This date night pasta with pesto and tomatoes is kind of like tiktok pasta, but with different sauce and extra seasonings! It is the perfect date night pasta dinner to make for the pesto lover in your life. This comfort food is fairly easy to make as well, so there is little chance of it going wrong! It can be a fun date night dinner to make together as well.
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Main ingredients:
- Fettuccine noodles - I bought homemade spinach noodles at a farmers market for this recipe, but you can use regular noodles if you want.
- Tomatoes - provides a bit of zest
- Garlic - adds flavor
- Pesto - the sauce
- Feta - a bit of light cheese
How to make pesto tomato pasta
- Roast tomatoes - this will help them become soft and full of flavor
- Cook pasta - cook like you normally would to al dente according to directions but make sure to leave ¼ cup water in the pot
- Stir - stir together pasta water, noodles, pesto, and garlic. Serve hot!
Variations of pesto tomato pasta:
- Add different cheese - I chose feta because this is kind of like the tiktok pasta recipe, but you can choose a different crumbled cheese if you would like! Just make sure it is in big curds instead of small flakes.
- Omit cheese - feta isn't for everyone. You can make this pasta without cheese if you would like.
- Different noodles - there is not a set kind or shape of noodles for this pasta with pesto recipe. I used spinach pasta. You can use any shape or pasta you want (including gluten free!).
- More or less tomatoes - you can add more tomatoes or you can decrease the amount of tomatoes depending the level of tomato lover you are!
- Add veggies - if you want your pasta more healthy, you can add more veggies such as mushrooms, spinach, artichokes, etc.
Tips for making excellent pasta for a date night:
- Make sure noodles are done - I describe above how to make sure your noodles are done
- Cheese should not stick to pan - add enough olive oil so cheese doesn't stick in pan. If it sticks, it can be hard to come off.
- Smash tomatoes with fork - if your tomatoes have been roasting in the oven for a while, and they still are holding their shape, try pressing them down with a fork. Sometimes they just need an extra nudge.
- Choose a good pesto - sometimes the cheaper pestos can be a bit strong in flavor. Be sure to use your favorite pesto in this recipe! I know a pesto will taste good in a recipe if I can eat it plain.
- Season to taste - some people like to spice things up a bit! If you taste it and think it needs more garlic or anything, add it!
FAQs
What does pesto pasta go with?
When I initially made this, I served it with my cheese stuffed garlic bread. Bread sticks and Texas toast are great sides as well!
When is pasta done?
Some people believe that when pasta sticks to the wall it is done. I have not seen that in action yet as if it is sticking to the wall, maybe that is a sign you need to stir it. Personally, I tell when my pasta is ready by removing a noodle from the water and eat it. I let mine cool a few seconds before eating it though. If the noodle is kind of hard and does not taste like you want to eat mouthfuls of it at a time, then it probably is not done. If it tastes like you could eat all of the noodles with no problem, then it is done.
Can I make the noodles in advance?
Yes! You can cook the noodles in advance and put them in the fridge until ready to use for making the rest of this tomato pesto pasta recipe.
How to store pesto tomato pasta:
- Fridge - Can date night pasta be reheated? Of course! Store this recipe in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week
- Freezer - Pasta can be frozen! Just prepare tomato pesto pasta according to directions, and let cool. Place in a 9 x 13 aluminum baking dish, and freeze until ready to eat. Be sure to take out of the freezer 24 hours before you plan to reheat it so it has time to thaw!
Check out my other pasta recipes:
- pesto chicken pasta
- sausage tomato pasta
- personalized macaroni bowls
- sausage and spinach pasta
- bacon shrimp pasta
- spinach and artichoke lasagna
- three cheese mac and cheese
Date Night Pasta with Pesto and Tomatoes
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Ingredients
- 12 oz cherry tomatoes
- 5 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 oz fetta cheese
- 16 oz fettuccine noodles
- 4 oz pesto
- 2 tablespoon garlic
- seasonings to taste: garlic pepper, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In an 8x8 baking dish, pour olive oil. Add tomatoes. Stir. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. While this is baking, begin to cook the pasta according to box directions.
- After 10 minutes, remove tomato dish from the oven and add feta. Place back in the oven for 10 minutes or until tomatoes begin to blister.
- By this point, your noodles should be done cooking. If they are not done, let cook a bit longer. If they are done, remove from heat. Dump out all water from noodles except for ¼ cup. Leave noodles in dish.
- Add pesto and garlic to noodles. When the tomato/feta mixture is done cooking, add them to the noodles as well. Stir. Season to taste. Serve your date night pasta with pesto and tomatoes to your date!
All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. Nutritional facts listed are a rough estimate and should only be followed as a general idea.
super easy and delicious date night pasta which is also our dinner meal. I made a lot which I can reheat for the next busy nights.
This is such an easy and quick pesto recipe! Loved the feta cheese in it.
Quick and simple...yet loaded with flavor. Perfect for date night...came out great.
We love pasta in our house, we could get 3 to 5 times a week. I love that this recipe uses tomatoes because now I know how to use up my cherry tomatoes on my kitchen counter. Looks delicious!