm with optional garnishes like basil and Parmesan.
Notes
For a spicier dish, adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to taste.
Feel free to use any type of pasta you prefer.
This dish is best served immediately while it’s warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg