Description
This Spicy Burst Tomato Pasta is a vibrant vegan pasta dish featuring sweet, bursting cherry tomatoes cooked down with garlic, basil, and Italian seasoning, accented by a spicy chili crisp oil. It’s a simple yet flavorful recipe perfect for a comforting and quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces rigatoni or other pasta
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili crisp or substitute with red pepper flakes
- Splash of unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 8 large basil leaves, roughly torn
- Vegan parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Cook the Tomatoes: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the tomatoes burst and release their juices. Then remove the skillet from the heat.
- Boil the Pasta: While the tomatoes cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni or preferred pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic and Seasonings: Return the empty pot to medium heat on the stove. Melt the vegan butter in the pot, then add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant but not browned.
- Combine and Toss: Add the cooked pasta, the burst tomatoes with their juices, chili crisp oil, a splash of unsweetened non-dairy milk, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pot. Gently toss the ingredients together over medium heat for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta evenly.
- Add Basil and Serve: Stir in the torn basil leaves for freshness, give everything one final gentle toss, then serve the pasta sprinkled generously with vegan parmesan cheese.
Notes
- To make the dish less spicy, reduce the amount of chili crisp or substitute with fewer red pepper flakes.
- Reserve pasta water is crucial to adjust sauce consistency and help it bind with the pasta.
- You can substitute rigatoni with penne, fusilli, or any short pasta of your choice.
- If you don’t have vegan butter, olive oil alone works for sautéing the garlic.
- This recipe is vegan and naturally gluten-free if using gluten-free pasta.
