Published: · Modified: by Kelli Avila · This post may contain affiliate links ·
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With classic flavors we all know and love, this Tomato Basil Pasta uses pantry staples and can be made with either canned tomatoes or fresh! This recipe is one you'll come back to over and over.
15-Minute Tomato Basil Pasta
When I need to put together dinner quickly without any prior planning, this Tomato Basil Pasta is my go-to recipe. It's made up of just a few ingredients and takes just about 15 minutes to prepare. I actually think the longest part of this process is just waiting for the water to boil, because the "sauce" comes together in no time.
And of course, the best part, it tastes SO GOOD. The dish almost gives a little bit of bruschetta vibes but swapping out the bread with pasta. All in all, this dish is a winner because everybody is going to love it and it comes together so quickly.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card. If substitutions are available for this recipe, they'll be listed here. If you don't see a substitution you are looking for, please leave a comment below.
- canned diced tomatoes (obviously a higher quality canned tomato is going to give you the best flavor, and I recommend using a San Marzano variety if at all possible)
- pasta (thin spaghetti or angel hair is recommended but you can use whatever you'd like)
- olive oil
- onion + garlic
- salt and pepper
- balsamic vinegar (don't skip this ingredient; it really helps bring out all the flavors of this dish)
- fresh basil
- parmesan cheese
How to Make it With Fresh Tomatoes
This recipe was developed with the idea that canned diced tomatoes are used, for ease of preparation, but it can also work with fresh tomatoes!
In an ideal world, when using fresh tomatoes in a pasta dish they should be blanched, skinned, and diced. Realistically, we just don't always have that time, so dicing up whole fresh tomatoes can work too. But if you have the extra time, you could blanch them to take the skin off at the very minimum. You could actually use the same water for the blanching of the tomatoes as you can for boiling the pasta!
You'll need about 2-½ cups of fresh tomatoes.
This is an overview of the steps and some explanation behind why the recipe calls for each of them. If you are looking for the full recipe, keep scrolling!
The sauce of this dish is really simple and is made up of olive oil, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and pasta water that comes together and lightly coats the noodles. Set aside more pasta water than you think you'll need in case the pasta gets dry.
Here are the steps to make this recipe:
- boil the pasta in a separate pot
- cook the onions, garlic and tomatoes
- strain the pasta but reserve some pasta water
- combine the pasta, with the tomato mixture and some pasta water until it reaches the desired consistency and of course, taste and adjust the seasoning
Serving and Storing
This pasta recipe really needs no adornment other than some extra fresh basil and parmesan cheese, and even the cheese can be skipped if need be, as the sauce is so flavorful.
As with most simple pasta dishes made using the pasta water as a part of the sauce, the longer it sits, the more the pasta soaks up the sauce. This translates to this dish not keeping well. It's best eaten immediately.
However, that doesn't mean you should toss the leftovers. Of course, keep them for a day or two, and to reheat, add some water or even if you save the leftover drained tomato juice, that could be used to reheat it as well.
More Pasta Recipes
- Lemon Kale Pesto Pasta
- Pancetta and Pea Pasta
- No Boil Baked Ziti
- No-Boil Taco Pasta Bake
Making the recipe? Be sure to leave a comment with a star review on your experience! Have a question? Leave a comment below and I'll get back to you as quickly as I can!
Full Recipe
Tomato Basil Pasta
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 3 reviews
- Author: Kelli Avila
- Prep Time: 00:02
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
Description
With classic flavors we all know and love, this Tomato Basil Pasta uses pantry staples and can be made with either canned tomatoes or fresh! This recipe is one you'll come back to over and over.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomato, drained
- 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½-1 cup pasta water
- 16 ounces thin spaghetti or angel hair
- ½ cup basil, chopped
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Once hot, add onions, garlic and a big pinch of salt, pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and cook until slightly reduced about 5-8 minutes.
- When pasta is done, add ½ cup of the pasta cooking water to the tomatoes. Drain pasta and add it to the tomato sauce along with the basil, and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine.
- Taste and add more basil and salt as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
Draining the tomatoes help distinguish this dish from feeling more like a tomato sauce pasta instead of a pasta with tomatoes. Set aside the strained juice for another purpose.
