This rustic Cherry Tomato Pasta only uses a few ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to make! Cherry tomatoes, olive oil, butter, salt, garlic and heavy cream make up this delicious sauce! It's creamy, savory and a perfect quick weeknight meal! Best yet, it's gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be made vegan.
This Cherry Tomato Pasta is a super quick week night meal that feeds everyone. It takes about 20 minutes to make...basically as long as it takes for pasta water to boil and for the pasta to cook. It’s a staple in my house; we make it every week!
For more savory recipes, try my Ramen with Roasted Tomatoes, Slow Cooker Applesauce and Purple Sweet Potato Mashed Potatoes!
Reasons to Love This Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Allergy Friendly- This tomato pasta is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Creamy and Savory- The tomato sauce is to creamy and delicious!
- Easy to Make- This recipe only uses a few ingredients and takes 20 minutes to make!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Pasta- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free pasta brand because it’s free of all our allergens and it's by far our favorite!
- Cherry Tomatoes- I love to use sunset brand cherry tomatoes. We need one 1.5 pounds package.
- Olive Oil- I use robust extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic Powder- You can also use garlic diced up but my kids prefer the powder.
- Kosher Salt- Helps draw out all the flavors.
- Unsalted Butter or Vegan Baking Stick- Adds to the creamy texture and flavor.
- Heavy Cream- I love adding this to make the sauce even creamier but feel free to leave it out for a healthier sauce or if you're vegan or dairy free.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make this a Vegan Pasta Dish
- Use a gluten free pasta that's also vegan.
- Make sure to use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Only use a dairy-free heavy whipping cream or leave it out.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Cherry Tomato Pasta
Here are the step by step instructions to make this easy tomato pasta!
Step 1: Heat the Tomatoes
Add the cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic powder and kosher salt to a sauté pan set over medium heat.
Mix together with a wooden spoon so everything is combined. Cover with a lid and cook (stirring frequently) until the tomatoes begin to break down and burst open.
Step 2: Add the Butter and Heavy Cream
Once the tomatoes have all broken down and formed a sauce, remove the lid and stir in the butter and heavy cream.
Stir until combined, turn heat to low and simmer the sauce while the pasta is cooking, stirring frequently.
Step 3: Add the Cooked Pasta
Add in al dente pasta and coat completely.
Step 4: Serve
Serve pasta as is or top with a drizzle of olive oil or pecorino romano, burrata or ricotta if desired.
Expert Cooking Tips
- Stir Frequently- Stir constantly to ensure the tomatoes don't burn to the bottom of the pan.
- Keep the Lid On- This prevents the sauce from evaporating as the tomatoes burst open.
- Don't Overcook the Pasta- Make sure to cook the pasta al dente. Gluten Free Pasta has a tendency to break apart if overcooked. We don't want the noodles breaking apart when they're added into the sauce.
- Save the Stock Water- If for some reason your sauce is looking super dry even after adding the butter or vegan baking stick at the end, reserve a little stock water from the cooked gluten free pasta and add a tiny bit to the sauce...a little at a time.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can use grape tomatoes sliced in half or regular tomatoes that are diced.
Yes! I love to use penne for this recipe but any pasta works!
Yes! If adding meat, make sure to cook the meat separately first. When the meat is completely cooked you can add it directly into the sauce. Ground Italian sausage goes really well with this recipe.
Yes. If you need to, make the sauce one day before. When cooking the pasta the day of serving, reheat the sauce in the sauté pan while the pasta is cooking.
I don't like to have left over pasta for more than one day. Store any left overs in the fridge and eat within one day.
More Savory Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Cherry Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces gluten free penne pasta
- 24 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I use robust)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Fill a large pasta pot ⅔ with water. Set over high heat. Add salt to the water. Bring it to a boil.
- While the water is coming to a boil, wash your tomatoes.Add the 24 ounces cherry tomatoes to a large sauté pan set it over medium heat.
- Add in the 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix with a wooden spoon so all the tomatoes are coated.
- Cover the pan with a lid and let the tomatoes start to break apart. Even with the lid on, make sure you’re stirring frequently so that the tomatoes don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. If you feel the tomatoes starting to stick, lower the heat to medium low.
- Once your tomatoes have all broken apart and have formed a sauce, set your heat to low or simmer. Add the 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan baking stick and ¼ cup heavy cream to the sauce and stir it around with a spoon until it has completely combined.
- Once your pasta water is boiling, add in the 12 ounces gluten free penne and cook according the to instructions on the box or bag so that the pasta is al dente.
- Once the pasta has cooked, drain it (reserve some stock water)and pour the cooked pasta directly into the pan with the tomatoes. Use a large spoon to coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Serve as is or top with a drizzle of olive oil or ricotta, burrata or pecorino romano.
Mike says
I made this pasta the other day! Can't tell you enough how delicious it was!
Lee says
Thank you so much!