Looking for a quick weeknight dinner? This Pappardelle Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes is ready in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for using up those fresh garden tomatoes.
What is Pappardelle Pasta?
Pappardelle is a wide, ribbon-shaped pasta traditionally made with eggs. Its flat surface is perfect for soaking up rich, flavorful sauces—plus, it twirls beautifully on a fork. You’ll often find it dried in specialty stores (like we used here) or fresh in the refrigerated section.
Why we love it
This easy pappardelle recipe features a light, summery sauce with blistered tomatoes, banana peppers, and fresh basil. It’s a great way to use up ripe garden veggies—think Pasta Pomodoro, but with a little heat and brightness.
Best part? Like our Mushroom Pasta and Lemon Shrimp Pasta, it’s ready in 30 minutes.
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Ingredients
- PAPPARDELLE PASTA: we like pappardelle because it absorbs the flavors of the sauce best. You can also use fettuccine, tagliatelle, or penne.
- CHERRY TOMATOES: fresh cherry tomatoes or Roma tomatoes work best
- BANANA PEPPERS: banana peppers add heat. We used half mild banana peppers and half hot banana peppers to control the amount of spice.
- OLIVE OIL: use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford
- BUTTER: we like salted butter for this recipe
- GARLIC: fresh garlic cloves, crushed
- ROMANO CHEESE: fresh grated romano cheese (pecorino Romano cheese also works).
- BLACK PEPPER: tbsp black pepper corns
- BASIL: 10-12 basil leaves
*see recipe card for quantities.
🔪Top tip
Fresh, quality ingredients make the best pasta dish. Use fresh, locally grown tomatoes if possible, good quality Italian Romano cheese, and the best extra virgin olive oil you can afford.
Instructions
- Cook Pappardelle: Cook pappardelle pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Sauté Tomatoes and Peppers: In a large sauté pan, add half the olive oil and garlic cloves over medium heat. Add tomatoes (cut in half) along with banana peppers sliced into ⅛ inch rings.
- Add Pasta to Tomatoes & Peppers: Add pasta directly to pan and toss into tomatoes and peppers.
- Make Sauce: Add butter, pasta water and cracked pepper corns and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes tossing frequently.
- Serve: Remove from heat and toss in cheese and torn basil leaves. Drizzle remaining olive oil and serve.
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Substitutions & Variations
- ADD PROTEIN: add Easy Homemade Meatballs, Grilled Chicken or Grilled Shrimp to this recipe for a more hearty meal.
- PASTA OPTIONS: we like pappardelle noodles for this recipe because they absorb the flavors of the sauce nicely. Fettuccine, tagliatelle, spaghetti, or penne also work.
- MAKE IT CHEESY: this recipe uses a small amount of Romano cheese. You can make it cheesy by adding some fresh mozzarella or a burrata ball when serving.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a sauté pan over medium heat, adding olive oil if necessary.
FAQ
Pappardelle is perfect for hearty sauces and chunky ingredients because its wide, flat shape holds sauce well. It works great with meat ragùs, creamy mushroom sauces, or light vegetable-based dishes like this blistered tomato recipe.
To blister tomatoes, cook them over high heat in a hot skillet until their skins are charred and they soften. This intensifies their sweetness and adds a smoky depth, perfect for pasta sauces.
If you can’t find pappardelle, try using fettuccine, tagliatelle, or even wide egg noodles. These will give you a similar texture and sauce-holding ability.
Yes! You can prepare the blistered tomatoes and sauce a day ahead and reheat gently before tossing with freshly cooked pasta. The flavors often deepen after resting.
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Pappardelle Pasta recipe
Looking for a quick weeknight dinner? Pappardelle Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes is simple, fresh, and ready in 30 minutes.
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 5-6 portions 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb pappardelle pasta
- 20-25 cherry tomatoes
- 4-5 banana peppers (we used half mild and half hot)
- ½ C olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ C fresh grated romano cheese
- 1 tbsp black pepper corns
- 10-12 basil leaves
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to directions on package. Cook until pasta is done. When draining pasta, reserve ½ C of the pasta water for later.
- In a large sauté pan, add half the olive oil and garlic cloves over medium heat.
- Add tomatoes (cut in half) along with banana peppers sliced into ⅛ inch rings.
- Add pasta directly to pan and toss into tomatoes and peppers.
- Add butter, pasta water and cracked pepper corns and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes tossing frequently.
- Remove from heat and toss in cheese and torn basil leaves.
- Drizzle remaining olive oil and serve.
Notes
- To blister tomatoes, cook them over high heat in a hot skillet until their skins are charred and they soften. This intensifies their sweetness and adds a smoky depth, perfect for pasta sauces.
- If you can’t find pappardelle, try using fettuccine, tagliatelle, or even wide egg noodles. These will give you a similar texture and sauce-holding ability.
- Need protein? Add our Quick & Easy Homemade Meatballs, Grilled Chicken Breast or Grilled Shrimp for a more hearty meal.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Entrée
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 878
- Sugar: 20.4 g
- Sodium: 701.2 mg
- Fat: 41.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 99.4 g
- Protein: 33.6 g
- Cholesterol: 71.7 mg
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Jackie says
Simple, fresh. Totally delicious! This is one of our favorite summer recipes!