This Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce With Pesto is a refreshing no-fuss dish. Roasting sweet cherry tomatoes in olive oil, garlic, and whole chili peppers makes a delicious base for the pasta sauce. Savory pesto and mozzarella add richness to this easy, delicious weeknight pasta dinner.
If you love this Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce, you will also love this tomato garlic pasta, eggplant pasta with tomatoes and sweet Italian sausage, or baked feta pasta!
Why this recipe sings
This cherry tomato sauce has all the flavors I love. Sweet roasted cherry tomatoes mixed with savory basil pesto and creamy mozzarella balls make an easy yet spectacular dish. It is a breeze to make it. I make my pesto (recipe included), but it’s not necessary. A good quality store-bought pesto will be just as good—the tomatoes roast next to two chili peppers and whole garlic cloves. Half of them, plus the garlic and chili peppers(for a little kick), get the blender treatment and become a smooth sauce. All get mixed with pasta, mozzarella balls, and streaks of pesto for a yummy easy weeknight (or any time ) dinner. Add a nice glass of cabernet, close your eyes and imagine having dinner next to the Mediterranean sea.
What you need for this recipe
For the pasta
- Cherry tomatoes. Any size and color are good.
- Red chili peppers. They give a slight kick to this sauce. You can use more than two if you prefer it spicier.
- Garlic. I leave the skin on while it roasts for a sweeter flavor to the garlic.
- Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and dried oregano. The basics of a greek tomato sauce.
- Linguine. I love this pasta type because it provides an excellent surface for the sauce. Pappardelle and fettuccine are in the same category. Having said that, Spaghetti or any shortcut pasta would work just as well.
For the pesto
- Pine nuts. You can choose to toast them for a more intense flavor. Alternate options are pistachios, walnuts, or cashews.
- Garlic. The more, the better!
- Lemon juice. It adds a bright note to the pesto.
- Fresh basil leaves. A classic pesto has basil. You can also do parsley, kale, or arugula pesto.
- Parmesan cheese. My go-to cheese. Pecorino romano is also an excellent choice for a more savory pesto.
You also need extra virgin olive oil for roasting and making the pesto. A bit of sugar can be used for the cherry tomatoes to intensify their sweetness (optional).
For serving
- Mozzarella cheese balls. I throw some cut in half or quartered in the pasta as I mix it in. I love the creaminess it gives to this dish.
How to make this sauce
Make the pesto. In a food processor, combine all the ingredients until smooth.
Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. If you prefer a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.
Gather the cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, and chili peppers and add them to oven proof pan. Add the olive oil and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix well. If you like a sweeter tomato, sprinkle ⅓ teaspoon of sugar all over tomatoes. (Sugar is optional).
Insider tip. Keep garlic in their skins for a more mellow, sweet-tasting garlic.
Roast in a 425°F for 30 minutes.
Scoop out about a third of the roasted tomatoes. Transfer the rest to a blender. Squeeze out the garlic. Remove skin from chili peppers and most spores and flesh to the blender.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta in plenty of salty water.
Blend until the sauce is smooth and silky.
Mix sauce and reserved tomatoes in the pan.
When pasta is al dente, usually a minute or two before cooking time, transfer it to the pan. Don’t drain; just transfer from the boiling water. The extra liquid that comes with the pasta will help the creaminess in the sauce.
Dizle some pesto and tuck halved or quartered mozzarella balls in the hot pasta. Serve in bowls with more pesto around the table. Don’t forget the crusty warm bread!
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Check out my Greek pantry staples
Have you cooked this pasta? Rate the recipe! You can also leave a comment below. I love hearing from you!
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Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce With Pesto
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 10 oz linguine
- 3-4 lbs cherry tomatoes use more if you like extra sauce
- 2 red chili peppers
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- dried oregano
- ⅓ teaspoon sugar optional
For the pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves packed
- ¼ cup pine nuts Can be toasted.
- 2 garlic clove
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
For serving
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese balls cut in half or quartered
Instructions
Make the pesto
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth—taste and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Roast the tomatoes
- Heat the oven to 425°F /220 °C.Add tomatoes, chili pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, sugar (optional), and dried oregano in an oven-proof pan. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.Roast tomatoes for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
Make the sauce
- Take ⅔ of the cherry tomatoes and all the juices from the pan and add them to a blender.Squeeze out the garlic and remove the skin and most seeds from the chili peppers. Add all to the blender and pulse until smooth.Return smooth sauce to the pan with the reserved tomatoes and gently mix.
Serve
- Gently mix the pasta with the sauce and some halved mozzarella balls and stir. Drizzle with some of the pesto.
- Divide pasta among bowls and serve with more pesto for the table.
Notes
Nutrition
We are pasta lovers in this house. This cherry tomato pasta is simple and so tasty. I love when basic recipes are like gourmet eating.
I found this recipe just on time to use my freshly made pesto. And boy was it delicious! I love that it is chunky and full of tomatoes and that kick from the peppers is like the icing on the cake.
I have tons of little cherry tomatoes on the vine in my garden so I needed a way to use them before it was too late. This pasta sauce with pesto was great because I was able to use up both the cherry tomatoes and the basil in one delicious recipe.
I love eating pasta, and this one is so delicious and so easy to make.
I will prepare this for tonight’s dinner.
This was the most delicious tomato pasta! I love how easy this was to make and it was so simple, tasty, and hearty! Adding this to our dinner menu rotation- thank you!
This is a really simple yet delicious recipe with so many fresh and wholesome flavors- it never disappoints my family. I made my pesto with walnuts this time instead of pine nuts and all the flavor was still there. Highly recommend!
No fuss and delicious!! This was such a great pasta and we loved the pesto in it, too. A great simple but flavorful dish.
What a great way to use up the last bits of summer produce! Such a good sauce. We served it with roasted salmon.
What a wonderful dish — all the yummy tomatoes! Love the color this brings to the table, too. Like you said, the pesto isn’t totally necessary, but it adds a wonderful touch!
Thank you so much, Patricia! x Jeny
Great flavor, but 4 lbs of tomatoes was way too much. It made mine way to saucy; nothing like the pic. I couldn’t find red chilis, so I used jalapenos. I’ll probably make it again, but only use half of the recommended tomatoes. Definitely worth trying though
Hi Bill,
So happy you liked the recipe! It is a great idea to customize it to your liking.
Thank you so much! x Jenny
Love pesto – you can’t go wrong! I need to get a food processor so I can make this! Sounds so delicious!
This is so delicious and the mozzarella added richness to this tasty dish.
Yum!