Easy Peasy Squashed Tomato Spaghetti

Easy Peasy Squashed Tomato Spaghetti

This one is properly on our regular rotation and we don't see that changing any time soon. There's something almost magical about what happens when cherry tomatoes slowly collapse in olive oil with garlic. They turn jammy and sweet and incredibly saucy, and it costs basically nothing to make. We love it because it looks and tastes like you've been cooking for hours, but it's honestly one of the easiest things we know how to do. Tangle it all up with spaghetti, scatter over some fresh basil, and you've got a bowl of food that feels genuinely special. Make this tonight, seriously.

Cook: 15 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Potato masher
  • Microplane or box grater (for garlic)
  • Large pan with lid

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 500g cherry tomatoes
  • basil leaves
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 400g spaghetti

Method

1

First, prep the veg

  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Pick the basil leaves
2

Now, start the cooking process

  • Warm the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat
  • Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds
  • Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan along with a pinch of salt and pepper, stir the tomatoes around in the pan, turn the heat down, put the lid on the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes
  • Gently shake the pan to prevent catching every 2 minutes minutes
  • Take the lid of the pan and gently crush the tomatoes with a potato masher to release the juices
  • Add ⅔ of the basil leaves to the pan and fold into the tomatoes turn the heat right down
3

Now, prepare the pasta and finish the dish

  • Cook the pasta according to pack instructions (approx 9 minutes in well-salted water - the bigger the pan, the better!) and save 100ml pasta water.
  • Add the pasta water to the pan to loosen the sauce
  • Add the spaghetti to the pan and fold it into the sauce
4

Time to serve!

  • Twist the pasta into 4 bowls, sprinkle over the remaining basil leaves, crack over some black pepper and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Use the best tomatoes you can find: This recipe is so simple that the quality of your tomatoes really does matter. Ripe, sweet cherry tomatoes will give you a sauce that tastes incredible. Slightly sad supermarket ones will still work, but if you can get good ones, do it.
  • Save your pasta water: Before you drain the spaghetti, scoop out a mugful of the starchy cooking water. Add a splash when you toss everything together and it helps the sauce coat the pasta beautifully. We almost always forget this and then remember at the last second.
  • Finish with good olive oil: A little drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil right at the end makes a real difference. We know it sounds fussy but it adds this lovely peppery richness that takes the whole thing up a notch.

Why This Works

The trick is being patient with those tomatoes. Keep the heat low, put the lid on, and let them do their thing; they'll burst and squash down into this gorgeous, silky sauce that clings to every strand of pasta. Don't rush it and don't skip the lid. That's what builds the steam and gets them properly squishy.