This simple cherry tomato pasta recipe is bursting with summer flavour. The pasta and sauce are tossed with fresh kale and it's perfect served with plenty of parmesan.
There are few things I love more than a big bowl of summer pasta 😋
Will has had an allotment for the past year and a bit and so our summers are now dominated by whatever is growing well at the time.
At the moment it's kale so we're having to come up with lots of ideas of what to do with it and one of those ideas was this simple summery pasta.
The tomato sauce is a pretty easy and is made even better by using super sweet cherry tomatoes which are cooked down slowly into a rich tomato sauce.
The kale is added just before serving and then everything is tossed with freshly cooked pasta and loads of parmesan. Such a dream.
Related: Don't miss these caprese toasts as well!
Why we love this recipe...
This cherry tomato pasta is such an easy recipe to make which makes it perfect for a hot summer's evening when you don't want to spend ages making dinner.
You can easily make it vegetarian by leaving out the anchovy and switching to a vegetarian parmesan substitute. Or even leave out the cheese all together to make it vegan.
You can add loads of extra veggies to this to make it even healthier. Basically anything would work here.
It also makes great leftovers and tastes amazing cold the next day.
Ingredients
This section is here to provide further tips and ideas for alternative ingredients. The full recipe and instructions are included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Olive Oil
Garlic
Anchovy: I promise you can't actually taste it, it just gives a nice umami flavour, but if you're really not a fan or want to make the recipe vegetarian then feel free to leave out.
Tomato Puree
Cherry Tomatoes
Sugar
Basil
Kale: If you're not a fan of kale then you could switch this for spinach would also be delicious.
Pasta: Use any cut you like but I prefer a short cut for this recipe.
Parmesan
How to make it
Start the sauce: Add the garlic and anchovy to hot oil and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomato puree and cook until the puree darkens.
Finish the sauce: Add the tomatoes, sugar, seasoning and basil to the pan with a splash of water and cook for 20 minutes.
Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook that pasta according to packet instructions. Just before the sauce is ready add the kale and stir to wilt. Drain the pasta and to the sauce with half the parmesan and toss everything together.
Want more? Try these other pasta recipes!
- Mushroom Gnocchi with Thyme
- Spicy Pasta with Harissa & Aubergine
- Creamy Tagliatelle with Squash and Sausage
- Mushroom Orzo with Beetroot and Feta
- Prawn Linguine with Tomatoes and Feta
- Summer Tortellini Salad with Arugula
- Vodka Pasta Sauce with Sun Dried Tomato
- Orzo Risotto with Mascarpone
Recipe
Cherry Tomato Pasta with Kale
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 Anchovy
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- 250 g Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 2 sprigs Basil
- Salt and Pepper
- 250 g Kale stems removed
- 400 g Pasta
- 50 g Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic and anchovy. Cook gently until the garlic smells fragrant and the anchovy melts into the oil. Add the tomato puree and cook for another couple of minutes until the puree starts to darken.
- Add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and basil and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until thickened. Season again to taste.
- While the sauce cook bring a pot of water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions. Just before the sauce finishes cooking, add the kale and stir to wilt.
- When everything's finished cooking add the pasta to the sauce with the parmesan and toss well before serving.
Notes
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Jackie says
OH MY!! Delish, Delish, Delish!!! I didn't have puree, used ketchup, added some pasta water, it was fine. I also did feta cheese as I paired it with a kale salad and had a tahini dressing. I am having a dinner and this WILL be made.
Thanks!!
Jackie
Jill says
We all loved this healthy and delicious pasta. Thank you for the recipe!
maryanne says
This was a delicious summer meal! I didn't have anchovies on hand, so I used a spoonful of miso paste in its place - it worked well! I also added more fresh basil, since I love basil, and I have a ton of it in my garden this year. Very flavorful and satisfying dish!
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this with my summer tomatoes and it turned out perfect! So quick and easy; great for busy weeknights! My whole family loved it!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
This is my kind of pasta dish. Total comfort food.
Beth says
Yummy! This pasta sounds wonderful and perfect for dinner tonight! My family is definitely going to love this recipe! Excited to try this tasty looking dish!