Name: One-Pot Fresh Tomato Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 16 oz spaghetti (or linguine); 1 onion (diced or thinly sliced); 12 oz cherry tomatoes (or grape, halved if too large); 4 garlic cloves (sliced or roughly chopped); ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling); 1 teaspoon chili flakes; sea salt; freshly ground pepper; dried oregano; freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for serving); fresh basil (for serving)

This wonderful fresh tomato pasta includes ripe cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion, and extra virgin olive oil. Add fresh basil at the end, if you’d like, or a dusting of parmesan cheese. 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!

A large bowl with fresh tomato pasta, two serving utensils and a cloth napkin. Partial view of a small plate with olives.

Why this recipe sings

This fresh tomato pasta recipe is delicious and fast; you only need a large deep skillet, spaghetti, and some fresh ingredients.

First, combine the onion, garlic, and olive oil and let them cook for a few minutes, releasing their beautiful aromas. A few minutes later, you add the cherry tomatoes and cook them enough to develop their sweet flavor. Next, pour water and dry pasta over the tomatoes and gently them together while the pasta softens in the boiling water. About 8 minutes later you have a delicious fresh tomato pasta dish with an inherently sweet yet savory, umami-rich flavor. Make sure you have some bread on hand to soak it up.

This fresh tomato pasta recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart Living (June 2013).

Here is what you need

A large plate with dry spaghetti tied together, cherry tomatoes, a glass with olive oil, an onion, a garlic head and a late with sea salt and pepper.

Spaghetti or linguine.
Onion and garlic.
Cherry or grape tomatoes.
Extra virgin olive oil.
Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, dried oregano, and chili flakes.
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving.
Fresh basil for serving.

How to make this one-pot fresh tomato pasta

Cherry tomatoes, diced onion and garlic in a deep skillet.

Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet that fits the spaghetti when flat.

Add the sliced onions and garlic, a teaspoon of chili flakes, a teaspoon of dried oregano, a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook until onions and garlic are soft, transparent and aromatic, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook tomatoes for 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Spaghetti cooking on top of cooked cherry tomatoes in a deep skillet.

Top the tomatoes with the pasta and pour 4½ cups of water. The spaghetti should lay flat.

Spaghetti cooking with cherry tomatoes in a deep skillet.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs until it is al dente and water nearly evaporates, about 9 minutes.

Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve the fresh tomato pasta in bowls with fresh basil leaves. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and top with Parmesan if you like.

Helpful tips

In order for this recipe to work, make sure you are cooking in a deep skillet large enough to fit the spaghetti without having to break them.

Another important tip is to fully immerse the pasta in the water. The spaghetti will soften as soon as the water starts to boil. Gently start stirring to avoid parts of the pasta 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.