This wonderful one-pot pasta includes ripe cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, onion, and extra virgin olive oil. Fresh buffalo mozzarella is added at the end for melty cheese goodness. This fresh tomato pasta cooks entirely in one pan and makes its own sauce, all in about 25 minutes.
If you love this One-Pot Fresh Tomato Pasta, you will also love this Tomato Garlic Pasta or Quick Burst Tomato Pasta With Halloumi!
Why this recipe sings
Here is what you need
- Pasta. We used penne, but this recipe works well with all types of pasta.
- Onion and garlic.
- Cherry tomatoes.
- Fresh basil.
- Extra virgin olive oil.
- Fresh mozzarella cheese.
- Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and chili flakes.
How to make this one-pot fresh tomato pasta
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet.
Add the chopped onions and garlic, a teaspoon of chili flakes, a generous pinch of sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Cook until the onions and garlic are soft, transparent, and aromatic, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook the tomatoes for 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Mix the tomatoes with the pasta and pour 5 cups of water. Add a couple of basil leaves.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring and turning the pasta frequently with a wooden spoon, until it is al dente and the water nearly evaporates about 12-15 minutes.
Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Break the mozzarella into bite-size pieces and scatter it on the pasta. Drizzle some olive oil and chili flakes. Cover and let the mozzarella melt for a couple of minutes.
Serve the fresh tomato pasta in bowls with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and top with Parmesan if you like.
Tips & Tricks
- For this recipe to work, ensure you cook in a deep skillet large enough to fit the pasta, tomatoes, and water.
- Another important tip is to immerse the pasta in the water fully. It will start to soften as soon as the water starts to boil. Gently stir to prevent parts of the pasta from sticking together.
- An easy mistake is to forget to season again after the pasta and water are added to the skillet. Add a pinch or two of sea salt when the water starts to boil, and check again when the cooking is finished.
Serving suggestions
This one-pot pasta is an easy weeknight dinner. Add some crusty rustic bread, a green leafy salad, baked feta with honey, and a bowl of marinated olives on the table, and you have a real feast.
olive oil guide
Everything You Wanted To Know About Olive Oil
Olive oil is an essential ingredient in the Greek cuisine. Greece is one of the largest producers of olive oil in the world. Learn a bit of its history, harvest, production, and how to choose the right olive oil for your recipes.
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One-Pot Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves sliced or roughly chopped
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes or grape, halved if too large
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 10 oz penne pasta or the pasta of your choice
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
- chili flakes
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet.
- Add the chopped onions and garlic, a teaspoon of chili flakes, a generous pinch of sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Cook until the onions and garlic are soft, transparent, and aromatic, about 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook the tomatoes for 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Mix the tomatoes with the pasta and pour 5 cups of water. Add a couple of basil leaves.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring and turning the pasta frequently with a wooden spoon, until it is al dente and the water nearly evaporates about 12-15 minutes.
- Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Break the mozzarella into bite-size pieces and scatter it over the pasta. Drizzle some olive oil and chili flakes. Cover and let the mozzarella melt for a couple of minutes.
- Serve the fresh tomato pasta in bowls with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and top with Parmesan if you like.
Notes
- If you choose spaghetti, ensure you cook it in a deep skillet large enough to fit it without breaking it.
- Fully immerse the pasta in the water. It will soften as soon as the water starts to boil. Gently stir to prevent parts of the pasta from sticking together.
- Don’t forget to recheck the seasoning when the cooking is finished.
Nutrition
This is one of my all time favorite meals. But I have never made it in one pot, love ow easy this made a quick to table and to clean up delicious meal!
The Tangy flavor of Tomatoes, Cheesy toppings makes this dish yummy. Such amazing dishes are a Happy Meal for my family.
I am obsessed with this pasta!! I love a good tomato pasta, and this recipe is a good one! Love that it is one pot. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe 🙂
We absolutely loved this pasta. It was so simple and the fresh tomatoes were perfect (they were homegrown too). Thanks for another great recipe to love!
This is a great fresh tomato pasta recipe. Here in Italy, we call cooking the pasta in the sauce risottata, meaning risotto style.
One of my new favorite ways to cook pasta. Cooking it in the pan with the tomatoes and other ingredients adds a ton of flavor to the noodles. Love this!
What have I been thinking all this time cooking the pasta separate from everything else?! This is SO MUCH EASIER! Will be how I cook pasta dinners from now on.
My kind of recipe. This was our Sunday dinner —easy to make, delicious a not much to clean. Thanks for the recipe.