This Sungold Tomato Pasta (pasta pomodoro technically) is the epitome of summer. Fresh, ripe summer golden tomatoes cooked down with shallot, garlic and smoky aleppo pepper into a silky flavorful pasta sauce. Tossed with your favorite pasta shape and topped with garlicky herby breadcrumbs for a little crunch. This recipe is truly one of my favorite things to enjoy during the summer months.
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Ingredients
Using fresh simple ingredients when they're in their prime time of year really makes such a difference in getting the maximum flavor out of them, like these sweet sungold tomatoes for example.
- Pasta: you can use your favorite pasta shape – I’m currently having a moment with bucatini.
- Sun gold tomatoes: sungold tomatoes are a variety of cherry tomatoes that ripen to a golden orange color over the summer. They are deliciously sweet. If you’re having trouble finding them in the grocery store, try checking your local farmers market.
- If you can’t find sungold tomatoes, regular cherry tomatoes or even grape tomatoes work just as well!
- Shallot: a more mild onion, perfect for adding that flavor without being too strong.
- Garlic: Just a bit of garlic sliced to round out the flavor of the tomato sauce. Also used in the garlicky breadcrumbs.
- Aleppo pepper: this is a slightly smoky slightly spicy slightly sweet spice – if you are completely adverse to spice I’d recommend cutting this one by half. If you want to amp the spice up, I’d suggest adding red pepper flakes in addition to this.
- Extra virgin olive oil: used as the base of the sauce to first sautè the shallot and garlic. We use EVOO and salted butter combination because the EVOO helps ensure the butter doesn’t burn.
- Salted butter: bring a bit more flavor in addition to the EVOO. Also used to toast the breadcrumbs.
- Panko breadcrumbs: crispy, crunchy, large flake breadcrumbs for a nice textural element on top of the pasta.
- Parsley: a fresh flavor element in the breadcrumbs. You could use fresh basil instead if you prefer.
- Kosher salt: a bit of kosher salt to help activate all the flavors. I use Diamond Crystal.
Step by step instructions
While this recipe has a few elements, it's pretty easy and a delicious fresh tomato sauce to use all of the abundance of cherry tomatoes in the summer.
Make the breadcrumbs
In a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the panko breadcrumbs and grated garlic. Toast for 3-5 minutes until golden.
Finish with the fresh parsley. Pour it into a separate bowl and set aside.
(start bringing a large pot of salted water up to boil)
Make the sungold tomato sauce
In a large skillet, melt the butter with the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and starting to soften.
Then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the halved sungold tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they start to burst / soften and their juices start to release.
Add the salt and aleppo pepper.
Continue to cook on medium, stirring occasionally, until the tomato mixture is saucy and simmering, about 10-12 minutes.
Transfer the drained cooked pasta along with a ¼ cup reserved pasta water to the skillet with sauce and toss to combine until the sauce coats the pasta, about 2-3 minutes. Add another splash of pasta water as needed.
Tips and tricks
Although this is a pretty simple pasta recipe, reading the tips and tricks below can help make sure it comes out perfect.
- Blend the sauce with an immersion blender if you want it to be fully smooth.
- Salt your pasta water! A big heaping tablespoon.
- When you drain pasta, always save at least a cup of pasta cooking water, it's better to have more than enough than not enough.
- If you want it spicy, add some red pepper flakes or chopped calabrian chiles.
- If your tomatoes are struggling to burst, give them a little smush with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Cook your pasta 1 min before al dente (a minute less than the package directions) because it'll finish cooking in the sauce.
- Cook pasta in at least a 5 quart pot, it’ll expand as it cooks so you want to allow ample room for it to cook evenly.
- If you’re up for it, making fresh pasta would really take this dish up a notch. This fresh pasta recipe is my go-to. https://www.loveandlemons.com/homemade-pasta-recipe/
- Add a splash of white wine to the tomatoes after they've cooked for 5 minutes if you want to add more depth of flavor.
Recipe additions
- If you want to add protein, I recommend:
- White beans if you’re vegetarian
- Seared or grilled shrimp
- Crispy chicken cutlets
- Ground sausage
- If you want to bulk it up with more healthy add-ins, I recommend:
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Roasted or fresh corn (can even use defrosted frozen corn)
What to serve with sungold tomato pasta
To make this a full meal if you're serving a crowd, the below dishes are great accompaniments.
- Grilled shrimp
- Arugula, lemon, and parmesan cheese salad
- BBQ ribs
- Corn on the cob
- Avocado citrus salad
- Chicken wings
- Hot dogs / hamburgers
- Grilled vegetables (zucchini, peppers, onions, etc.)
Storage and reheating
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days
- Reheat in the microwave for a few minutes until warmed through. Add a splash of water if you need to loosen the sauce up.
- You can freeze the sauce before you add the pasta to it - transfer it to an airtight container, let it cool to room temp, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Add splashes of water as needed when reheating.
FAQs
A sungold tomato is a type of cherry tomato that rather than getting red it gets this gorgeous golden orange color. They are deliciously mild and sweet.
They are technically a fruit because they grow from a vine and have seeds on the inside, however are used pretty interchangeably in cooking.
No, you do not! The skin breaks down and is almost non-existent at the end of cooking.
They are full of antioxidants and a plant compound called lycopene which is linked to improved heart health.
Ripe tomatoes will be slightly firm but also have a little give. If they are too soft, they're likely overripe.
When pasta is added with pasta water to a sauce, it helps emulsify the sauce, thickening it and making it super silky, binding it to the pasta and infusing its flavor.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review below and tag me on social!
📖 Recipe
Sungold Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
For the breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 clove garlic grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
For the pasta sauce
- 1 lb pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 20 oz sungold tomatoes halved
- 1 shallot minced (about ¼ cup)
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon aleppo pepper
Instructions
Make the breadcrumbs
- In a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the panko breadcrumbs and grated garlic. Toast for 3-5 minutes until golden.
- Finish with the fresh parsley. Pour it into a separate bowl and set aside.
Make the pasta sauce
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter with the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and starting to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the halved sungold tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they start to burst / soften and their juices start to release.
- Add the salt and aleppo pepper.
- Continue to cook on medium, stirring occasionally, until the tomato mixture is saucy and simmering, about 10-12 minutes.
- Drop the pasta in the boiling water to cook.
- Transfer the drained cooked pasta along with a ¼ cup reserved pasta water to the skillet with sauce and toss to combine until the sauce coats the pasta, about 2-3 minutes. Add another splash of pasta water as needed.
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