PASTA WITH CHERRY TOMATOES AND BASIL RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent while penne is cooking, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce and tomato paste and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add cream and Parmesan cheese and season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking dish.
• Stir some pasta cooking water into the sauce and add cooked penne. Remove from heat and stir in cherry tomatoes, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, and basil. Pour penne mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Add pasta to a large bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add tomatoes, garlic, basil sprigs, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have started to burst and release their juices, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and discard basil sprigs. Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in sugar and 1/4 cup pasta water (Add up to 1/4 cup more cooking water to reach desired consistency; sauce should be loose enough to cover the pasta, but thick enough to cling a bit.) Serve warm pasta topped with tomato sauce, and sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Garnish with torn basil.