This spaghetti aglio e olio with fresh tomatoes and basil is a quick, flavorful weeknight dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes. Made with simple pantry staples and fresh ingredients, it's an affordable and delicious way to get dinner on the table fast.
What's great about this recipe
- Quick and easy - It's ready in under 30 minutes with minimal prep work.
- Budget-friendly - It's made mostly with pantry staples and fresh tomatoes.
- Perfect last-minute dinner - Ideal when you need something fast but still want it to feel special.
- Fresh and flavorful - The combination of garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, and basil creates a bright, restaurant-quality pasta with very little effort.
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Ingredients you'll need
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- Pasta - Spaghetti is classic for this dish, but linguine, fettuccine, or rigatoni all work well. Use whatever you have on hand.
- Oil - A good quality extra virgin olive oil makes a big difference here since it's one of the main flavors.
- Tomatoes - Grape or cherry tomatoes are ideal in this recipe.
- Garlic - 5-6 large cloves, or a couple more if yours are on the smaller side. This is a garlic-forward dish!
- Seasoning - Salt (we use kosher salt), black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Omit the red pepper if you don't like heat.
- Basil - Fresh sweet basil is best, but use whatever fresh basil you have available.
- Parmesan cheese for serving, optional (not pictured).
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make spaghetti aglio e olio with tomatoes and basil
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Cook the spaghetti to al dente according to package directions.
While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper (if using). Stir well.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn't burn. When the tomatoes start to split, be careful they could squirt hot liquid.
Take the skillet off the heat and place it on a cold burner or trivet so that the residual heat on the burner doesn't keep cooking the garlic and burn it.
Add the drained spaghetti to the skillet and toss until well coated with the oil and tomatoes.
Taste and add a little more salt if needed. As a reference we added ¼ teaspoon to ours.
Right before serving, cut the basil into ribbons. Top each portion with fresh basil ribbons. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, and extra crushed red pepper, if desired.
Recipe tips and notes
Cut the basil into ribbons right before serving so the edges stay bright green and fresh.
To chiffonade basil: Stack the leaves, roll them lengthwise, and slice thinly crosswise.
Use plenty of water when cooking the spaghetti and stir it frequently at the beginning to prevent sticking.
Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining. You can use it to loosen the pasta if it gets too dry or sticky.
Frugal tip
🌿 Try buying a living basil plant instead of a cut bunch from the grocery store. A small plant usually costs about the same as one container of cut basil but gives you multiple uses. It grows surprisingly well even in hot, humid climates (as long as you water it regularly and keep pests away). I've even keep one on a sunny windowsill.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a little olive oil to loosen the pasta. Toss gently until warmed through. You can also microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each.
Food safety: Do not leave cooked food out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if above 90°F). Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and FoodSafety.gov.
If you enjoyed this spaghetti aglio e olio with fresh tomatoes and basil, try our classic spaghetti aglio e olio or the hearty spaghetti aglio e olio with Italian sausage. For more easy pasta dinners, don't miss our creamy pasta with vodka sauce or a family favorite baked ziti with sausage.
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📖 Recipe
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Spaghetti cooked to package directions for al dente (or use your favorite noodle)
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 10-12 ounces Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
- 5-6 Large Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon Salt plus 1-2 tablespoons extra for the pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper plus extra for garnish, if desired (leave it out if you don't like spicy)
- 6-8 Basil Leaves chiffonade (cut into ribbons)
- Grated Parmesan Cheese for serving, if desired
Instructions
- Start a large pot of water over high heat. Add a generous amount of salt to the boiling water, 1-2 tablespoons should do it. Cook the spaghetti to package directions for al dente.
While the spaghetti cooks
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When the olive oil is hot, but nowhere near smoking, add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper (if using). Stir to coat the ingredients.
- Cook the garlic and tomatoes for 2-3 minutes until the garlic softens and some of tomatoes start to split. stir frequently, almost constantly to make sure the garlic does not burn. Be careful when the tomatoes split, they could squirt hot liquid.
- Take the skillet off the heat and place it on a cold burner or trivet so that the residual heat on the burner doesn't keep cooking the garlic and burn it.
- When the pasta is al dente, reserve at least one cup of the cooking water, then drain it well. You can use the cooking water to make the noodles slippery if they get sticky and start to dry out while you finish everything up.
- Add the pasta to the garlic oil and tomatoes. Toss well to make sure it's completely coated with the oil.
- Taste the pasta, add salt if needed. As a reference we added ¼ teaspoon to ours. Toss well.
- Right before serving the pasta, cut the basil into ribbons. Serve the spaghetti with the tomatoes and top with about a tablespoon of the basil ribbons. Garnish with parmesan cheese and extra crushed red pepper, if desired.
Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
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