Cherry Tomato and Basil Pasta

This Cherry Tomato and Basil Pasta is vegan and made with only 10 ingredients. Simple to put together for an easy weeknight dinner everyone will love and cooks all in just one pot.

Bowl of pasta close up with fresh basil on top.

Why You’ll Love This Refreshing Cherry Tomato and Basil Pasta

Just 10 simple ingredients not including the oil, salt and pepper. Nothing complicated here and likely things you already have in your vegan pantry.

Easy to modify. Swap your protein as you wish from tofu to any other bean you prefer. Can’t handle tomatoes? Try using some roasted red bell peppers. Want a little more flavor and saltiness, add some sliced sun-dried tomatoes.

Everything cooks in one pot. One pot meals are the best as it means you only have one pan to clean at the end. We cook our garlic and tofu in the same pot that we cook our pasta in to help save on dishes.

Key Ingredients

Tofu. I used extra firm tofu, but feel free to leave this out or opt for a different protein source. Cannellini beans work really well as an alternative!

Garlic. I used about 5 cloves, finely sliced, but feel free to adjust more to your preference. In fact, if you like garlic, I would also recommend adding a dash of garlic powder at the end for good measure.

Cherry Tomatoes. While you can absolutely use other tomatoes, I went with cherry tomatoes as they tend to remain fairly good quality all year round.

Good quality balsamic vinegar. I’ve mentioned this in the past, but if you can splurge and get a good quality balsamic vinegar than do so. Good quality vinegar tends to not list the vinegar first, so that is typically a good clue. And if you don’t have access, taste your marinade and adjust the maple syrup to combat some of the acidity.

Pasta. I’m not much of a pasta person, but I am very particular about the type of pasta I prefer. I like rigatoni and it just does such a good job to capturing sauce around it’s ridges. However, feel free to use the type of pasta that calls out to you.

How to Make Cherry Tomato Pasta

There are three parts to this dish. Start by adding your diced tomatoes and basil to a bowl along with a pinch of salt and allow that to rest while you prepare your tofu.

Heat up your oil and pan fry your tofu. Add in your sliced garlic and toast it until it’s golden then add in your pepper flakes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Once cooked, add the tofu mixture to the bowl of tomatoes and basil.

In the same pot, boil some water and cook your pasta according to the package. While your pasta cooks, add remaining ingredients to the tomato and tofu bowl and give it a good mix.

Drain your pasta and add it back to the pot and then add in your tomato mixture. Give everything a good stir and then serve.

Tips for the Perfect Pasta

  • Cook your pasta until it’s al dente. Generally your pasta will give you a time range for cooking it on the box. I typically will cook it to about the middle of that time frame. For example, the jumbo rigatoni I used for this preparation called for the pasta to cook for 12-14 minutes. I boiled it for 13 minutes to get the perfect texture.
  • Make sure to salt your pasta water. This will ensure that your pasta comes out flavorful, which will then help to emphasize more of the flavor notes of the tomato and basil topping.
  • Taste your balsamic marinade before adding to your pasta. Make note of it’s acidity if using a lower quality balsamic vinegar and adjust the acidity by cutting it with a little more maple syrup if needed.
Pot of cherry tomato pasta being mixed with a white spatula.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you serve this pasta hot or cold?

You can serve this pasta hot right after mixing in your warm pasta, or you can let the flavors marinate a little longer in the fridge and serve it cold.

Does this pasta store well?

Place any leftovers of the pasta in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days. As the pasta sits, the flavors will continue to marinate and infuse themselves into the pasta resulting in more flavor.

More Pasta Recipes to Try

Bowl of pasta with a fork tucked into the side of the bowl.
Print
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Side view of the bowl of pasta with a fork resting on the side.

Cherry Tomato and Basil Pasta

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  • Author: Catherine Perez
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: One Pot
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This Cherry Tomato and Basil Pasta is vegan and made with only 10 ingredients. Simple to put together for an easy weeknight dinner everyone will love.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pint (280 g) cherry tomatoes, quartered 
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil, roughly chopped 
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 block (450 g) extra firm tofu, pressed and drained
  • 8 oz of rigatoni pasta
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp dry oregano 
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Add your cherry tomatoes and basil to a medium sized mixing bowl along with a pinch of salt and pepper and allow to sit.
  2. In the pot you plan to cook your pasta in, heat up your oil. Add in your tofu and pan fry on both sides. 
  3. To the pot, add in your sliced garlic and stir it around for a minute to become golden. Add in your pepper flakes along with a good pinch of salt and sauté for an extra 30 seconds then remove from heat.  
  4. Add your tofu mixture with the oil into the bowl with the cherry tomatoes and basil.
  5. Fill up your pot with warm water and bring to a boil on the stove top. Prepare your pasta according to the package, making sure to generously salt your pasta water. 
  6. While pasta cooks, add your remaining ingredients to the tomato bowl and give everything a good stir. 
  7. Drain your pasta then pour your tomato mixture over the pasta. Give your pasta a good stir and adjust seasonings to taste then serve. 

Notes

8 oz of pasta is about half of a box that is marked as 1 pound. 

Cook your pasta until it’s al dente. Generally your pasta will give you a time range for cooking it on the box. I typically will cook it to about the middle of that time frame. For example, the jumbo rigatoni I used for this preparation called for the pasta to cook for 12-14 minutes. I boiled it for 13 minutes to get the perfect texture.

Make sure to salt your pasta water. This will ensure that your pasta comes out flavorful, which will then help to emphasize more of the flavor notes of the tomato and basil topping.

Taste your balsamic marinade before adding to your pasta. Make note of it’s acidity if using a lower quality balsamic vinegar and adjust the acidity by cutting it with a little more maple syrup if needed.

Did You Try This Recipe?
Then let me know what you thought in the comments below! Share your creations by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats

 Catherine

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