Angel Hair Pasta Recipe • 5★

Published July 9, 2024

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

This simple yet satisfying pasta recipe is made with just a few pantry staples. It comes together quickly and with ease, as angel hair is one of the fastest cooking pastas. The classic combination of olive oil, butter, garlic and herbs is enough to coat the thin, delicate strands of pasta, but the addition of soft, bursting cherry tomatoes really sweetens the deal. Be sure to serve with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan for the ultimate bowl of comfort.

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¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

3 garlic cloves, minced

Freshly ground black pepper

Crushed red pepper (optional)

1 pound angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil

Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Step 1Heat a large pasta pot of salted water to a boil.

Heat a large pasta pot of salted water to a boil.

Step 2To a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. Allow the butter to melt, then add cherry tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are beginning to soften and the skins are a little blistered, 4 to 6 minutes.

To a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. Allow the butter to melt, then add cherry tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are beginning to soften and the skins are a little blistered, 4 to 6 minutes.

Step 3Add garlic, shallot, 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper, if using, and toss to combine with the tomatoes. Cook for about 6 minutes, until the shallots are translucent and the tomatoes are fully softened yet still intact. Meanwhile, add pasta to the boiling salted water and cook until al dente according to the packaging directions, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then strain the pasta.

Add garlic, shallot, 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper, if using, and toss to combine with the tomatoes. Cook for about 6 minutes, until the shallots are translucent and the tomatoes are fully softened yet still intact. Meanwhile, add pasta to the boiling salted water and cook until al dente according to the packaging directions, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then strain the pasta.

Step 4Add the cooked pasta, herbs and a bit of the reserved pasta water to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to combine, until you have a glossy pasta sauce; add more pasta water slowly, if needed. Serve topped with plenty of Parmesan.

Add the cooked pasta, herbs and a bit of the reserved pasta water to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to combine, until you have a glossy pasta sauce; add more pasta water slowly, if needed. Serve topped with plenty of Parmesan.

Close, but a miss.

Do yourself a favor and make the noodles slightly more undercooked than al dente, and also add very-ripe tomatoes in the instructions.

Why?

When you add the semi-cooked pasta and cook it in the sauce, it will finish cooking and soak up the sauce+seasoning. This imparts the savorfy seasoning and flavor into the spaghetti noodles.

Throw in an anchovy or two with the garlic to up the umami.

This was good but, as others have indicated, the pasta to tomatoes ratio is way off. If using 1 lb of pasta as called for by the recipe, I would recommend 2lbs of tomatoes. Also, I doubled the shallots (b/c I like shallots) as well as the herbs.

It was my intention to make this accordingly to the recipe, but my Cherry tomatoes went in a salad. I had larger tomatoes I cut into sixths. I removed the tomatoes for a few minutes and reduced the tomato juices a bit. I thought the finished dish was great with the ratios in the recipe. I had a gluten free diner at the table. My pasta was Barilla gf spaghetti. Very good.

Yes, the amount of tomatoes needs to be increased by 50% or more. But a trick I always use when making a cherry tomato sauce is to sizzle and darken a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste fror a moment or two in the oil before adding the cherry/grape tomatoes. The result is a far more vibrant sauce even when the tomatoes are less than spectacular. You might need to dribble in a little water as it cooks.

Not groundbreaking here…but throw some grilled chicken on there, too. I marinate boneless skinless thighs in oil, lime or lemon, S&P, Italian herbs, garlic and onion powders for about half an hour. Throw em on the grill and let rest while you make the tomatoes and pasta. Slice and serve on top!

Agree with all the others to double shallot and herbs and tomatoes, for sure.

Will try lemon/white wine next time!