Sweet and jammy cherry tomato spaghetti with crispy breadcrumbs, herbs and lemon, this family-friendly pasta is like summer in a bowl. Simple to make and ready in under 45 minutes this is the perfect mouth-watering summer dinner.
This cherry tomato pasta was inspired by our herb garden. Our little terracotta pots are bursting with lots of lovely fresh herbs right now. They’re loving the summer heat and growing like crazy! We have tonnes of rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage! So, with the abundance of herbs and my love of cherry tomatoes – I wanted to create a lighter pasta dinner that oozes summer. And this jammy sweet cherry tomato spaghetti with crispy breadcrumbs, herbs and lemon is just that! Each twirl of spaghetti tastes of summer. Sweet, jammy, full of flavour – my family loved this simple dinner and I think yours will too!
This quick-cooking jammy cherry tomato sauce is delicious. It cooks on the stove top in 15 minutes and requires a few stirs whilst the gentle heat does all the work for you. The sauce is a clever mix of wonderfully sweet cherry tomatoes, a good dollop of fig date and balsamic relish (this creates the jammy goodness), a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, fresh rosemary, sage and oregano, two crushed garlic cloves and a good grinding of salt and pepper.
As the sauce cooks, the tomatoes burst releasing their delicious flavour, intensifying the sauce with amazing sweetness. You’ll know the sauce is done when it’s thickened and turns gloriously glossy and jammy. It’s seriously so good. And once the cooked pasta is thrown into the jammy cherry tomato sauce pan it drinks up all that wonderful flavour.
These crispy breadcrumbs are my go-to when wanting to add texture and crunch to pasta that kids love! The key to crispy breadcrumbs is to use a food processor. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil as the breadcrumbs circle and dance around the bowl. This method ensures each and every piece of breadcrumb is sufficiently oiled and will turn golden, crispy and crunchy in the hot oven. These breadcrumbs are infused with fresh herbs (sage, rosemary and thyme), garlic, parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. This flavour combination is tasty and full of texture that complements the jammy cherry tomato sauce oh so perfectly. Oh, bonus tip: when making the breadcrumbs intentionally leave some large shards of bread whilst blasting others to almost dust. This adds even more exciting crunch!
The final element, crispy fried herbs and lemon adds fresh and exciting flavour to our wonderful summertime pasta dish. They are so worth the effort so please don’t skip them! All you need to do is heat a little olive oil in a pan, add the herbs and lemon rind and cook until wonderfully fragrant and crispy! The herbs and lemon infuse the olive oil with their amazing flavour. And when sprinkled over the final dish they make every bite mouth-watering. I’m obsessed with these crispy fried lemony herbs so you’ll be seeing more recipes using these babies soon!
To bring it all together, simply plate the jammy cherry tomato-soaked spaghetti, nestle a room-temperature ball of creamy mozzarella cheese amongst the spaghetti, top with a generous handful of crispy breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over the crispy fried herbs and lemon. Grab your forks and you’re ready to eat.
This is seriously the best jammy cherry tomato pasta dish EVER! It’s a simple recipe, ready in under 40 minutes, that’s full of flavour and texture and will have your entire family saying yum! It’s such an exciting way to eat pasta in summer. You’ll love it!
To make your own sweet cherry tomato spaghetti with crispy breadcrumbs, herbs and lemon follow these simple steps…
Preheat oven to 180 C and line an oven tray with baking paper. Set aside.
Place the day-old sourdough bread, parmesan, herbs and salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse the breadcrumbs until some pieces are finely chopped whilst others remain quite large (this texture combination is lovely and adds even more crunch and surprise). With the motor running, quickly drizzle in the olive oil to coat the breadcrumbs.
Place the breadcrumbs onto the prepared tray and bake for 20-25 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until golden, crispy and crunchy.
Place a fry pan over medium heat and drizzle in a little olive oil. Add the cherry tomatoes, fig date and balsamic relish, rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, garlic cloves and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until jammy and thickened.
Remove the garlic cloves and herbs from the sauce.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add salt to season, spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions. Add cooked spaghetti directly into the pan of simmering jammy cherry tomato sauce and toss to combine.
Place a small pan over low-medium heat. Drizzle in a little olive oil, add rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and lemon rind and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy.
To serve: Place the jammy cherry tomato-soaked spaghetti onto a serving dish. Nestle a ball of creamy mozzarella cheese amongst the spaghetti, top with a generous handful of crispy breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over the crispy fried herbs and lemon. So delicious. Enjoy x
More Family-Friendly Pasta Recipes
Veggie Loaded Spaghetti Bolognese
Roast Cauliflower Orecchiette with Crispy Herb and Parmesan Crumbs
Kale Broccoli and Cherry Tomato Penne with Crispy Garlicky Crumbs
Ravioli with Pumpkin Pesto and Pistachios
Wholemeal Spaghetti with Roast Capsicum Pesto and Crispy Chorizo
Pea Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi with Mint and Pistachio Pesto
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Penne
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sweet cherry tomato spaghetti with crispy breadcrumbs
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
Description
Sweet and jammy cherry tomato spaghetti with crispy breadcrumbs, herbs and lemon, this family-friendly pasta is like summer in a bowl. Simple to make and ready in under 45 minutes this is the perfect mouth-watering summer dinner.
Ingredients
Crispy Breadcrumbs:
- Half a loaf (approx. 3 cups) day-old sour dough bread, torn into pieces
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, or just enough to oil breadcrumbs
- Sea salt and pepper, to season
Jammy Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce:
- 1 kg cherry tomatoes, washed
- ½ cup fig, date and balsamic relish (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, skin on and slightly crushed
- Small handful of fresh herbs; rosemary sprigs, sage leaves, oregano leaves and thyme sprigs
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional)
- Sea salt and pepper, to season
- 500 grams spaghetti
Crispy Herbs and Lemon:
- Small handful of mixed fresh herbs: rosemary sprigs, sage leaves, oregano leaves and thyme sprigs
To Serve:
- 1 room-temperature fresh mozzarella ball
Instructions
To Make the Crispy Breadcrumbs:
- Preheat oven to 180 C and line and oven tray with baking paper. Set aside.
- Place the day old sourdough bread, parmesan, herbs and salt and pepper into the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse the breadcrumbs until some pieces are finely chopped whilst others remain quite large. With the motor running, quickly drizzle in the olive oil to coat the breadcrumbs.
- Place the breadcrumbs onto the prepared tray and bake for 20-25 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until golden, crispy and crunchy. Set aside.
To Make The Jammy Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce:
- Place a fry pan over medium heat and drizzle in a little olive oil.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, fig date and balsamic relish, rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, garlic cloves and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until jammy and thickened.
- Taste the sauce for sweetness and if desired add the honey and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the garlic cloves and herbs from the sauce.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
- Add salt to season, spaghetti and cook according to packet instructions.
- Add cooked spaghetti directly into the pan of simmering jammy cherry tomato sauce and toss to combine. Set aside.
To Make the Crispy Herbs and Lemon:
- Place a small pan over low-medium heat and drizzle in a little olive oil.
- Carefully add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and lemon rind and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Place on a paper towel. Set aside.
To serve:
- Place the jammy cherry tomato-soaked spaghetti onto a serving dish. Nestle mozzarella ball amongst the spaghetti, top with crispy breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over the crispy fried herbs and lemon. Enjoy x
Notes
If you can’t find fig, date and balsamic relish, use caramelised onion relish.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pasta
- Cuisine: American
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