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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Tomato Garlic Pasta

    Modified: Sep 5, 2024 · Published: Jul 12, 2017 by Christie Lai · This post may contain affiliate links · 3 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    A delicious pasta dish packed with tomato garlic flavors! This quick and easy tomato garlic pasta is great on busy weeknights as it's made with minimal and simple ingredients. Fantastic for the whole family!

    Tomato Garlic Pasta
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & Substitutes
    • Expert Tips
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Pairing Suggestions
    • FAQ
    • Other recipes you may like
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    My easy garlic pasta dish is simply made of juicy cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and pasta! It's made of very little ingredients in just 15 minutes or less!

    This Italian dish is fantastic as a main for dinner or lunch. Despite the minimal ingredients, it is so flavorful thanks to the tomatoes and lots of garlic!

    Tomato Garlic Pasta

    I can enjoy this repeatedly especially when we have fresh cherry tomatoes in the garden. I love to eat these noodles when I'm not craving meat.

    The tomato garlic pasta sauce is very light so don't expect a heavy saucy pasta. Nevertheless, this dish is super yummy and such a crowd pleaser!

    Ingredients & Substitutes

    Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

    ingredients to make Tomato Garlic Pasta
    • Spaghetti: or spaghettini pasta. This texture of pasta works best with a light tomato sauce. Or substitute with any long stringy pasta like fettucine or linguine.
    • Cherry Tomatoes or Grape Tomatoes: I recommend either of these tomato breeds as they're sweeter than regular tomatoes.
    • Fresh basil leaves: do not substitute with dried basil flakes as it won't taste the same
    • Garlic cloves
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • Reserved hot pasta water: this starchy noodle water creates the base for our tomato sauce so don't substitute with plain water.

    Expert Tips

    • Don't overcook the pasta. Only boil until it's al dente and do a taste test.
    • Don't forget to reserve some of that starchy pasta water at the end of the pasta boiling process so it's extra starchy.
    • This starchy water helps the sauce stick to the pasta and creates a thicker sauce.
    • Let the garlic slow cook in the oil and don't raise the heat past low. If you raise it any higher it'll burn and the garlic flavors won't release into the oil.

    Instructions

    Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make tomato garlic pasta:

    1. In a large pot of water, season it with 2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Boil pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Near the end of the cooking process, reserve ⅓ cup of hot pasta water for sauce. Strain pasta and set aside.
    2. Meanwhile, in a large pan on low heat, add extra virgin olive oil. Add in sliced garlic and slow fry until fragrant. Once fragrant, add in the tomatoes. Season with remaining salt and black pepper. Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 3-5 minutes until tomatoes are softened and tomato juices release.
    3. Remove the lid and add in reserved pasta water. Toss in cooked pasta. Add chopped basil leaves and toss everything together. Remove off heat and serve immediately with more fresh basil as a garnish. Season with salt to taste if needed. Enjoy!

    Storage

    • Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
    • Freezer friendly? This can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan. I would recommend storing the sauce and pasta in separate bags.

    Pairing Suggestions

    This tomato garlic pasta serves well with:

    • Starters like fresh salad with Italian dressing, Caesar salad, or antipasto salad, calamari, garlic bread, bruschetta, or Italian wedding soup
    • Pizza
    • Risotto
    • Italian meatballs
    • Chicken parmesan
    • Cooked protein like sautéed buttered shrimp, chicken, or beef or grilled steak
    • Sautéed or grilled vegetables like green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, squash, brussel sprouts, corn on the cob, and mushrooms.
    • Stuffed mushrooms
    • Baked Italian eggplant

    FAQ

    Can I make tomato garlic pasta in advance? 

    This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.

    Can I add protein to this tomato garlic pasta?

    Sure, feel free to add sliced or ground meat, extra-firm tofu, or seafood.

    Other recipes you may like

    • Dairy-Free Basil Pesto Pasta
    • Chicken Tomato Zucchini Pasta
    • Zucchini Mushroom Tomato Pasta
    • Rose Primavera Pasta
    • Tomato Basil Zucchini Pasta

    📖 Recipe

    Tomato Garlic Pasta

    Easy 15-min. Tomato Garlic Pasta

    Christie Lai
    Tomato Garlic Pasta. A delicious and simple 6-ingredient pasta dish that is so satisfying and light in sauce! So easy to make in 15 minutes! This recipe is also vegan.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 2
    Calories per serving 769 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 0.55 lb spaghetti pasta or spaghettini
    • 9 oz cherry tomato sliced in half
    • ¾ cup fresh basil roughly chopped, packed
    • 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
    • ⅓ cup reserved pasta water
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 ¼ teaspoon salt to season pasta water and to season sauce
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • In a large pot of water, season it with 2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Boil pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Near the end of the cooking process, reserve ⅓ cup of hot pasta water for sauce. Strain pasta and set aside.
    • Meanwhile, in a large pan on low heat, add extra virgin olive oil. Add in sliced garlic and slow fry until fragrant. Once fragrant, add in the tomatoes. Season with remaining salt and black pepper. Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 3-5 minutes until tomatoes are softened and tomato juices release.
    • Remove the lid and add in reserved pasta water. Toss in cooked pasta. Add chopped basil leaves and toss everything together. Remove off heat and serve immediately with more fresh basil as a garnish. Season with salt to taste if needed. Enjoy!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    • Large Pot 5 Qt
    • Large Non-Stick Pan
    • Measuring Set
    • Cutting Board
    • Santoku Knife
    Nutrition
    Calories: 769kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 849mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1474IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 4mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Anna

      November 12, 2020 at 7:29 pm

      5 stars
      This was very delicious, light and tasty with flavour. I love how simple the ingredients are too.

      Reply
    2. Victoria

      July 13, 2017 at 6:18 pm

      5 stars

      This looks so simple but delicious. I was just thinking the other day about making something along the same lines!

      Reply
      • Christie

        July 13, 2017 at 6:42 pm

        Thanks so much Victoria! I love simple recipes that pack a lot of flavour.

        Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Recipe Blogger with an expertise on Asian recipes! She makes Asian cooking approachable with step-by-step pictures, ingredient & recipe tips and a helpful cooking video. Her quick and easy recipes have been featured on BuzzFeed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn, The FeedFeed, Sur La Table, Yummly and more! With a following of over 1M+, her recipes are made repeatedly by her loyal readers.

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