One Pot Pasta | Cherry Tomato Rotini

If I had to use one word to describe this cherry tomato rotini it would be the word FRESH. Fresh cherry tomatoes. Fresh basil. Fresh garlic. Mmmm… I LOVE this recipe!

Life is busy, believe me, I get it. It’s all about easy dinner ideas in our house – easy and delicious of course! You can make this dinner in about 20 minutes. And best of all, you only need one pot, so the clean up is simple! The ingredients are fresh and it tastes amazing!

If there’s one thing I strive for as a family, it’s to eat dinner together at the table every day. No TV’s. No phones. Just the family. Our kids are still too little for phones, but it’s a good reminder for my hubby and I to put them away, which isn’t always easy for either of us. There’s something so wonderful about sitting down together and hearing stories about everyone’s day.

Our sit down dinners aren’t perfect by any means. Our charming 18 month old likes to say “No!” to everything these days and drops a shocking amount of food on the floor. I’m not sure when he finds the time to do it, because we try to watch him like a hawk. And then I inevitably end up getting an endless stream of  “What is this? I don’t want it!” from the girls no matter what I put on their plates. But I like to think of it all as training. One day they are going to look back on all the wonderful dinner memories we’ve made!

Easiest One Pot Pasta | Cherry Tomato Rotini

The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post, but here’s what you’ll need.

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Fresh Basil
• Garlic
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Olive Oil
• Rotini or Fusilli Pasta

Boil a large pot of water and cook the pasta according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, you can prepare everything else. Grate the mozzarella. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Chop the basil. Mince the garlic.

Mix the cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil with the olive oil and let it marinate while the pasta finishes cooking.

Drain the pasta and immediately add the cheese and the cherry tomato mixture.

Mix it all up and then cover the pot for 5 minutes.

Serve it immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh baguette. Mmmmm…

I was worried it would have an overpowering garlic flavour, but it’s just right! I’m not the biggest fan of raw garlic, but I think that it must have cooked slightly in the 5 minutes it was in the hot pasta. Whatever happened to the garlic, it was DELICIOUS!

There is something so deliciously summery about tomatoes, basil and garlic. And the mozzarella gives it just a touch of creaminess.

Two out of the three kids loved it, which is a win in my books! My 18 month old ate two giant helpings. My 4 year old was skeptical at first, but once she tried a bite she said, “I want the whole thing!”

Print Recipe

Easiest One Pot Pasta | Cherry Tomato Rotini

This cherry tomato rotini makes a super easy summer meal! 

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes approx. 2 cups
• 1 bunch fresh basil (approx. 1/4 cup)
• 2 small cloves of garlic
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated
• 3 cups uncooked rotini or fusilli pasta
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, slice the cherry tomatoes in half, finely chop the fresh basil, and mince the garlic.
• Combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil and salt and pepper in a small bowl and let it marinate while the pasta cooks.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain the water and return the pasta to the pot.
• Immediately add the tomato mixture and the grated mozarella cheese and stir to combine.
• Cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes.
• Stir again and serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh baguette.

This cherry tomato rotini makes a super easy summer meal! It’s ready in 20 minutes and best of all, you only need one pot! The flavour combination is amazing!