If you’re one of those people lucky enough to have already generated a bumper crop of fresh tomatoes and/or basil from your garden, well this recipe is perfect for you! And if you’re failing at gardening like me, then head on out to the farmers’ market to get some ingredients — you’re going to want to make this one. It’s super easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner!
What You’ll Need
Pasta. The recipe calls for capellini (also known as angel hair) pasta, but feel free to use your favorite pasta shape.Olive oil.Garlic.Red pepper flakes. These will add a little kick to the dish. Leave them out for a milder version, or add extra for more heat.Fresh tomatoes. The recipe calls for plum tomatoes, which work really well in this dish since they have minimal seeds. You can substitute another variety of tomato if that’s what you’ve got on hand though. Even cherry tomatoes will work — just cut them in half.Balsamic vinegar. Use a good quality balsamic that’s thick and syrupy.Salt.Fresh basil. You absolutely can’t sub dried basil in this dish — it just won’t be the same!
How to Make Tomato Basil Pasta
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how this dish is made. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe.
Get all of your prep work out of the way — cook and drain your pasta, dice your tomatoes, mince the garlic, and chop the basil. This dish comes together fast, so you’ll want all your ingredients to be ready when you need them.Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté them very briefly, and be careful not to let anything burn.Add the diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and salt. Stir it up and heat everything for about a minute — the goal is to just heat up the tomatoes without fully cooking them.Add the pasta and toss everything to distribute the ingredients. Just cook the mixture long enough to heat up the pasta.Take the skillet off of the burner and stir in the basil. Add more salt if you’d like.
Enjoy your tomato basil pasta all by itself, or top it with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese.
Leftovers & Storage
This dish is best served immediately, but if you do have leftovers they’ll keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
Pasta with White Wine SauceEasy Lemon Broccoli PastaBalsamic Asparagus PastaRoasted Red Pepper PastaLemon Brussels Sprout Pasta
