Skip to content
Pinch of Mint
Search recipes
  • Under 30 minutes
  • Five ingredients or fewer

Tomato pasta in 13 minutes

A plate of pasta topped with cherry tomatoes and basil sits on a wooden table in a cozy kitchen, creating a fresh and inviting vibe.

By Tom · Updated

Jump to recipe
  • Serves 2
  • About 16 min
  • Easy

This cherry tomato pasta comes together in just 13 minutes and packs a punch of flavour with minimal ingredients. Juicy blistered tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil. This is the kind of weeknight dinner that feels like a cheat code.

Loads from YouTube only once you press play.

The recipe

Tomato pasta in 13 minutes

This cherry tomato pasta comes together in just 13 minutes and packs a punch of flavour with minimal ingredients.

  • Serves 2
  • 15 min prep
  • 1 min cooking
  • Easy

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale
2 servings
Measurements

Ingredients

Tick things off as you go — they stay ticked if you close the page.

A dotted underline means the amount has been rounded to something you can measure.

Method

  1. Step 1: Prep the ingredients

    Halve the cherry tomatoes (450 g), thinly slice the garlic (2 cloves), and pick the basil (25 g) leaves from their stems.

  2. Step 2: Get the pasta water going

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

  3. Step 3: Sauté the tomatoes

    In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil (20 ml) and cherry tomatoes (450 g). Season with a pinch of salt and cook for about 1 minute, just until they begin to soften and blister.

  4. Step 4: Cook the pasta

    Add the pasta (170 g) to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions.

  5. Step 5: Build the sauce

    Add the sliced garlic (2 cloves) to the tomatoes (450 g) and cook for the rest of the pasta (170 g) cooking time, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and softened.

  6. Step 6: Add the basil

    When the pasta (170 g) has about 1 minute left, stir the basil (25 g) into the tomato (450 g) mixture and let it wilt.

  7. Step 7: Combine

    Transfer the cooked pasta (170 g) directly from the pot into the pan using tongs or a slotted spoon. Toss everything together until the pasta is well coated in the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

  8. Step 8: Serve

    Plate immediately, topping with a few fresh basil leaves (25 g) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (20 ml) for an aromatic finish.

Stay in the loop

Get new recipes in your inbox

Occasional emails with new recipes, cooking tips and what’s new at Pinch of Mint.

See our Privacy Policy for information about how your personal data is used.

More pasta dinners

Also in When payday is a week away.

Questions people ask

How long does tomato pasta in 13 minutes take?

About 16 min from start to finish, of which 15 min is prep and 1 min is cooking. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 2. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Is it vegan?

Yes, as written. Check the labels on anything shop-bought, which is where animal products tend to hide.