Bucatini with Burst Tomatoes is a gloriously healthy pasta recipe made with juicy, colorful cherry tomatoes and fresh basil ~ we make this simple summer dinner on repeat all season long!
Bucatini with Burst Tomatoes is as simple as it sounds
If you’re the kind of cook who loves a no-recipe recipe like I do, then I think you’ll be very happy with this pasta dish. What’s nice about a meal like this is that you can’t mess it up. What could go wrong with olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and basil?
- bucatini: is a thick, spaghetti-like pasta with a hollow center that soaks up sauces from the inside out. This strand pasta is especially popular in Rome.
- cherry tomatoes: these need no introduction except to say please search out the most colorful heirloom varieties you can. Most supermarkets carry them these days but if you can’t find them use bright red cherries, no prob!
I am a huge fan of cherry tomatoes because they’re available all year round and they’ll give you a summery fresh tomato experience in the middle of winter. They’re wonderful raw, but when they are lightly cooked their flavor really comes alive.
How to burst tomatoes!
For bucatini with burst tomatoes the tomatoes are barely cooked at all ~ just enough so that they burst open and release their juice to make the sauce.
- I suggest using round cherry tomatoes, and not the pear or oval shaped ones. The round ones burst better, and have more juice inside when they do burst, so they make a richer sauce.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add the whole tomatoes and give the pan a good shake to coat them.
- Keep the pan moving over medium high heat.
- When the inside of the tomatoes reach a certain temperature, they expand and their skins split open. Depending on the variety you are using and how long you cook them, they may retain their shape a little, or they may collapse completely. I had a little of both.
The rest of the sauce plays backup for the gorgeous tomatoes. A little garlic, white wine and, and of course fresh basil and Parm. But remember this is a no-recipe recipe, so the amounts are flexible and up to you. Use your eyes and hands to measure out what you need and taste as you go.
The important thing is a splash (1/2 cup for you recipe lovers) of white wine and some fresh basil. Cover and cook until most of the tomatoes burst, about 5-10 minutes, and then toss with the pasta. Garnish with more basil and oil, and some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Buy the good stuff for a dish like this where it’s one of a very few ingredients.
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“Sue, this was a fantastic dinner for my husband’s birthday! I couldn’t find the bucatini pasta so substituted another shape. Added a green salad with blueberries and strawberries and a loaf of crusty bread. I loved this so much I shared on FB and also send directly to my sister who promptly headed for the store to get the ingredients for her meal tonight. Thanks so much for posting. Love, love, love it.” ~ Sandi
Bucatini with Burst Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb bucatini pasta
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, either regular red, or multi-color heirloom
- 2-3 Tbsp good olive oil
- 1, 2 or 3 cloves garlic, to taste, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- fresh basil, chopped. I used about 12 good sized leaves, but the amount is not important, go with less or more according to your taste. Save some for garnishing.
- Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Put a large pot of well salted water on the stove to boil. Cook the bucatini according to the package directions…I like to under cook the pasta by a minute or two because I like it firm, and it will continue to cook slightly in the sauce later.
- Meanwhile wash the tomatoes and remove any stems.
- Add the olive oil to a large saute pan and heat it gently. Add the garlic and saute on a gentle heat for a few minutes, just to remove the raw garlic taste.
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and heat through, then add the wine. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pan and let the tomatoes cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook them until they burst open and release some of their juices.
- Season with salt and pepper, and add the fresh basil.
- Toss gently but thoroughly with the drained pasta and make sure everything is heated through. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, and serve right away, with more fresh basil and some Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Use any pasta shape you like with these burst tomatoes. I think twisty fusilli would work well to catch all that sweet tomato juice.
This is one of my very favorite recipes from you (along with the rhubarb breakfast cake and the… and the …). I saw it last summer and have made it at least 5 times. And thanks for the introduction to buccatini!
I’m so glad to hear this, it’s an oldie but goodie 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
I love this dish! So many different flavors at once!
Thanks Jennifer, I love to eat this way, it’s simple, yet fantastic 🙂