This delicious pomodorini penne features fresh cherry tomatoes bursting with flavor! Try this pasta dish al fresco for added summer ambience!

If you have an abundance of cherry tomatoes from your garden, this is an excellent way to enjoy them!
What are pomodorini?
Pomodorini is simply the Italian name for cherry tomatoes. It can also describe a pasta sauce made with cherry tomatoes rather than their full-sized cousins.
Pomodorini Vesuviano – Volcanic tomatoes?
Pomodorino del Piennolo, a specific type of pomodorini which grows near Mt. Vesuvius in Campania, Italy, is one of the most characteristic products from that historic region.

The high concentration of minerals in the potassium-laden, lava-enriched soil surrounding this volcanic mountain yields intensely flavored and fragrant tomatoes.
Due to their strong flavor and long shelf life, people often hang them up in strings to dry. This is why their name is “piennolo,” which means “hanging” in the Neapolitan dialect of Italian.
These Vesuvian pomodorini have an elongated pointed tip, so when you see a string of them drying out, they almost look like chiles.
This article has a great photo of these tomatoes strung up to dry. The sea in the background is a nice perk as well!
Once the tomatoes have dried for about a month, people (traditionally women) chop them into smaller pieces called pacchetelle.
After that, they arrange the pacchetelle in glass jars to create a preserve. The drying process concentrates the flavor and scent for an incredibly flavorful food.
This ancient tradition allowed Vesuvian women to preserve the fresh tomatoes they harvested from July through August, so that they could enjoy their pomodorini year round.
If you’re curious and want to taste them for yourself, you can try pomodorini del piennolo from Amazon.
A note on the pasta
You can use any shape of pasta you’d like in order to customize this dish. I chose penne for some appealing alliteration, but you can use spaghetti, linguine, or whatever you have in your cupboard.
Another alliterative choice would be pappardelle. However, pappardelle noodles feature eggs in the ingredients. Therefore, that would make this recipe no longer vegan.
Try this dish with my vegan garlic bread for a full vegan feast! If you’re pressed for time, try my frozen garlic bread in the air fryer!

Pomodorini Penne Ingredients
Before you begin, you will need:
- 1 pound of penne (or pasta of your choice)
- 1 pint (2 cups) of cherry tomatoes (or any small tomatoes of your choice)
- 1/3 cup of pine nuts
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup of pasta water (reserved from cooking)
- 2 large or 4 small cloves of garlic
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for the pasta water (For a refresher on why pasta water is a great ingredient in pasta sauce, you can refer to this lemon pepper pasta article.)
- Fresh basil, to taste and as a garnish

- Saucepan
- Skillet
- Garlic press (or allow a little time for slicing or mincing)
- Colander
- Stirring utensils
- Measuring cups and spoons


How to make pomodorini penne
- To begin, put water on to boil in a saucepan with a pinch of salt for your pasta.
- While the water is coming to a boil, you can wash the cherry tomatoes and peel the garlic. Measure out the olive oil into your skillet and place over medium heat.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook to your preference.
- While the pasta is cooking, you can make the sauce in your skillet.
- Once the olive oil is hot, use a garlic press to add the minced fresh garlic to the olive oil. Cook until fragrant.
- After that, add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.
- Then, add in the pine nuts and toast until golden. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Add in the salt and stir.
- Next, add the cherry tomatoes (pomodorini).
- If your pasta is done to your taste, scoop out at least 1/2 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta.
- After that, add 1/2 of pasta water to the tomatoes to help them cook faster. Stir so the pine nuts don’t scorch.
- Cook the tomatoes for about 5 minutes. You will know they are done when the skins start to wrinkle and split open.
- Finally, dish up the pasta and scoop the pomodorini sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh basil, a lemon wedge, or fresh cracked pepper if desired, and enjoy!
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Variations on this recipe
As with many pasta dishes, this recipe is very flexible to adaptations. If you leave the pomodorini mostly whole, it’s basically a pasta salad, so go wild with add ins!
Try adding black olives, chickpeas, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, peas, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, or whatever else you think you’d like.
A dollop of pesto would go nicely with this dish, as would lemon juice or artichoke hearts.
If cherry tomatoes are out of season, you can buy canned pomodorini as well for a year round treat.
You can sprinkle some cheese on top if desired – parmesan would be a tasty choice.
Similarly, if you don’t need this dish to be vegan, you could pour a splash of heavy cream into the sauce while cooking.
In addition to or rather than adding pasta water, you could use white wine as the base for this sauce.
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Related Pasta Recipes
If you liked this pomodorini penne, I think you’ll also enjoy:
- Gouda Mac and Cheese
- Lemon Pepper Pasta with Toasted Pine Nuts (In addition, this article explains the benefits of pasta water.)
- Hearty Marinara Sauce
- Aurora Sauce and Broccoli Pasta Bake

Pomodorini Penne - Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
This delicious pomodorini penne features fresh cherry tomatoes bursting with flavor! Try this pasta dish al fresco for added summer ambience!
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/3 cup of pine nuts (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup pasta water, reserved from cooking
- Fresh basil to garnish
Instructions
- To begin, put water on to boil in a saucepan with a pinch of salt for your pasta.
- While the water is coming to a boil, you can wash the cherry tomatoes and peel the garlic. Measure out the olive oil into your skillet and place over medium heat.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook to your preference.
- While the pasta is cooking, you can make the sauce in your skillet.
- Once the olive oil is hot, use a garlic press to add the minced fresh garlic to the olive oil. Cook until fragrant.
- After that, add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.
- Then, add in the pine nuts and toast until golden. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Add in the salt and stir.
- Next, add the cherry tomatoes (pomodorini).
- If your pasta is done to your taste, scoop out at least 1/2 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta.
- After that, add 1/2 of pasta water to the tomatoes to help them cook faster. Stir so the pine nuts don't scorch.
- Cook the tomatoes for about 5 minutes. You will know they are done when the skins start to wrinkle and split open.
- Finally, dish up the pasta and scoop the pomodorini sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh basil, a lemon wedge, or fresh cracked pepper if desired, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 178Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g
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