Easy and Delicious Grape Tomato Pasta

There is a simple trick to this pasta dish, and one you can use on any pasta, to take the flavour to new heights! Read on to find out what it is!

I love this pasta dish – so simple and healthy, so delicious and so quick to make. The main ingredients are grape tomatoes – either from a homegrown garden bounty or store bought in the pint containers, so you can make this year-round - olive oil, garlic, herbs, pasta, a bit of butter, parmesan cheese, or vegan parm, seasoned salt and pepper – most of these ingredients are likely already in your fridge and pantry.

The trick you ask? After you have drained your pasta, add butter and parmesan cheese to the hot pasta and toss, then top with sauce and sprinkle with additional parmesan. Adding the butter and cheese to the pasta makes it next level good!

Tomatoes are an anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant and support the immune system, a source of potassium, VitC, VitB and VitE, the latter two support heart health, with lutein and zeaxanthin that support eye health and macular degeneration.

Fresh garlic is an antioxidant, an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory. Studies have shown that allicin can help promote a healthy heart by lowering bad cholesterol and the antioxidants in garlic may help protect against dementia.

Spices are natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powerhouses. There are easily absorbed into the blood stream. They are heart healthy, ease arthritic pain, and support brain health.

As always, when you make this recipe, I would love to see your creation so please post a photo of your Easy and Delicious Grape Tomato Pasta goodness and tag my IG account #RenataCollective or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 20 min / Makes: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

300gr Pasta – pictured is bucatini but any long pasta works well
2 Tablespoons Butter, Vegan Butter or Olive Oil
½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan - plus extra for serving – Alternate: Vegan Parm or Nut Free Vegan Parm

5 Cloves Garlic – sliced and set aside to work its nutritional magic
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2 Cups Grape Tomatoes – Alternate: use 1 cup grape tomatoes and 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon Coconut Sugar - Alternate: white or brown sugar (the sugar brings out the sweetness of the tomatoes)
A Pinch of Herbed Seasoned Sea Salt - Alternate: plain sea salt
Grinds of Fresh Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil - Alternate: ½ cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon Dried Parsley

How It’s Made

Fill a large pot with water and add 1 Tablespoon of salt to the water.
When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta, stir, and cook until al dente – each pasta takes different times to cook, follow the manufacturers recommended time and check so you don’t overcook the pasta.
Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.
Drain the pasta well and transfer to a larger serving bowl.
Add the butter and when melted in the pasta, add the ½ cup parmesan cheese and toss to coat the pasta in the butter and cheese. Add a few grinds of fresh black pepper if you wish.

While the pasta water is coming to a boil, you will make the sauce.
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Let it heat up for 30 seconds.
Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, the sugar, the seasoned sea salt and generous grinds of fresh black pepper.
Cook, stirring from time to time until the tomatoes look plump – about 10 minutes.
Some of the tomatoes may have started to burst. With a wooden spoon or a spatula, press each tomato to break it open and flatten to release its goodness. The juice from the tomatoes makes the sauce.
Add the basil and parsley and give the sauce a good stir.
Add a bit of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is dry. Stir.
Sprinkle with a tablespoon of parmesan cheese.
If your pasta is done, remove the sauce from the heat.
If your pasta isn’t done yet, reduce heat to low and let the sauce stay warm while you wait for the pasta to be done.
To serve, either in the large serving bowl, or serve pasta on individual plates, spoon the sauce over the pasta. Add a few additional grinds of pepper and sprinkle generously with additional parmesan cheese.