Tis the season when gardens are yielding their last harvest and you might have more cherry tomatoes than you know what to do with. If that’s the case or if you just love cherry tomatoes like me then this is the perfect recipe for you. Juicy, tart yellow tomatoes are the star of this easy week night pasta recipe that is layered with tons of flavor. The cherry tomatoes are cooked in a skillet until they burst open releasing all their juice to make a simple sauce that comes together with garlic, fresh herbs and goat cheese to add an extra creaminess. Top this pasta with some crispy pancetta and you have a pasta that will bring you back for seconds, at least it did for me!
Burst Tomato Orecchiette
Simple pasta recipe with yellow tomato sauce, goat cheese, fresh herbs and pancetta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb dried orecchiette pasta
- 3 cups yellow cherry tomatoes
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp fresh oregano
- 2 oz goal cheese used garlic herb goat cheese, but you can use plain too
- 4 oz pancetta cubetti
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pancetta until crispy about 6-7 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel.
- Heat a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions for al dente.
- Add olive oil to skillet and allow to heat for a minute. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute stirring often so it doesn't burn. Add cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for 8 minutes so that most of the tomatoes have burst open. Gently stir every couple of minutes.
- Add the fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Increase heat so that the sauce begins to simmer. Cook for 3 more minutes so some of the liquid cooks off.
- Turn heat down to low and crumble the goat cheese over the sauce. Stir until the goat cheese is all melted. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir until all coated. Top with the crispy pancetta and serve.
