Name: Tomato Basil Pasta
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 12 ounces mild Italian sausage links (or 3 links); 1 lb gluten free pasta; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 lb cherry tomatoes; 2 tsps minced garlic; 2 tsps dried basil; 1 tsp parsley; ¼ tsp salt; ¼ tsp pepper; red pepper fakes (, optional)

Jump to Recipe

Tomato basil pasta is an easy dinner recipe that is full of flavor and tasty, refreshing ingredients! The kind of dinner I love most is the kind that is quick and easy and this dinner is just that! This dinner comes together in only 30 minutes – with only a handful of ingredients – which makes it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.

I love to try and create new recipes so I rarely make the same dish twice within several months. If I make a dish twice within two or three months then you know it’s one of our favorites. This tomato basil pasta makes it into our dinner rotation quite often, even though I’ve been making it for years. It’s so full of flavor – tomatoes, basil, and Italian sausage – that my whole family just loves it.

I started making this dish 10 years ago, shortly after my husband and I got married. It’s gone through several variations in the last ten years. Such as, the addition of parsley, gluten-free pasta, and red pepper flakes. The Italian sausage is the latest addition, at the request of my husband. It adds so much flavor! I’ve made it dozens and dozens of times without it though, so if you prefer to keep this dish meatless, it will still be delicious and satisfying.

Allergy Information

Every recipe on my blog is free from wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, peanuts, and cashews – and this recipe is too! It can be hard to find delicious pasta recipes that are both gluten free and dairy free – but this one is perfect! Your food allergies and intolerances won’t hold you back on this noe!

Don’t have to worry about gluten? No problem! Just use your favorite regular pasta!

Ingredients for Gluten Free Tomato Basil Pasta

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Cherry tomatoes: You can also use chopped Roma, beefsteak, or on the vine tomatoes.
Italian sausage links: I use mild because some of my kids don’t like anything spicy. I bet this would be delicious with hot sausage though if you like some heat!
Olive oil
Spices: Minced garlic, dried basil, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (optional!)
Gluten free pasta: You can also just use regular pasta if you don’t need gluten free! My favorite gluten free pasta is Barilla brand. Get an 8-pack of Barilla gluten free pasta at the link below!

How To Make Tomato Basil Pasta

This quick and easy dinner recipe is whipped up in 30 minutes. Forty minutes tops.

This pasta recipe is very simple and doesn’t require much culinary technique. Which is good because we can’t all be like my Italian brother-in-law, Nico. But not to worry, even though this dish is simple enough for the beginner cook, you’ll still feel like an Italian master chef when you sit down to eat. It’s so good!

To begin, start cooking your Italian sausage links. Or you may use ground Italian sausage if you prefer. You can even use pre-cooked chicken sausage links. Really, there are so many options.
After you get your sausage going, bring a large pot of water to boil. Then, wash your cherry tomatoes and slice them in half. I love cherry tomatoes in this recipe. They are sweeter and look so elegant when they are sliced in half. However, I also often use chopped Roma tomatoes if that’s what I have. Don’t feel like you have to use cherry tomatoes. Use whatever you have!
After your tomatoes are sliced, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. I usually start this step once my gluten-free pasta is in the water cooking. Once the oil is hot, add the spices. Let cook for a minute or two. Then, add the tomatoes. Let the tomatoes cook in the oil until they soften. They should finish around the same time as your pasta. Drain your pasta, slice the sausage, and add them both to the tomatoes. Stir it all together and BAM! Delicious master chef Italian dinner in 30 minutes. Really, this dish is the perfect easy dinner recipe.

*Tip* Some gluten-free pastas will need a little extra oil. If a 1/4 cup of oil isn’t enough then just add another tablespoon or two.

What To Serve With Tomato Basil Pasta

This pasta dish is pretty light – no heavy sauces. So, just about any side dish will go with it. Some of our favorites to serve along side this quick and easy dinner are:

Steamed green beans
Green salad
Cucumber Avocado Tomato Salad
Sliced fruit

If you know of a gluten-free Italian bread then that would also be a great side dish option! What are your favorite side dishes to serve with pasta? Let me know in the comment section below!

Substitutions

Not only is this dish a quick and easy dinner but it is also a very versatile dinner! You can use many different substitutions if you wish.

Basil – I use dried basil but I’m sure this dish would just be lovely with fresh basil.

Mild Italian Sausage – You can use any kind of sausage you want! You can use Hot Italian sausage (what we’d use if the kids allowed it), ground Italian sausage, pre-cooked chicken sausage links, anything! Just be careful with the pre-cooked chicken sausages. They are easy and convenient but many of them contain cheese and dairy products. Read the label carefully if you wish to avoid dairy.

Cherry Tomatoes – Any kind of tomato will work! Roma, cherry, on the vine, etc.

Pasta – Of course you can use any pasta you wish. It doesn’t have to be gluten-free.

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