Making this Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Spaghetti is incredibly simple! You will not need much energy to prepare it and you will have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes! A fresh and light meal! Burst cherry tomatoes, soft mozzarella balls and fresh basil over al dente spaghetti will for sure be a family favorite in no time!
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Why you will love this recipe
- Quick
- Easy
- Simple Ingredients
- Packed with flavor
- Perfect for a weeknight dinner
- Family Recipe
- Affordable
Simplicity at its best packed with the quintessential flavors of the Italian cuisine!
This 20 minute pasta dish is the perfect weeknight dinner! There is not much to prepare and you will only need simple ingredients you can get at any grocery store. Even tough you only need a few ingredients this weeknight dinner recipe is packed with flavor! No more using canned sauce! When ever you are craving some good comfort food with Italian flavors after an exhausting day this will be your go to recipe!
But not only on busy days! This recipe is so tasty you will find yourself craving it on any occasion. The best thing about this dish is that the whole family will absolutely love it! Low effort for amazing results that make the whole family happy - what more would you want? This dish is my family's favorite dinner of all time and it is in our dinner routine every week!
As a full time college student this cherry tomato & mozzarella dish is my go to budget-friendly meal! It is highly recommended to any students or families on budget!
Summer is around the corner and tomatoes are finally in season! Now is the perfect time to start cooking more light, but comforting food with our seasonal produce! Bring Italy to your kitchen tonight. Let's get cooking!
Ingredients for Tomato Mozzarella Spaghetti:
The ingredients are very simple and can be found at any grocery store:
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Olive Oil Extra virgin
- Yellow onion
- Garlic cloves minced
- Herbs
- Salt & pepper
- Spaghetti or any other pasta shape
- Mozzarella Mini Balls
- Basil Leaves fresh
How to make this weeknight cherry tomato mozzarella spagetti
Making this weeknight pasta dish could not be any easier!
Make the sauce
In a wide pan add olive oil and turn the stove to medium heat.
Add your onions and sweat them for 1-2 minutes till they start getting soft.
Mix in the garlic.
Add the cherry tomatoes and herb of your choice.
Mix well and let cook.
Turn down the heat and cover the pan.
Cook the pasta.
Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil.
Once boiling turn down the heat to medium and add the spaghetti.
Let cook for 10 minutes or according the package.
Assemble the Tomato Mozzarella Spaghetti
Add some pasta water to the sauce. Mix well.
Add the spaghetti and mix till they are all nicely covered.
Stir in the mozzarella balls.
Immediately serve and decorate with fresh basil leaves.
Variations
Put your own spin on the dish to switch it up! Here are some ideas we like to do so we do not eat the same dish every week:
- Parmesan: Sprinkle some parmesan on top of your spaghetti if you are a cheese lover.
- Shrimp: Cook some shrimp with the tomatoes to switch it up.
- Burrata: Replace the mozzarella with burrata. Shred it into bigger pieces and mix under the spaghetti
- Prosciutto: Top off your dish with some prosciutto. You can also use crispy prosciutto or pancetta.
For my plant-based friends. This meal is vegetarian friendly ad can easily be made vegan. Make sure your pasta is vegan and get vegan mozzarella and you are good to go. For dairy free eaters you can omit the mozzarella or also go with the vegan version.
If you are gluten-free you can replace the pasta with a gluten-free one.
Storage
You can keep the finished spaghetti in an air tight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Make it a menu
Serve it with crusty bread or focaccia to mop up the delicious pasta sauce and a simple salad.
Here are some recipe ideas for appetizers and desserts to go with the spaghetti
Tomato tart with pesto and burrata
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can I make this spaghetti dish ahead of time?
A: Yes! You can easily prepare this dish in advance and store in the fridge. This is the perfect dish to bring to school or even as a work lunch. I take it with me all the time. You could also prepare the tomato sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge. Then simply re-heat and mix with the freshly cooked pasta.
Q: Can I make a bigger batch?
A: Absolutely! You can easily prepare more of the sauce and cook more pasta. Simply use the according buttons in the recipe card.
Q: Can these spaghetti be reheated?
A: Yes! You can easily re-heat them in a skillet or pan, a steamer or the microwave.
Skillet/Pan: Simply add everything to a skillet or pan, add some water and re-heat on medium heat.
Steamer: Add some water and re-heat with the steam regeneration mode. After re-heating give it a quick stir.
Microwave: Add everything to a microwave safe bowl. Pour in some water and pop it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
Q: Can tomato mozzarella spaghetti be frozen?
A: As most other pasta dishes you can easily freeze this meal. Both the spaghetti and the sauce freeze well. Do not freeze the mozzarella tough. We have not had a good experience with frozen mozzarella as it likes to go bad quickly. Make sure to use an air-tight container where no liquid can come out.
Q: Can I make this with normal tomatoes?
You can replace them. However, normal tomatoes do have a different taste than cherry tomatoes do. The cherry tomatoes tend to be on the sweeter side compared to tomatoes.
Q: Can I replace the cherry tomatoes with canned tomatoes?
A: It is possible to replace the cherry tomatoes with canned tomatoes but not recommended. The flavor will be completely different and the consistency too.
Q: Can I replace the spaghetti with a different pasta shape?
A: This is absolutely no problem. You can serve the sauce on any pasta you'd like.
Q: Can I make this gluten-free?
A: Replace the spaghetti wit a gluten free pasta and you have yourself a delicious gluten-free pasta dish!
Other dinner recipes you might like
POLENTA WITH CHERRY TOMATOES & HALLOUMI
PUMPKIN RAVIOLI MADE FROM SCRATCH
SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI WITH BROWN BUTTER AND SAGE
📖 Recipe
Weeknight Cherry Tomato & Mozzarella Spaghetti
Equipment
- Skillet
- Pot
Ingredients
- 500 g Cherry Tomatoes
- Olive Oil Extra virgin
- 1 small yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- Herbs
- salt & pepper
- Spaghetti or any other pasta shape
- 1 bag Mozzarella Mini Balls
- Basil Leaves fresh
Instructions
Make the sauce
- Wash your cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.
- In a wide pan add olive oil and turn the stove to medium heat.
- Add your onions and sweat them for 1-2 minutes till they start getting soft.
- Add the garlic and let cook for another minute.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and herb sprig of your choice.
- Mix well and let cook till the tomatoes are nice and soft.
- Turn down the heat to the lowest setting and cover the pan.
Cook the pasta.
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil.
- Once boiling turn down the heat to medium and add the spaghetti.
- Let cook for 10 minutes or according the package.
Assemble
- Add some pasta water to the sauce. Mix well.
- Add the spagetti and mix till they are all nicely covered.
- Add the mozzarella balls and stir.
- Immediately serve and decorate with fresh basil leaves.
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Your Notes
Nutrition
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Fede says
I made this last night and it was delicious! Super easy to make and I loved the addition of a mozzarella ball. I highly recommend it.
Rebecca says
I love how amazing this dish tastes and it takes so little time to prepare. Perfect when I am in a rush.
Jeannie says
My go-to dinner, it was eas y and simply delicious recipe.
Sue says
I love how fast this is to make. So delicious!
Sean says
Super easy to make with classic Italian flavors. You cannot go wrong with this dish it was so tasty.
Shelby says
Love how quickly this comes together!
Tressa says
This recipe combines so many of my favorite things- loved it.
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
This was such an easy and delicious dinner. Perfect for a busy weeknight when. I'm to tired to cook!
nancy says
simple yet so classic - everyone always has a great time with this recipe
Anastasia Pry says
Love some great pasta recipes. Can anything be better than this one?
Sherry says
I made the shrimp version of this cherry tomato mozzarella spaghetti for a quick school night meal and my whole family loved, loved, loved this recipe. Thank you for a great pasta recipe!!
Bianca says
Hi Sherry,
Thank you so much for trying this pasta recipe! So happy to hear that the whole family loved it! The shrimp variation was a great choice! It is my dads all time favorite.
Best,
Bianca
Natalie says
Thank you Bianca for this light, simple, yet so delicious Italian meal.
Bobbie says
Love this quick and flavorful pasta dish!
Lisa says
My family loves a quick, yummy pasta dish and this one is absolutely delicious. I highly recommend giving it a try!
Shelby says
Love how simple this is and how quickly it whips up!
Kat says
All my favourite flavours in one dish!
Giangi Townsend says
We all are pasta lovers in our house and your recipe was a hit. The perfect amount of tomatoes to satisfy the craving and with the tomatoes being ready and juicy this dish will be our summer favorite. I had to add more mozzarella, but that is me, and on any occasion to have mozzarella I take it.
Matej @ CookWeWill says
Simple and delicious, just the way I like it. It turned out really great! 🙂