Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- Kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- ~2 lbs cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 1/2 lbs spaghetti
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Cook the Onions Until They Melt
In a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil.
When the oil is warm, add the diced onions and a few generous pinches of salt; give it a mix and cover.
Let them cook for 7 minutes – you want the onions to melt into the oil without browning.
Keep the heat low enough so they cook slowly and stay pale.
Add Garlic and Break Down the Tomatoes
Add the minced garlic, crushed red pepper, and halved cherry tomatoes to the pan.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften and release their juices.
Remove the cover and cook for another 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes break down into chunks.
Turn off the heat while you cook the pasta.
Cook the Pasta and Finish the Sauce
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente – about 1 minute less than the package directions.
Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Turn the heat back on under the tomato sauce and add 1/2 cup of the pasta water; bring to a rapid simmer for ~2 minutes.
Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Add the drained pasta and butter to the sauce; toss everything together for about 1 minute until the pasta is coated and finishes cooking in the sauce.
Add more pasta water if needed to keep it saucy.
Toss in the chopped basil just before serving.
Cherry Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- Kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- ~2 lbs cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 1/2 lbs spaghetti
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large handful fresh basil leaves roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add diced onion and salt, cover, and cook 7 minutes until softened without browning.
- Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and halved tomatoes. Cover and cook 5 minutes.
- Uncover and cook 5-7 minutes until sauce thickens and tomatoes break down. Turn off heat.
- Boil spaghetti in salted water until 1 minute shy of al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water before draining.
- Turn heat back on under sauce, add 1/2 cup pasta water, and simmer 2 minutes.
- Add drained pasta and butter to sauce. Toss 1 minute until pasta is coated and finishes cooking.
- Toss in chopped basil before serving.
