• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Moms Need To Know ™
  • Recipes
  • Gardening
  • Frugal Living
  • Subscribe
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Gardening
  • Frugal Living
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Gardening
    • Frugal Living
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Moms Need To Cook » Cherry Tomato Sauce with Pasta, Parmesan, Basil and Spinach

    Cherry Tomato Sauce with Pasta, Parmesan, Basil and Spinach

    by Mindi Cherry

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    My cherry tomatoes were out of control and this cherry tomato sauce with pasta, basil, spinach and Parmesan was the perfect way to use them in a light meal!

    My cherry tomatoes were out of control and this Cherry Tomato Sauce with pasta, basil, spinach and Parmesan was the perfect way to use them in a light meal!

    So about a week ago, I went out to grab a few tomatoes from my garden and couldn't believe my eyes. I had about 100 cherry tomatoes that had gone from a light pink to a bright vibrant red practically overnight! It was time to get them harvested and use them.

    If you are in the mood for something creamier, you have to try my carbonara pasta with asparagus!

    While I am happy to just sit at my desk with a bowl of cherry tomatoes and pop them in my mouth like grapes, there are only so many I could use and most of my neighbors were on vacation, so I couldn't start passing them out to them.

    What to do...what to do...?

    I remembered a long time ago that my mom was in a similar situation and she just threw the tomatoes in a skillet with some salt, olive oil and garlic and let them simmer for a while. She then spent the time to remove out the skins and run the sauce through a kitchen mill, but that seemed like a lot of work to me.

    Cherry Tomato Sauce Ingredients

    And so, with that in mind, I found myself scrounging through my garden and pantry to see what I could use.  My spinach was doing well, so I picked a few handfuls of that and I always have fresh basil growing.

    Time to eat from my garden!

    Cherry Tomato Sauce process1

    This cherry tomato sauce couldn't have been simpler....the trick is to not cook the tomatoes too quickly or they will start to burn. You need to let them cook (covered) for a good 20-25 minutes on low until the tomatoes start to burst and release their juices. See all that juice in the photo above?  That is all from the tomatoes!

    And hey - I don't care if you are trying to cut down on salt....if you aren't going to use the sea salt in the recipe, then don't even bother trying to make it. Without the salt, you won't be able to pull out nearly enough juice from the tomatoes to flavor the pasta.

    Cherry Tomato Sauce process2

    This cherry tomato sauce is best served straight from the stove, so don't add the basil and spinach until you are a few minutes away from meal time. They will wilt very quickly, but if you let them stay in the hot pasta and sauce for too long, they will wilt a little too much and look yucky (it's a cooking term!)

    Cherry Tomato Sauce process3

    Finally - make sure to use good-quality Parmesan cheese...none of the pre-grated stuff in a can.  It really makes a difference in flavor! I buy the large blocks of Parmesan at Costco (it's one of the better deals at Costco) and always grate it fresh using my microplane. If you don't want to do that, you can always buy the fresh-grated from the deli counter at your supermarket!

    Oh - and funny story:  when my one neighbor returned from vacation I was telling him my tale of woe with having too many tomatoes and when I told him about my cherry tomato sauce, he said "Congratulations Min - you made Pasta Pomodoro!".  But I guess if, it was new to me - it might be new to some of you as well...so enjoy!

    Scroll down for the recipe!

    My cherry tomatoes were out of control and this Cherry Tomato Sauce with pasta, basil, spinach and Parmesan was the perfect way to use them in a light meal!

    My cherry tomatoes were out of control and this Cherry Tomato Sauce with pasta, basil, spinach and Parmesan was the perfect way to use them in a light meal!

    Cherry Tomato Sauce with Pasta, Parmesan, Basil and Spinach

    My cherry tomatoes were out of control and this Cherry Tomato Sauce with pasta, basil, spinach and Parmesan was the perfect way to use them in a light meal!
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Mindi

    Ingredients 

    • 8 oz thin spaghetti or pasta of your choice
    • 2 pints about 3 - 4 cups cherry tomatoes
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
    • 5 garlic cloves run through a garlic press (more or less to taste)
    • 3 cups baby spinach stems removed and roughly chopped
    • 12 - 15 large basil leaves roughly chopped
    • zest of 1 lemon
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 cup grated parmesan + additional for garnish

    Instructions

    • Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (large enough to hold the tomatoes and cooked pasta) over medium heat.
    • Add garlic and saute for about a minute
    • Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper.
    • Cover and let cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes start to burst and release their juices.
    • While the tomatoes are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boiling and cook the pasta to al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
    • Add the pasta to the tomatoes along with the basil, spinach, lemon zest and 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
    • Stir to coat pasta until the basil and spinach begin to wilt.
    • Add the Parmesan cheese and stir again to coat.
    • Taste the pasta and add more salt & pepper if needed.
    • If the pasta sauce seems too thick, add more pasta water, a little at a time to "loosen it up a bit"
    • Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese just before serving

    Cherry Tomato Sauce with Pasta, Parmesan, Basil and Spinach

    « The Best Things To Buy In June
    Baked S'Mores Cups Recipe »

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases disclosure policy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debrashoppeno5

      August 29, 2016 at 7:24 am

      This recipe looks delicious. It has everything I love to eat and I will be making it soon. Thanks so much for sharing.

    2. amy

      August 30, 2016 at 8:41 am

      i'm in the same boat. I will give this recipe a try!

    3. Stacey Keeling

      September 01, 2016 at 4:32 pm

      I am absolutely going to make this!! Sounds amazing.

      Thanks so much for sharing this at Thoughts of Home on Thursday. Pinning. 🙂

    4. Calypso in the Country

      September 01, 2016 at 4:42 pm

      This looks so fresh and delicious!
      Shelley

    5. Marisa

      September 13, 2016 at 4:44 pm

      This looks so yummy! thanks for sharing!

    6. Emily

      September 13, 2016 at 8:46 pm

      I love how fresh this looks! Yum!

    7. [email protected] free A-Z Blog

      June 07, 2017 at 10:51 pm

      This recipe looks wonderful. I had the same thing happen to me. We became overrun with ripe cherry tomatoes. I actually cooked them into a sauce and they were delicious.

    8. Donna @ Modern on Monticello

      June 11, 2017 at 8:41 pm

      My daughter will love this. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty

    Primary Sidebar

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Hi! I'm Mindi! As a busy mom. I just want to put healthy and flavorful meals on the table quickly without having to rely on processed foods, while still creating a happy home around me.

    More about me →

    All Time Favorites

    • Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders
    • Best Dip For Doritos Recipe
    • Companion Planting | What NOT To Plant Together
    • Oreo Truffles Recipe | Oreo Cake Ball Recipe!
    • Slow Cooker Beef Stew Recipes
    • Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Recipes | Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
    • Cherry Thumbprint Cookie Recipe | Christmas Cookie Idea
    • Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup + More Easy Chicken Recipes

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Moms Need To Know