Bruschetta Pasta

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This bruschetta-inspired pasta is tossed with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, onions, balsamic and finished with a sprinkling of crispy garlicky breadcrumbs. Ready to go in 30 minutes!

Everything you love about fresh tomato basil bruschetta…tossed into a simple pasta! ♡

We are huge bruschetta fans in our house and love making a quick batch in the summertime whenever the season’s tomatoes are at their peak. But for a fun change recently, I decided to try adding our usual bruschetta topping mix (chopped fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic, red onions, olive oil and balsamic) to a batch of spaghetti, sprinkled with a batch of my favorite garlicky breadcrumbs. And we absolutely loved it!

The raw ingredients in the bruschetta mix gives the pasta an extra burst of fresh flavor. And those golden garlicky breadcrumbs — inspired by the crostini in traditional bruschetta — add the perfect pop of crunchy texture to each bite. If you’re craving some protein, you are more than welcome to add in some chicken, shrimp, or salmon too.

This pasta seriously tastes like summertime in a bowl. So grab a big bowl of the ripest cherry tomatoes you can find, and let’s make a big batch together!

Bruschetta Pasta Ingredients

Here are a few quick notes about the bruschetta pasta ingredients you will need for this recipe:

• Pasta: We enjoy making this pasta with thin spaghetti, but you could arguably use just about any pasta shape (long noodles or shorter pasta shapes) for this recipe. I vote whatever you have on hand!
• Bruschetta mix: A classic Italian bruschetta-inspired mix of chopped cherry tomatoes, garlic, red onion, fresh basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper are tossed together to marinate while the pasta cooks. If balsamic isn’t your thing, feel free to sub in a splash of lemon juice to brighten up these flavors.
• Garlicky breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are sautéed with olive oil (or butter), garlic and crushed red pepper flakes until perfectly crispy and golden.
• Parmesan: Then we highly recommend a generous sprinkle of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese to finish!

Recipe Tips

Full instructions are included in the recipe box below, but here are a few additional tips to keep in mind:

• Give the bruschetta mix time to marinate. It’s best to toss the bruschetta mix together first — right after you set the pasta water on the stove to heat — so that all of those delicious flavors can have time to marinate while you prepare the remainder of the recipe.
• Don’t overcook the pasta. You all know I’m a broken record on this subject, but please keep a close eye on the pasta since thin pasta cooks very quickly! For al dente pasta, you want each noodle to have a firm, slightly chewy texture.
• Add the breadcrumbs at the very end. I recommend sprinkling on the garlicky breadcrumbs just before serving. The longer they sit with the steamy hot pasta, the more they will begin to lose their crunchy texture.

Recipe Variations

Here are a few variations to this bruschetta pasta recipe that you’re welcome to try:

• Add a protein: Add in cooked chicken, shrimp, salmon or scallops.
• Add pesto: Add a few scoops of basil pesto in place of (or in addition to) the fresh basil.
• Add olives or capers: Add a handful of chopped olives or capers to the bruschetta mix.
• Add burrata: Top the pasta with fresh burrata for extra creamy, cheesy decadence.
• Make it gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free spaghetti.
• Make it vegan: Nix the Parmesan — the pasta is still plenty flavorful without it!

More Tomato Pasta Recipes

Looking for more delightful tomato pasta recipes to try? Here are a few of our favorites!

• Pasta All’Amatriciana
• Pasta Alla Bolognese
• Pasta Alla Boscaiola
• Italian Sausage Zucchini Orzo
• One Pot Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Bruschetta Pasta

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 6 reviews

• Author: Ali
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

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Description

This bruschetta-inspired pasta is tossed with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, onions, balsamic and finished with a sprinkling of crispy garlicky breadcrumbs.

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Ingredients

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Pasta Ingredients:

• 1 pound uncooked thin spaghetti
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (about 1 ounce)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup very finely diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced 
• fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
• freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)

Garlicky Breadcrumbs:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• 1 large clove garlic, pressed or minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

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Instructions

1. Heat the pasta water. Heat a large stockpot of generously-salted water until boiling.
2. Prep the bruschetta mix. Stir together the chopped tomatoes, basil, olive oil, balsamic, red onion, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl until combined. Set aside.
3. Prep the garlicky breadcrumbs. Meanwhile, heat oil or melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the breadcrumbs are golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4. Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Strain and return to the stockpot.
5. Serve. Top the pasta with the bruschetta mix and briefly toss to combine. Serve warm, topped with the garlicky breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and enjoy!

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