Fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil come together with olive oil and salty parmesan cheese to make delicious vegetarian Bruschetta Pasta! It’s a super easy one-pot recipe that only takes 15 minutes to make!
What Is Bruschetta Pasta
When most of us think of bruschetta we think of the appetizer. The classic grilled bread topped with fresh diced tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil. Now, take that iconic appetizer, replace the bread with perfectly cooked pasta, and toss it all together with some grated parmesan cheese! That my friends is bruschetta pasta!
It’s fresh, full of layered flavor, and a garlic lover’s delight! The sauce needs no cooking at all, so all you have to do is chop the veg, boil the pasta, and toss to combine. It doesn’t get much simpler than that! Like my Creamy Avocado and Spinach Pasta and my Pasta alla Vodka, it’s the perfect pasta dish for when you need a quick healthy dinner.
Why We Love This Bruschetta Pasta Recipe
- Quick And Easy. It’s a no-cook pasta sauce that takes just minutes to make! And you can use any type of pasta you have on hand in your pantry, which makes this recipe really versatile.
- Garlicky Good. Hello, garlic lovers! This dish is bursting with fresh garlic flavor that melds together flawlessly with the fresh ingredients combined with the hot pasta and parmesan cheese.
- Vegetarian Friendly. Bruschetta pasta is a fantastic vegetarian choice for potlucks and parties. It can also be made vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese making it a yummy dish that will please everyone!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pasta – I used bowtie pasta (farfalle), but any shape pasta will work such as penne, rigatoni, or even spaghetti.
- Fresh tomatoes – Use the best quality fresh ripe tomatoes you can find. I used Roma tomatoes, but you can also use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes as well.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is the best choice for the most flavorful bruschetta. Jarred minced garlic sometimes has an odd sour taste unless it’s just been recently opened.
- Onion – I used white onion, but any type of onion you have on hand is fine.
- Fresh Basil – It’s gotta be fresh for this recipe! Dried basil just won’t do the dish justice.
- Parmesan Cheese – Adds a lovely salty cheesy taste to any pasta dish. And the better quality parmesan you choose like Reggiano is going to elevate the dish even more.
- Olive Oil– You want to use extra virgin olive oil. Ideally, Italian and of decent quality.
- Salt – No recipe would be complete without a touch of salt to season the ingredients and bring out the flavors.
How To Make Bruschetta Pasta
- Boil the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to the instructions on the package.
- Make the bruschetta. While you are waiting for the water to boil and cooking the pasta, make your bruschetta sauce. To do this, combine the fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion, and basil together in a bowl along with the parmesan cheese and olive oil.
- Toss to combine. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add to a large bowl. Now, pour the fresh bruschetta sauce over the hot pasta and toss well to fully combine.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer the bruschetta pasta to your favorite serving dish and top with extra parmesan cheese.
What Does It Mean To Cook Pasta Al Dente?
Pasta is best when cooked “al dente” which is when it’s tender but still firm to the bite. To do this, I always suggest checking the doneness of the pasta about 2 minutes before the package directions indicate.
What Types Of Pasta Can I Use?
I used bowtie pasta and love how the bits of garlic fall into the curves of it, which means a hit of beautiful fresh garlicky flavor with each bite. I also just think it looks really pretty with this dish. But you can use any shape of pasta you like including penne, rotini, and even noodles like spaghetti or linguine. It’s totally up to you and they are all delicious choices.
Can I Make This Recipe Gluten-Free or Vegan?
Yes! You can make it either or both! Just use your favorite gluten-free pasta to make the recipe gluten-free. And to make it vegan, just omit the cheese or substitute it with a vegan parmesan cheese option.
Can I Add Meat?
Yes, of course! This is a vegetarian dish, but bruschetta pasta with chicken or shrimp is fantastic too.
Expert Tips
- Use quality ingredients. Italian cooking is all about very simple, but high-quality ingredients. It’s the refined flavor of better olive oil, parmesan, and super fresh ingredients that make a noticeable difference in taking the dish to the next level.
- Reserve some of the pasta water. Just a tad of leftover reserved pasta water can be used to emulsify (combine) the sauce with the pasta and also help if the pasta gets too dry.
- Salt your pasta water. And use a lot of it! Think salty like the sea. You want the pasta to absorb some of the salt as it cooks for added flavor.
Leftovers
Bruschetta pasta will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. To reheat, simply mix it with a few tablespoons of water to add some moisture, and then pop it in the microwave or in a pan for a few minutes at a medium temperature.
This pasta dish is also amazing, maybe even better the next day! And yummy cold too! Which makes leftover bruschetta pasta perfect for lunch or served as a side.
Other Delicious Pasta Recipes To Try
- Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta
- Rotini Fiorentina
- Salmon Alfredo
- Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta
- Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)
- Greek Chicken Pasta
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Bruschetta Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pasta such as farfalle, penne, rigatoni, etc.
- 2 cup tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ medium onion finely chopped
- 6 basil leaves finely chopped
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to the instructions on the package.
- Make the bruschetta. While you are waiting for the water to boil and cooking the pasta, make your bruschetta sauce. To do this, combine the fresh tomatoes, garlic, onion, and basil together in a bowl along with the parmesan cheese and olive oil.
- Toss to combine. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add to a large bowl. Now, pour the fresh bruschetta sauce over the hot pasta and toss well to fully combine.
- Garnish and serve. Transfer the bruschetta pasta to your favorite serving dish and top with extra parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
- Use quality ingredients. Italian cooking is all about very simple, but high-quality ingredients. It’s the refined flavor of better olive oil, parmesan, and super fresh ingredients that make a noticeable difference in taking the dish to the next level.
- Reserve some of the pasta water. Just a tad of leftover reserved pasta water can be used to emulsify (combine) the sauce with the pasta and also help if the pasta gets too dry.
- Salt your pasta water. And use a lot of it! Think salty like the sea. You want the pasta to absorb some of the salt as it cooks for added flavor.
It was sooooooo good! I loved it! Will make again and pass on the recipe.
This is a go-to summer dinner – quick, easy and no fuss! We sometimes grill sweet Italian sausage to go with it separately (the silly must-have-meat hubs…lol) or throw in some leftover english cucumber 🙂