Cherry Tomato and Ricotta Pasta
From our kitchen · October 23, 2026
Cherry tomatoes are easy to buy by the handful and surprisingly easy to forget once they're home. This pasta is a good use for the ones that have started to wrinkle. If they're sound and just a little soft, they're ready for the skillet.
I let them cook with olive oil and garlic until they split. Some need a little encouragement from the back of a spoon. Their juices make most of the sauce; ricotta softens the sharpness, and a little pasta water brings everything together.
What I like is that the tomatoes still taste like tomatoes. There's enough cheese to make the sauce creamy without covering them up. I save the Parmesan for the end and taste before adding more salt.
Basil on top is lovely. I add it when I have it. When I don't, we eat perfectly good pasta without it. This is a dinner I can usually manage while talking to someone in the kitchen, provided that someone reminds me to save the pasta water before I tip the pot into the colander.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
Ingredients
12 ounces dry rigatoni or penne
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, about 10 ounces
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus salt for pasta water
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
¾ cup whole-milk ricotta
½ cup grated Parmesan
¼ cup chopped basil, optional
Directions
- 1
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
- 2
Meanwhile, heat oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic 1 minute without browning.
- 3
Add tomatoes, salt, and red pepper if using. Cook 10–12 minutes, stirring, until most split. Press a few gently with a spoon.
- 4
Lower heat. Stir in ricotta and ¼ cup reserved pasta water.
- 5
Add pasta and Parmesan. Toss, adding more pasta water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce coats the pasta. Taste for salt and add basil if using.
One family tip
If the sauce tightens while everyone is getting to the table, another splash of warm pasta water loosens it.
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