Using fresh vegetables from the garden you make this quick and easy pasta with tomatoes and basil in just 20 minutes. This pasta sauce has such delicious flavor using garlic, juicy tomatoes and fragrant fresh basil. It’s a simple recipe but makes a delicious dinner which is perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Especially in summer using fresh ingredients.
You might also like this garlic veggie pasta with chicken recipe.
My husband has become such a good vegetable gardener and this year his tomatoes were beautiful. I immediately wanted to make this pasta with tomatoes and basil. After all we had an abundance of both foods.
While there are only a few ingredients in this pasta recipe and it only takes about 20 minutes to make, and it is packed with fresh flavors. There is nothing better than combination of garlic, tomatoes and basil when it comes to pasta. Plus there is no wine nor added sugar in this sauce.
My family loves this pasta dish and I make whenever I don’t have much time for dinner. And if you want to add more to this dish I quite a few suggestions below along with additional recipes that use fresh garden tomatoes.
Recipe ingredients I used.
There are only a handful of ingredients for this spaghetti dinner but there is no lack of flavor. I used fresh tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, fresh garlic, olive oil and pasta. I also used a bit of salt and black pepper to season.
Pasta
You can use any type of pasta you want. I used a bucatini because I saw it at Aldi and it immediately reminded me of my grandmother. It’s a thick spaghetti noodle that she used to make. However you can use regular spaghetti, penne pasta, linguine, rotini, fettuccine, or any pasta shape you want.
Fresh Tomatoes
This is perfect recipes for fresh ripe tomatoes from your garden. I chose fresh plum tomatoes because I had a lot of them and they work best in this recipe because they don’t have a lot of water and seeds in the middle. However you can use whatever variety you want such as ripe cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, beefsteak etc.
Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The fresh garlic is the essential in this recipe as is good olive oil. Try to use the best olive oil you have. I love the flavor of extra virgin olive oil as it adds to this dish.
Fresh Basil
Again it’s best to use fresh basil leaves and not dried basil. Hopefully you have a basil plant and grab a handful of leaves and add them to this dish.
How to make pasta with tomatoes and basil.
Step 1: Get a large pot of water boiling and cook pasta according to the instructions.
Step 2: In the meantime while the pasta cooks, get a large skillet or pan out and heat to medium heat. Add the olive oil and when it’s hot add the fresh crushed garlic. Saute for a minute or two until fragrant.
Step 3: Add the chopped fresh tomatoes and season with salt and black pepper if you want. Saute for 5- 10 minutes until the they are cooked but still have a bit of their shape.
Step 4: Once the pasta is done, drain the water and add to the pan of fresh tomato sauce. Don’t worry if you get a little of the starchy pasta water in the pan, just don’t add too much or it will get watery. Mix well and take off the stove. Sprinkle the fresh basil over top and mix through and serve.
If you want garnish with more fresh basil and you can also serve with grated parmesan cheese and hot pepper flakes if you wish.
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.
Serve with crusty bread and green salad and you have yourself a perfect weeknight meal. For my family we just eat this pasta and that’s all.
Other things to try in this dish.
If you want to add a few more things to this dish you can try:
- Add protein such as cooked shrimp, clams, or chicken.
- Italian sausage would also work well.
- Various vegetables like baby spinach, olives, capers, roasted peppers, onions, etc.
- Cheese like grated parmesan cheese or Romano or try fresh mozzarella or creamy burrata cheese.
- Other fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh thyme or fresh oregano.
- Add a bit of heat with hot pepper flakes or make a vodka sauce with heavy cream.
More deliciously easy recipes using fresh tomatoes.
If you are looking a mountain of fresh summertime tomatoes sitting on your counter, here are a few of my favorite recipes to use them in.
- savory tarts using crescent rolls
- roasted tomato pasta sauce
- spicy Bloody Mary for 1
- savory jam with bacon and caramelized onions
- curry chicken salad or cheesy egg stuffed tomatoes
- tomatoes with roasted zucchini or green beans side dishes
- creamy cucumber salad with bacon
- roasted zucchini and tomato soup
We have had this pasta with tomatoes and basil recipe a few times recently thanks to my husband’s awesome garden and my fresh herbs.
This is easy comfort food and my family loves it. Plus it’s an excellent meatless meal if you trying to less meat. Enjoy!
Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil Recipe
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
This fresh tomato basil pasta recipe is the perfect and easy dinner in summer. It's also a great way to use fresh veggies and herbs from your garden and it only takes 20 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta
- 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
- 10-12 eaves fresh basil, chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Get out a large pot of boiling water going then cook the pasta according package directions.
- In the meantime get out a large pan and heat to medium heat. Add the olive and once it's heated up add the crushed garlic. Saute for a minute or two until fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. (I used ½ teaspoon salt.) Cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes break down but still have some of their shape.
- Once the pasta is done, drain the water and add pasta to the pan. Mix well and take off the heat.
- Add the chopped basil and mix through. If you want to you can garnes with more fresh chopped basil and parmesan cheese. Or try some hot pepper flakes for heat.
- Store leftovers in an air tight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 274Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 155mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g
