Go Back
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!
Mindi

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 Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz thin spaghetti or pasta of your choice
  • 2 pints about 3 - 4 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1 ½ tablespoon 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
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup grated parmesan + additional for garnish

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan (large enough to hold the tomatoes and cooked pasta) over medium heat.
  2. Add garlic and saute for about a minute
  3. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper.
  4. Cover and let cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes start to burst and release their juices.
  5. 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.
  6. Add the pasta to the tomatoes along with the basil, spinach, lemon zest and ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
  7. Stir to coat pasta until the basil and spinach begin to wilt.
  8. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir again to coat.
  9. Taste the pasta and add more salt & pepper if needed.
  10. If the pasta sauce seems too thick, add more pasta water, a little at a time to "loosen it up a bit"
  11. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese just before serving