Pasta al Pesto (with Balsamic Blistered Cherry Tomatoes)

a white bowl of pasta al pesto studded with blistered balsamic cherry tomatoes

Pasta al pesto with blistered balsamic cherry tomatoes is a simple meal absolutely packed with flavor. Made in less than thirty minutes!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 401kcal

Author: Lindsey Janeiro, RDN

Equipment

Ingredients

1 recipe pesto
8 ounces dry pasta
½ cup starchy pasta cooking water

For the Blistered Balsamic Tomatoes

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Boil water. Fill a large pot ⅔ of the way with water and bring it to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil:
Make the pesto. Add all ingredients for easy nut-free pesto into a food processor or blender. Blend about one minute, until it's pureed but still has a little texture. (Alternatively you can use your favorite store-bought pesto.) Set pesto aside.
Cook the pasta. Once the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until it's al dente. While the pasta is cooking:
Blister the tomatoes. Heat olive oil in a large pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the tomatoes. Let the tomatoes sit for two minutes, until they start to blister. At that point, turn off the heat, add the balsamic vinegar, give the tomatoes a quick stir, and let them sit another two minutes. When done, season with salt and pepper.
Reserve starchy pasta water. When the pasta is al dente, reserve ½ cup of starchy pasta water to help create the finished pasta dish. Then drain pasta.
Toss everything together. Add the drained pasta and the pesto to the large pan of blistered tomatoes (reserving a few tomatoes to use as garnish, if desired). Add two tablespoons of pasta water and toss all ingredients together. If needed, add additional pasta water until you achieve your desired consistency.
Garnish & enjoy. Serve pasta al pesto and (if desired) garnish with reserved blistered tomatoes, torn basil leaves, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition is for 1/4 of the recipe and is calculated with Barilla Chickpea Casarecce Pasta and my Nut-Free Pesto. Nutrition facts will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Nutrition