Tomato & Peach Pasta

If peaches in pasta sounds questionable, stay with me, and let me just tell you how this Tomato & Peach Pasta is the perfect balance of sweet, acidic, spicy and creamy. It tastes like late summer in a bowl and reminds me of August sunset gatherings, big dinner parties, fresh-picked peaches and abundant farmer’s markets. This recipe reminds me of everything I love!

This cherry tomato pasta is also so quick to make. It’s one of my go-tos for dinner parties because it’s done in 15 minutes and it’s easy to please a crowd. Plus, it will impress anyone who loves new and innovative food ideas – because peaches in pasta? It’s a concept that might get you hooked.

What are cherry tomatoes?

Cherry tomatoes are a small (teeny!) round tomato believed to be a mix between wild currant-type tomatoes and domesticated garden tomatoes. They range in variety, from some being a vibrant bright red to others being more golden or yellow in color, and even some being a dark green or brown.

This recipe uses gold and red cherry tomatoes to lend a nice color to the sauce, but really you can use any variety that fits your style in this tomato and peach pasta.

Ingredients for this tomato and peach pasta

What I love about this recipe is that both the process and the ingredients are simple. Here is what you will need to make this peach pasta recipe:

For the sauce

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes – I recommend assorted colors for these, leaning heavily on red and orange in my recipe. Sure, you can use all red if you prefer, or even all of another color, but I like how the sauce in this tomato and peach pasta lends itself to a beautiful color if you mix the varieties.
• 1 medium peach – you can use one medium peach or two small (donut) peaches. Just make sure that your peaches are very ripe, this will directly impact how they melt into the sauce!
• 2-3 large garlic cloves – garlic is for lovers, so you can add or detract from this number as much as you’d like. Just note that we are getting this garlic to slightly golden in this summer pasta recipe, so it will have a stronger, more toasted flavor than typical pasta recipes.
• 2 sprigs of fresh basil – this equates to about 1/4 cup of tightly packed leaves. Not too much, but just enough to give this tomato & peach pasta a beautiful flavor.
• 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste or 2 teaspoons of red chili flakes – please don’t skip this ingredient! Heat is crucial to play off of the tomatoes & peaches. The tomatoes and peaches are both acidic and sweet, so these chilies will play into the contrast and make a wonderful cherry tomato pasta sauce.
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil – or even more! The oil holds this recipe together, so try to use a good one. I’ve been loving @getgraza lately.

For the pasta

• 16 ounces dried rigatoni or your pasta of choice – I know this recipe serves four, but I still say cook the whole bag of pasta – because who wants half a bag of pasta behind, especially when you’re cooking for a lazy summer meal, you know?
• 1-2 tablespoons butter – we use butter at the end of this recipe as an old trick to emulsify and thicken the sauce. It adds an extra layer of richness, fattiness and flavor that you might think you can skip, but you’ll notice it when the butter is gone.
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 ounce fresh parmesan, for topping – optional, but very good!

Ingredient substitutions

• Garlic cloves: Swap for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, or you can omit
• Calabrian chili paste: Can be swapped for red pepper flakes, or you can omit
• Rigatoni: Your favorite short, sauce gripping pasta shape will do.
• Extra-virgin olive oil: Swap for avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or really any oil you like!

How to make this tomato and peach pasta

This pasta could not be more simple. That’s what I love about summer pasta recipes, they are usually easy for me to make, and the cherry tomatoes do all the work.

To make the sauce:

1. First, slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Cube the peaches into bite-sized pieces, about 1 cm big. Slice or mince the garlic and chiffonade the basil.
2. In a medium-sized Dutch oven, add the olive oil and bring it to medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until it is very slightly golden on the edges, but not crisp.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes and peaches. Use a wooden spoon to mix them in with the garlic and make sure they are fully coated in the oil. Season with a generous pinch of salt and let this simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes have burst and start to melt into the oil.
4. Use the back of your spoon to gently smash the tomatoes and peaches as they cook. It doesn’t have to be perfect since we’ll be blending the sauce later, but it helps let the flavors combine.
5. Stir in the basil and the Calabrian chili paste. Let the mixture simmer and cook another 3-4 minutes. You’ll start to see the tomatoes and peaches slowly break down and combine into a beautifully colored sauce.

To combine the sauce with the pasta:

On another section of the stove, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season liberally with salt and cook your pasta to al dente according to package instructions. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it, but reserve a cup of pasta water.

Take the heat off of the Dutch oven holding the sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of pasta water and use an immersion blender to blend the sauce into a smooth and creamy texture. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Pour this sauce over the drained pasta. Add a splash of pasta water if needed, this helps the sauce cling to the pasta. Add a knob of butter and stir until the pasta is sauced and glossy.

Portion out onto four plates. Serve with a fresh grating of parmesan and a few cracks of black pepper. Enjoy!

Storage tips

To store in the fridge: Put the pasta in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.

How to reheat: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave in 30–45 second intervals, stirring between each round. Add a splash of leftover pasta water (or just warm water) to bring the sauce back to its creamy texture.

Looking for more pasta recipes?

And that’s it for this Tomato & Peach Pasta!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.