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Jammy Cherry Tomato Pasta with Crisp Lemon Rosemary Chickpeas, this quick-cooking pasta is like summer in a bowl. Rosemary oil fried chickpeas, lemon, and linguine pasta, all tossed with a “jammy” cherry tomato pasta sauce, kale, and plenty of basil. Serve topped with creamy burrata cheese, fried rosemary, lemon, and extra crispy chickpeas. This is the perfect summer dinner, all made using pantry staples and garden produce. Simple yet so delectable, and ready in under 45 minutes. Most importantly…every twirl of pasta is mouth-wateringly delicious.
To say that I’ve been working on this pasta for a while now would be a bit of an understatement. For whatever reason, this very simple…ish pasta took me forever to perfect. But last week I finally got it just right, and I’m so excited to share all the details.
This pasta is inspired simply by the overflowing rosemary bush in our greenhouse and my love of cherry tomatoes. I wanted to make a new summer pasta using sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes. But instead of using basil, my go-to herb, I wanted to switch things up and use rosemary. I love rosemary, but I don’t use it as often as I should. It can be a super powerful herb and has an intense flavor. But when used correctly it can really add so much to a dish. In today’s case, the rosemary helps to reinvigorate the average summer tomato pasta with fresh, exciting flavor.
I have so much to say about this pasta…so much.
But, if only one thing I say sticks with you today, let it be this…every last twist of pasta is DELICIOUS. It’s saucy, herby, bursting with jammy tomatoes, layered with creamy burrata cheese, and topped with crunchy fried chickpeas infused with rosemary and lemon.
It’s the pasta of summer, and it’s just what you need in your life. Today. Tomorrow. This weekend. Basically every other day from now until mid-late September.
Am I being dramatic? Why of course, but everything I’m saying is true. There is not one thing not to love about this pasta.
(chickpeas in skillet)
It all starts with the oil and the chickpeas. As of recently, I’ve really been obsessed with frying chickpeas in olive oil with fresh herbs and lemons. It’s my go-to when I want to add texture and crunch to a dish.
Of course, it’s awesome that this is a healthy obsession, but honestly, these chickpeas can become addicting. Maybe even more so than a potato chip? For me, for sure, but I think everyone will have their own opinion on that…
Anyway, the key is to crisp the chickpeas in a good amount of olive oil alongside fresh rosemary. As the chickpeas crisp, the rosemary fries in the oil, infusing all that olive oil with intense rosemary flavor. During the last minute of cooking, toss in some thinly sliced lemon and let that fry up as well. Remove everything but the oil from the pan and season it all with salt and pepper.
Now you have perfectly crisp chickpeas, fried rosemary, and fried lemon…
Try not to eat them all before the pasta is even assembled.
OK, now, boil-off your pasta. You can really use any cut of pasta you love most, but I’d recommend a long cut. I find it works really well with this sauce.
While the pasta is cooking, make the “jammy” tomatoes. Also known as burst cherry tomatoes that have been cooked down until they are sweet and jammy. Cook the tomatoes in all that reserved rosemary oil until they burst and release their juices. Add apple cider vinegar, and fig preserves. Yes, vinegar and preserves. I know it’s very odd, but please do trust me here. The vinegar balances the acid in the tomatoes, while the jam adds the slightest bit of sweetness and lends a nice “jammy” texture to the sauce. If you don’t want to use preserves, I’d recommend a touch of honey instead.
By the time the pasta is done cooking, the sauce should be pretty much ready. Add the pasta to the tomatoes along with a touch of butter, fresh Tuscan kale, and plenty of fresh basil. Toss until you really smell that basil. Season with salt and pepper and you’re ready to EAT.
Well almost…the plating is very important and should go as follows:
Pasta, room temperature burrata, a sprinkle of crispy chickpeas, and then any reserved fried rosemary and lemon.
Seems really fancy, right? But it’s actually so simple and made entirely in one pan (ok, two including the pasta cooking pan). And all in under 45 minutes minutes.
This one is as close to perfect as a summer pasta could get.
If you’re someone who enjoys a gluten-free diet, this can easily be made using gluten-free pasta. And if you’re vegan? Simply omit the butter and burrata cheese. No need to add any additional ingredients, as the pasta is delicious enough on its own.
I’d recommend serving this with my balsamic peach spritz and cobbler for dessert. Perfect any night of the week.
If you make this jammy cherry tomato pasta with crisp lemon rosemary chickpeas be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Jammy Cherry Tomato Pasta with Crisp Lemon Rosemary Chickpeas
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1151 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 can (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained and patted dry
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (use less for a less intense flavor)
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound linguine or other long cut pasta
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves/jam or honey
- 3 tablespoons salted butter (optional)
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, finely shredded
- 1 large handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 2 balls fresh burrata cheese, at room temperature
Instructions
- 1. Heat a large, high sided skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, chickpeas, and rosemary, and cook, stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are crisped all over, about 8-10 minutes. It's OK if some of the chickpeas are popping. Add the lemon and cook another minute, until fried. Remove the chickpeas, rosemary, and most of the lemon from the oil to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper. Set the skillet aside. 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain.3. Meanwhile, place the skillet with the rosemary-infused oil still inside over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the tomatoes, garlic, and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the tomatoes begin to pop, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the vinegar, preserves or honey, and a splash of the pasta cooking water (3-4 tablespoons). Simmer 5-10 minutes, until the sauce reduces and is "jammy". 4. Add the pasta, kale, and basil, tossing to combine. Crumble in the fried rosemary, reserving 1 sprig for topping. If needed, thin the sauce with additional pasta cooking water.6. Divide the pasta and butter (if using), among plates and top with burrata cheese, crisp chickpeas, crumbled rosemary, and lemon. Enjoy!
This was outstanding!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much Kaitlyn!! xTieghan
I made this recipe today, and found that with the fig preserves and the apple cider vinegar, my jammy cherry tomato sauce turned out too sweet! Maybe because my cherry tomatoes were plenty sweet. I upped the red pepper flakes to try and fix it. Any suggestions on what to do for next time?
Also I found that on the skillet, the chickpeas didn’t crisp as much as I wanted them. I ended up roasting them at 400 degrees for 10 minutes longer to get a crispier chickpea.
Hi Neela, next time just omit the preserves for a less sweet sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This was amazing… I would maybe double the lemon next time but otherwise perfect as is! Great summer meal.
Thank you Erin! xTieghan
Do you think the chickpeas and/ or tomato sauce can be made ahead of time (1-2 days ahead of serving?)
Hi May,
I would not recommend prepping this 1-2 days ahead of time. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
OMG—I think this was one of the best things I’ve ever made. I knew it would be delicious, but didn’t expect the flavors to be so complex!! Pasta with burst cherry tomatoes (usually fried up in oil, garlic, and chili flakes) is my go-to meal when I have nothing else in the pantry, so I figured this would be a bit of an upgrade on that. But it’s about 100x better! I’ll never go back!
The fig and vinegar are total game changers, and all the kale and basil add the perfect bit of freshness… and it was so easy! Thank you!
Yes!! That is so great to hear! Thank you so much Emily! xTieghan
What do you mean by “divide the butter”. You mean put butter on top of the pasta?
Hi John! Yes, if you are using the butter just divide the 3 tablespoons and add it on top of each plate! I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with! xTieghan
Hi! Do you think i’d be able to user a strawberry/rhubarb jam and red wine vinegar instead of the fig preserves and apple cider vinegar? I also have honey but was wondering if the jam would be a better alternative
Hey there! I would recommend using the honey. I think that will work better. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
The best thing about this recipe, which I’ve made for a zillion other menus, is the jammy tomatoes. Seriously, these turn almost anything into an amazing dinner made with love. Thank you!! (The whole meal is also scrumptious- but my heart belongs to the jammy tomatoes)
Thank you Taralyn! I am so glad this one turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I made this for dinner the other night and it was delicious but I had a few questions. Do you remove the rosemary from the stalks at some point (so that there a little pieces of rosemary in the dish)? And, my chickpeas came out soggy, not crunchy but they still tasted good 🙂 How do you get them crunchy?
Thanks!
Melissa
Hi Melissa,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe! You do not add the rosemary back in, it just simply helps to season the olive oil and chickpeas. As for the chickpeas I would recommend drying them off before adding to the skillet and you should have nice crispy chickpeas after 10 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This dish remains our favorite!! I washed up 4 cups of cherry tomatoes out of our garden last summer and froze them in a zip lock freezer bag for this dish. It turned out beautifully!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you have been loving this one! xTieghan
Quite possibly my favorite pasta recipe EVAH! Sooooo delicious! Going to have to double the crispy chickpeas next time, because we kept munching on them before the dish was served! Sooooo good!
Haha I am so glad this turned out so well for you Carole! Thank you! xTieghan
We cooked this recipe last night and it was absolutely delicious! Super easy to make 🙂 thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you for trying this! I am so glad you loved it! xTieghan
This is so good! I had to sub in mozzarella because my grocery store didn’t have burrata, but all the other ingredients I had at home. I’ve never made anything like it before, but I loved it and have eaten the leftovers twice since yesterday. My 2 year old has gobbled it down, and I shared it with friends who also wanted to recipe! I will say my chickpeas weren’t crunchy, but, after reading the comments, I think maybe I needed more oil. I look forward to making this again!
Hi Helen! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe so much! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I don’t make pasta dishes much but after my neighbor brought this over for dinner one night, I HAD to have it again. It is now an absolute favorite of mine to make and to eat. Thank you!!!
That is so amazing! I am so glad you loved this Merran! Thank you! xTieghan
About to use up the last of my garden tomatoes to make this 1 more time. I crave this pasta! It is so delicious! All the flavors are amazing! And I double the chickpeas and snack on them. Haha. I’ve even made just the chickpeas as a snack when I had guests over. Huge hit!
Thank you so much Lindsey! I am so glad this turned out so well! xTieghan