Angel Hair Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce

This Angel Hair Pasta with Cherry Tomato Sauce is so quick and easy! Ready in about 20 minutes flat, and SO GOOD! Best with fresh summer cherry tomatoes.

By
Sheryl Julian
Sheryl Julian
Sheryl Julian
Sheryl Julian was the Food Editor, reporter, stylist, and recipe developer for The Boston Globe for 30 years. She teaches food journalism at Boston University in the Masters in Gastronomy program.
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Updated May 12, 2022
Sheryl Julian
Angel Hair Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce
Sheryl Julian

Every once in a while, I improvise a pasta dinner that I like so much, I end up making it twice in one week. That’s what happened with this recipe.

It's so quick and simple: Just sauté colorful cherry tomatoes with garlic and toss them with angel hair pasta. Top it with Parmesan and you're done.

To say the sauce is quick doesn’t quite get the point across. It’s practically instant. This is one of those surprising meals that is more than the sum of its parts.

Angel Hair Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce
Sheryl Julian

Angel hair pasta is sometimes labeled capellini or capelli d’Angelo – either is fine. If you can’t find angel hair, use thin spaghetti, sometimes labeled spaghettini. All of these different pastas cook in minutes.

You need two pints of mixed cherry tomatoes. Pierce them with a knife so they don’t burst their juices all over you while they cook. Four minutes in a hot skillet makes them a little saucy and deliciously intense.

Angel Hair Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce
Sheryl Julian

Save some of the pasta cooking water before you drain the angel hair – it’s starchy and adds some richness and silkiness to this simple sauce.

Toss the pasta with the tomatoes and basil leaves right in the pan, and sprinkle some Parmesan goes on top. You can serve this quick and pretty pasta dish straight from the skillet. Again and again.

Angel Hair Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

If you're good at multitasking, start the sauce as soon as the pasta goes into the pot so everything comes together at about the same time. If this feels stressful, cook the pasta first and then start the sauce. Either way, dinner is ready fast!

For a fancier presentation, if serving this at a dinner party, remove half of the tomatoes before tossing with the pasta. Plate the pasta, then top with the reserved tomatoes.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 pound angel hair pasta (capellini or capelli d’Angelo), or another thin spaghetti

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 pints red and yellow cherry tomatoes

  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon frehly ground black pepper

  • 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves, removed from the stems

  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method

  1. Cook the pasta:

    Bring a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Add the pasta and stir well until the water returns to a boil.

    Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is tender. With a ladle or a heat-proof liquid measuring cup, remove about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside.

    Drain the pasta but do not rinse it; transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and toss well.

    Angel Hair Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce
    Sheryl Julian
  2. Prep the tomatoes:

    Pierce small whole tomatoes with a skewer or the tip of a paring knife. Halve the tomatoes if they’re large.

  3. Make the sauce:

    In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the cherry tomatoes – they will splutter – along with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, red pepper, and black pepper.

    Cook, shaking the pan, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to collapse and form juices. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes more.

    Angel Hair Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce
    Sheryl Julian
  4. Toss the pasta with the sauce:

    Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Toss well.

    Add more pasta water if needed, a tablespoon at a time, to thin the mixture so the sauce coats the pasta. Add half the basil leaves and toss again.

    Angel Hair Pasta with Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce
    Sheryl Julian
  5. Serve:

    Divide the pasta among 4 to 6 large bowls. Add a few basil leaves on top of the pasta and sprinkle generously with Parmesan.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
285 Calories
14g Fat
30g Carbs
10g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 285
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 14mg 5%
Sodium 834mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 15mg 74%
Calcium 170mg 13%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 354mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.