Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes Melted in Garlic Butter

This recipe came from Food and Wine magazine. It is so incredibly simple with only a few ingredients, but awesomely delicious. Sometimes simple is the best! Not sure if it is all the butter, or the garlic, or the basil, or what makes this dish so special, but it really is special.

I guarantee if you like Italian food you will love this dish. I used DeCecco Bucatini pasta.

This is my favorite brand of pasta and I really like the toothsome quality of Bucatini. Use whatever is your favorite (or make your own!), but this one works very well. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package directions; usually 7 to 9 minutes. I err on the side of al dente as the pasta cooks a little further when you mix it into the sauce. Once the pasta has cooked, remove from the water, but reserve 1 cup of pasta water to use later for the sauce.

The DeCecco family has a long and wonderful history of pasta making which dates back to the 1800’s. Want to learn more: https://madeinitaly-community.com/en/blog/food-beverage-en/pasta-de-cecco-strictly-made-in-italy/

While the pasta is cooking, peel and slice 6 large cloves of garlic.

My faithful and trusty helper!

Grate the parmesan cheese. You will need about 1/2 cup for the sauce and additional for topping once served. I won’t go into my rant on pre-grated vs. grating your own, but really do grate your own cheese. The pre-grated stuff has lots of additives and weird ingredients that are NOT cheese; like wood pulp.

This is my go-to brand of parmesan. It is excellent!

My husband, Jerry looking longingly at a block of parmesan at a cheese shop in Tuscany.

Do you think they buy pre-grated parmesan cheese in Italy? I bet not!

It takes seconds to grate on a box grater.

Melt 6 Tbsp. salted butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic, stirring often, until just browned; about 1 minute. You don’t want to overcook/over-brown the garlic as that can cause it to become bitter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a small bowl.

Add tomatoes to the skillet; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are softened and beginning to burst; about 20 minutes. If the mixture looks dry, add 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. I added anyway just to be sure! :-) Stir the reserved garlic slices into the tomatoes; season with salt to taste and remove from the heat.

Transfer the cooked spaghetti into the skillet of tomatoes and garlic. Toss to coat it well with the sauce. Add the reserved cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, as needed to create a silky sauce. Sprinkle with basil, add about 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and a pinch of red pepper flake. Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve with more grated parmesan.

This dish comes together in less than a half hour. Perfect for a busy work night or an easy Sunday supper.

Jerry enjoyed this dish immensely. Me, too! Hope you do, as well. 

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5 from 1 vote

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes Melted in Garlic Butter

Easy to make and incredibly delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Uncooked spaghetti
• 6 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
• 2 lbs. Mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes; about 6 cups
• 1 cup Fresh basil, chopped; more for garnish
• 1 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil, if needed Please add it!
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup Grated parmesan; more for topping
• Pinch Crushed Red pepper

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente ( 7 to 9 minutes).
• While spaghetti is cooking, melt 6 Tbsp. butter in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown; about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a small bowl.
• Add tomatoes to the skillet. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes are softened and begin to burst; about 20 minutes.
• Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to ensure that the sauce stays nice and saucy.

  Add a pinch of crushed red pepper. Stir in reserved browned garlic slices and 1/2 cup grated parmesan into the tomatoes; season with salt. Remove from the heat.
• Add 1 cup of chopped fresh basil. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients.
• Add the reserved cooking liquid 1/4 cup at a time, as needed, to create a perfectly silky sauce. Sprinkle with more basil and a bit more parmesan cheese.