Looking for a quick and tasty easy dinner? This pasta recipe is bursting with fresh cherry tomatoes, torn basil and mozzarella cheese. A reader favorite, this is a handy one to have in your back pocket for a main dish, side dish or meal prep lunch!
Love pasta? Try this Baked Ravioli with Chicken Sausage too!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Easy pasta recipes are really nice to have on hand, year-round. After all, they hold well at room temperature, are super flexible, and can feed a few or a crowd. The star of the show in this Summer Pasta recipe is ripe, flavorful cherry tomatoes that are practically bursting off the vine right now.
A few more reasons to try this recipe:
- Summer Pasta is an easy and versatile for dinner all by itself.
- It’s perfect to make for meal prep lunches (good warm or cold), make extra to have the next day.
- or alongside Strawberry Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Shrimp Salad with Lemon Ranch Dressing, or even Roasted Spring Vegetables with Vinaigrette.
- Serve this as a side dish with grilled chicken or shrimp to round out your menu
- Cherry tomatoes are a summer staple and easy to find at Farmer’s Markets and most grocery stores. Any variety will work!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive Oil: I love a good, fruity extra virgin olive oil to lightly cook the shallots, and also to finish the pasta right before serving.
- Shallot: Mild and almost sweet, shallots are great to use when you just need a few tablespoons of an onion
- Cherry Tomatoes: Any variety will work, and a mixture of colors is especially pretty
- Seasonings: The usual suspects – salt, pepper, red pepper flakes plus a little lemon juice and butter too.
- Basil: Big, fresh, fragrant leaves for tearing and tossing with the warm tomatoes and pasta.
- Mozzarrella Cheese: I like little balls of mild and creamy fresh mozzarella cheese that comes in a small tub with water (whey, actually) in the cheese section of most grocery stores.
- Spaghetti: Fresh or dried, you’ll need about 5 cups cooked.
Tips for Choosing Pasta
- There’s no wrong choice of pasta, but a long variety like spaghetti is a great match for this tomato sauce.
- I used a fresh variety of spaghetti pasta that’s refrigerated and available in most grocery stores, but dried spaghetti is great too.
- Here’s a little How Much Pasta? guide I stumbled on if you’re interested in scaling this recipe up. This is handy to have if you’re up at night wondering about pasta portion sizes 🙂
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Place the olive oil and shallots in a large, non-stick saute pan and cook a few minutes until shallots are soft.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and continue cooking until they break down a bit and release their juices, about 5 minutes.
- The seasonings come next – salt, pepper, red pepper flakes. Continue cooking on medium-high heat another 5 minutes or so.
- Add the fresh lemon juice and butter, then keep the sauce warm while you cook the pasta.
- Cook pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining and adding to the tomato sauce. Use tongs to combine, and add a bit of the pasta water if needed to loosen the mixture up.
- Add the basil leaves and mozzarella, plus a bit more salt and pepper, toss to combine.
- Divide on four plates, drizzle more olive oil on top for serving!
Tips for Making Fresh Tomato Sauce
I’ll tell you right now the thing that makes this pasta recipe so wonderfully juicy, slurpy and tasty is the big, chunky tomato sauce you make fresh as the base.
This technique came to me years ago from a generous co-worker, and I admit I didn’t really believe it was possible. Up to that point, all the tomato sauce in my life up came out of a glass jar with a label on it, so I couldn’t wait to make it from scratch.
Here’s some tips for making it:
- Get the freshest tomatoes you can find. Farmers Markets and well-stocked grocery stores are a good place to start. Any variety will work, and the more colorful, the better!
- Cut the tomatoes in half or quarters if large, then add to a large non-stick saute pan with shallots that have been cooked in a little olive oil.
- It doesn’t look like there’s ANY WAY this will turn into sauce at this point, but it will – I promise.
- Cook the tomatoes on medium-high heat, and be patient – they’ll slowly break down and get much juicier.
- Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and some red pepper flakes, then finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a tablespoon of butter – don’t skip this part, it makes a huge difference in the final flavor.
Expert Tips and Serving Ideas
- Good news! This is a highly forgiving recipe, meaning we-don’t-have-to-measure-every-little-thing-perfectly-for-this-pasta.
- Leftovers of Summer Pasta are SO GOOD you’ll find yourself making more just to have it for lunch the next day.
- Serve this as a side dish alongside grilled fish or chicken! It pairs really well with lots of different menus, and everyone always loves it.
For dessert, how about Melon with Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce, Ice Cream Cake with Peanut Butter Ganache, or a fabulously delicious Summer Fruit Crisp?
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
You sure can. Try bows, rigatoni, angel hair or linguini. Almost any pasta variety will work great!
Easy! Just cook the pasta, divide it in four containers, make the sauce and divide it, same with the mozzarella cheese and the fresh herbs.
Pasta will stay well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
More Recipes To Try:
Fresh Figs, Three Ways: Three incredible and delicious ideas!
Roasted Nectarines with Caramel Sauce: these taste just as good as they look..
Turkey Burger with Pepperjack and Cranberry: My favorite year-round turkey burger
Spring Vegetable Frittatas: Fresh, light, healthy and delish!
Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage: A reader favorite for good reason…..
If you’ve tried Summer Pasta or any other recipe on Studio Delicious, please rate the recipe 5 stars, and I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
Looking for more tips and fresh, homemade recipes? Join my email list, tag and follow me on Instagram using #studiodeliciouseats, follow my boards on Pinterest, and see what I’m up to on Facebook and Twitter!
SUMMER PASTA
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons Shallot, diced
- 4 cups Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper, freshly ground
- 1/8 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Butter, unsalted
- 3 tablespoons Basil, fresh, torn in small pieces
- 1 cup Mozzarella, fresh, torn in pieces
- 9 ounce Spaghetti, fresh or dried, about 5 cups cooked
- Olive Oil, for serving
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and diced shallot to a large non-stick saute pan and cook on medium-high heat until soft, 3-5 minutes. Then add the cherry tomatoes and gently stir to combineCook until the tomatoes break down and release their juices, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook on medium-high heat until the mixture is soft and juicy, another 5-7 minutes. Add the lemon juice and butter, and stir gently to combine. Continue cooking for another minute or two. Keep the sauce warm with a lid on the saute pan on very low heat.
- Cook pasta according package directions, adding a generous teaspoon of salt to the water before adding the pasta. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and set it aside to loosen up the pasta and sauce once you combine them together. Add the drained pasta to the saute pan with the tomato sauce, adding a little pasta water as needed. Gently toss everything together until combined. Remove the pan from the stove. Add the torn mozzarella and fresh basil leaves and a pinch more salt and pepper. Divide on four plates and drizzle olive oil on top for serving.
Notes
- My everyday salt is Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. I buy a big box and keep what I need in a small canning jar in the cupboard.
- Fresh, refrigerated pasta works great in this recipe, but any long variety of dried pasta works well too.
- Leftovers are VERY good cold or reheated for lunch the next day 🙂
- I love to serve this alongside salmon or other grilled fish, a chicken breast or add cooked shrimp to the pasta for a twist!
Nutrition
- Super important to read the whole recipe before you begin
- Pay attention to the ingredient list and photos for the recipe
- If possible, prep your ingredients a little before you start
- Always use a sharp knife for safety
- Use the size of pan called for in the recipe
- For savory recipes, taste and season as you go
- Buy fresh, organic ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible
This recipe was published in August 2019, and updated with new photos and content August 2020
This looks exactly like what I’ve been craving these days. (Funny how you do that!) Can’t wait to try it!
Haha…thank you Maria 🙂
This is so fresh and flavorful! I love that it’s light and not buried in a heavy sauce. So good!
Thank you 🙂
We all loved this so much. I am going to make it again for my mother in law next weekend. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Oh yay! So happy you liked it!
This looks so light and refreshing. Perfect for a hot summer night.
Yes, and thanks!
The ultimate easy to make week night meal that is packed with flavor. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
Why thank YOU 🙂
Definitely one of my favorite pot luck pasta recipes. Easy, versatile, and so tasty.
So good, right? thanks!
I love all types of pasta dishes, and this is the essence of summertime. It was so light, fresh, filling and delicious, the whole fam loved it!
Great news!
Anything that looks this good and has fresh mozzarella in it has got to be on my table! so I went and made this for an easy week night dinner using fresh tomatoes from the farmer’s market! Oh it was perfect. everyone loved it! Thanks!
Great, thanks for sharing!
What a wonderful way to use up all of the sweet tomatoes that are coming on the plants. Sweet juicy sauces are my very favorite so I tried out the recipe and it certainly didn’t disappoint. This will be a favorite recipe at this house.
We love it too, enjoy!
This year I grew cherry tomatoes which will be perfect for this recipe. Doesn’t get any fresher than that. Love this fresh dish. Thanks!
Thanks so much! 🙂
This is exactly the type of pasta recipe that we crave at this house during the summer when tomatoes are at their peak. Super delicious and so simple it’s become a staple! Thanks for sharing.
Thank YOU! 🙂
What a beautiful pasta dish! We made this as a side dish for a pot luck we were attending and were sad that none was left to bring home! Time to make a new batch for just us.
Great news!
I wish I gardened because I would make this all the time. I hope my neighbors don’t see me stealing veggies from their garden to make this:)
Haha! 🙂
I adored this recipe! So fresh, simple and didn’t heat up the kitchen! Loved all of the flavors plus the little bit of heat was a hit with my spicy loving family! Thanks!!
Great, and you can always add more spice if you like 🙂
This really is the perfect summer pasta! Every bite was fresh and light. Love the caramelized flavor of the stewed tomatoes!
Thanks!!
This looks like the perfect way to use the bounty of tasty little tomatoes from my garden. I love simple recipes that let the flavors of the ingredients shine thru!
Great!! 🙂
How fresh and fun this pasta looks on a warm summer day! I have all the ingredients in my fridge right now, so trying it tomorrow!
Thanks ! 🙂
That fresh tomato sauce makes this pasta so amazing and flavorful! I can see why you call it “summer pasta” because I’ll be eating this ALL summer!
Yay! Me too 🙂
I love how this is a great meal for the summer time! You can’t go wrong with tomatoes, basil, and pasta. My family loves this recipe!
Great! Thanks for sharing!
This summer pasta looks amazing! I love adding tomatoes into any pasta where I can and it is perfect in here! This looks so flavoursome and divine. I am really looking forward to making this for a lunch. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you!
Love this recipe! It is so simple, fresh, and delicious and I love a good recipe that includes pasta. This is perfect for a quick summer meal.
Awesome, thanks
I love this pasta dinner. It is just what I was looking for. Easy and delicious. I bet my family will love this too. can’t wait to make this.
Great to hear!
A light pasta dish with lots of flavor!
Perfect summer meal and although not heavy, it’s very filling. Will definitely make it again. Followed exact recipe, made no changes. My family loved it. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
That’s so great! I’m glad you enjoyed it and have a new, easy pasta recipe for the fam!
Absolutely delicious. The sauce is tasty and light.
YAY! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This was delicious!!
Oh I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
Made this for the first time last night for company and it was delish! I often make a recipe once then try something different the next time but I think I will at the very least get this one into my recipe book. Thanks for a great recipe and so thoughtfully presented.
Wow, that is so nice to hear! It’s been in my repertoire for a long, long time and I’m so happy to share it with you! Thanks 🙂
I’ve been making this weekly as have had bumper crops of tomatoes. It’s fresh and easy and so tasty.
Thanks so much for the recipe.
well thank you!
This is sooo good! I have made it twice now! It has become a household favorite