Angel Hair with Sautéed Tomatoes is a speedy dish made with cherry tomatoes, basil, and loads of garlic, all tossed with angel hair pasta. A simple and delicious meal all made in under 20 minutes.
The best time to prepare this dish is when tomatoes are in season. There’s no other way to enjoy tomatoes than to pick them straight from the vine or to have a farmer's market nearby.
This dish is perfect for any level cook. The most important part to note is how quickly this comes together. Have everything prepped before you start sautéing.
The tomatoes are sliced in half to allow the juices to meld with the olive oil which creates a thick delicious sauce. Not slicing them will cause the cherry tomatoes to burst and splatter when sautéing. Slicing them is what takes time but it's still fast work. They don't have to be perfect. Just slice them whichever way - lengthwise or crosswise.
I use 4 - 6 cloves of garlic which is about 2 tablespoons of minced. It’s a lot and I make no apologies for it. Tomatoes and garlic are what make this dish. It’s not a dish you make when you're on a first date. You know what I mean?
You can get all fancy and cut a chiffonade of basil. Chiffonade is done by stacking the basil leaves, rolling them up, then slicing the roll into thin strips. You can see the steps here. If you don’t want to get all fancy, chop or tear the leaves. It’s up to you.
Cooking the angel hair pasta is the last step before combining everything together because it only takes 2 - 3 minutes. Want to learn more about cooking pasta? Check out my post on How To Cook Pasta.
You need to reserve some pasta water before you drain it. Reserve about 1 ½ cups or more. You may or may not use all of it. The starchy water is a very important because it creates a thicker, richer sauce that makes this dish incredibly delicious. The liquid from the tomatoes and the pasta water are tossed with grated Romano cheese bringing in more flavor. You can use grated Parmesan, but I love the extra saltiness Romano brings to the dish. The trick is to toss, toss, toss. You want the cheese to melt into the sauce and not clump up.
When you toss everything together, expect the tomatoes to sink to the bottom of the bowl. If this happens, plate the pasta first and scoop up the tomatoes and plop them on top.
Angel hair with sautéed tomatoes is the perfect dish when time is short and you don’t want to settle for flavor. You’re gonna love this pasta dish.
Try some of my other pasta dishes:
- Simply delicious spinach and cheese pasta salad
- Lemon herb pearl couscous
- Sausage pasta bake with mozzarella
- Sausage with broccoli and pasta
- Spaghetti with garlic butter and cheese
- Peruvian pesto
Life is too short for mediocre food.
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Angel Hair with Sautéed Tomatoes
PRINT PINIngredients
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic about 4 - 6 cloves
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves torn into pieces or chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or black pepper*
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 pound angel hair pasta
- 1 ½ cups reserved pasta water
- 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese plus more for serving
Instructions
- Place a large stock pot of water (enough to accommodate pasta) and about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper (if using) and stir to spread across pan. Cook for about 30 seconds or when it becomes fragrant.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, basil, pepper (if not using red pepper), and salt. Stir, then lower heat to medium-low. Continue to cook until the tomatoes release their juices and sauce thickens - about 8 minutes.
- Cook the angel hair pasta for 2 minutes. Reserve 1 ½ cups of pasta water before draining and set aside.
- Transfer the angel hair to a large serving bowl. Add the tomato mixture and a cup of the pasta water and toss to fully coat pasta.
- Add the cheese and toss, toss, toss to incorporate. The cheese will thicken the sauce. Add more reserved pasta water as needed.
- Serve with additional Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired.
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