Get ready for one of the easiest, freshest, most satisfying summer recipes to grace your dinner table. I whipped this one up using fresh tomatoes and basil from my garden and it has quickly become a staple in our house.
This delicious pasta pomodoro recipe is made with just 5 core ingredients, comes together in 30 minutes, and will have everyone coming back for seconds. I love using fresh cherry tomatoes in the sauce because they’re bursting with flavor and have the perfect texture. You’ll cook them down with some garlic until they’re beautifully jammy, blend it up, add basil, and BOOM — dinner’s on the table in no time.
Top this wonderful pasta dish with extra fresh basil and a little cheese for a light, comforting meal any day of the week!
What is pasta pomodoro?
“Pomodoro” means tomato in Italian, so pasta pomodoro is simply pasta tossed in a lovely, light tomato sauce with garlic and fresh herbs. So easy to make and delicious!
Everything you’ll need to make pasta pomodoro
This recipe requires just a handful of simple ingredients but is bursting with fresh flavors. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pasta: feel free to use your favorite noodle shape in this recipe. I love spaghetti or bucatini for twirling up all of the sauce.
- For the sauce: you’ll cook down garlic and cherry tomatoes in olive oil, and season them with salt and pepper.
- Basil: we’re also stirring in basil for the perfect bites of freshness.
- For serving: this is optional, but I love stirring in grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese because what’s pasta without a savory, salty cheese? You could also add red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
Make it your way
You can easily customize your pasta pomodoro recipe to make it your own!
- Go gluten-free: simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta shape and toss it in that lovely burst cherry tomato sauce.
- Keep it vegan & dairy-free: omit the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese to keep it dairy-free. It will still be delicious!
Looking to add a boost of protein?
I think cooked, sliced chicken sausage, Italian sausage, these homemade meatballs, or the chicken from this recipe would pair perfectly with this pasta recipe.
Pasta pomodoro in 4 easy steps
- Cook your pasta. Add a generous amount of salt to a large pot of water and cook your pasta until al dente.
- Make the sauce. Add olive oil to a large skillet and cook your garlic for about 10-15 seconds, being careful not to burn it. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and gently smash them with a wooden spoon so that they burst and get nice and jammy.
- Blend the sauce. Reserve a cup of pasta water, and add half of it to the tomato sauce in your skillet. Add it all to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend the sauce with the pasta water until it’s pureed but still has some nice chunks of tomato in it, then stir in the fresh basil.
- Mix the pasta. Add your drained pasta to the skillet with the tomato sauce and gently toss to combine. Add more pasta water to loosen the sauce as needed.
- Garnish & serve. Taste the pasta and season with salt and pepper as needed, then top Parmigiano Reggiano and basil and serve it up!
Save the sauce for later
Feel free to double the sauce recipe and freeze any leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 months. It’s a great way to have homemade sauce on demand for busy weeknights!
Storing tips
Store any leftover pasta pomodoro in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave before serving.
More pasta recipes you’ll love
- Burst Cherry Tomato Basil Chicken Rigatoni
- Gochujang Carbonara
- Roasted Rainbow Vegetable Pasta with Cashew Pesto + Goat Cheese
- Creamy Sweet Corn & Brown Butter Ricotta Pasta
- The Best Healthy Turkey Lasagna You’ll Ever Eat
Get all of my pasta recipes here!
I hope you love this homemade pasta pomodoro recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
30-Minute Pasta Pomodoro Recipe
Ingredients
- Pasta and sauce:
- 10 ounces spaghetti or bucatini
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 10 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
- For serving & garnish:
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Small basil leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Place a large pot of water over high heat and add in a generous amount of salt.
- While waiting for the water to boil, mince the garlic, halve the tomatoes, and chop the basil. Once the water boils, drop in the pasta, stirring every few minutes so that it doesn’t stick together, and cook until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, make the tomato sauce: Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat and add in the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, stir in the garlic, cooking for just 10-15 seconds; be careful to not let the garlic burn! Add in the halved cherry tomatoes and stir them together with the garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cook the tomatoes, stirring often and using a wooden spoon to gently smash them until they burst. Cook the sauce for about 6-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes are saucy and jammy, then turn off the heat.
- Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and add about ½ cup to the tomato sauce in the skillet. Drain the pasta and set aside while you blend the sauce. Use an immersion blender* to blend the tomato sauce and ½ cup pasta water so that it’s mostly pureed but still has some chunks of tomato remaining. Fold in the chopped fresh basil.
- Transfer the cooked pasta into the skillet with the tomato sauce and use tongs to toss the pasta with the sauce. If needed, add in more pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and fresh basil leaves on top.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on September 3rd, 2024, and republished on August 12th, 2025.
Made this tonight and my whole family loved it – absolutely delicious!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
Made this tonight. It was simple, fast, and absolutely DELICIOUS! I used bucatini. Why didn’t I know about this pasta before reading this recipe? I highly recommend it with this flavorful sauce – so good! Once again, Monique, you’ve hit the ball out of the park. Thank you!
So happy to hear that! I hope more people give this one a try 🙂 one of my favs for summer!
This was outstanding! A true summer pasta! We grilled some chicken and had it on the side—great pairing. It really is as easy as she says and it was exactly what I was craving!
So happy to hear that!!
This recipe was so delicious and the perfect way to use up a bunch of fresh tomatoes from my garden. I’ve got a 4 and 2 year old and they both enjoyed it as well. I had home made meatballs on hand so I cooked a few of those but I think it would also be great with grilled chicken. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!