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Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta

Fresh Cherry tomatoes, lots of garlic in a creamy sauce with spaghetti
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course dinner, entree, lunch, Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1lb/450g thin spaghetti
  • 4 tbsp olive oil more as needed
  • 10 cloves garlic peeled and sliced thin
  • 3lbs/1.3 kg cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes to taste
  • 1.5 tsp dried oregano leaves
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves torn
  • 1 tsp sugar to taste
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream as needed
  • 1lb/450g cooked chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese as needed optional
  • parmesan cheese grated optional

Instructions
 

  • Heat up a pot of water to cook the pasta. When the water is at a full boil, add 1 tsp salt and thin spaghetti. Stir and cook until tender.
  • For the sauce, cut larger tomatoes in half or quarters. Leave the small ones whole. Heat up a large pan and add olive oil. Add the garlic on low heat and sauté until soft. Don’t let the garlic brown. Add the tomatoes, salt, red chili flakes, dried oregano and ½ cup torn basil leaves. Mix well. Cover and cook until the tomatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. Taste and add a little sugar if you need to, as well as more salt. The sauce will be a little thick and the tomatoes cooked but not completely broken down. Add heavy cream and mix. Taste and adjust the cream to your liking. Turn the heat off.
  • Take the pasta directly out of the pot with a slotted pasta fork and put it into the sauce. If your pan is not large enough to mix everything, drain the pasta in a colander and add the tomato sauce to the pasta pot, it’ll be easier to combine. Add more fresh basil, chicken and mix well.
  • When serving, I like to add a little ricotta cheese which makes the dish even creamier. Grated parmesan on top is also a nice addition. Even if you don’t add cheese, this pasta will be creamy and satisfying.
  • I’m using cherry tomatoes and patio tomatoes which are a little larger. Use whichever type of small tomatoes you have.
  • Chicken breast pressure cooked or off of a rotisserie chicken works well with this pasta dish.