A friend passed this Viral Boursin Cherry Tomato Pasta on to me. I’ve made versions of this simple, baked Cherry Tomato Pasta with Feta Cheese before (and maybe you have, too), but the Boursin in this recipe is an absolute game-changer.
Boursin Cherry Tomato Pasta is like a little kitchen magic. With minimal effort, a quick dinner (with very little clean up) is on the table, all done in about 30 minutes.
About Boursin Cherry Tomato Pasta:
The Boursin Cheese makes this quick pasta dinner creamy, adding perfect balance to the rest of the sauce: the garlic, basil, and cherry tomatoes that roast along with it, doing their thing in the oven, as the pasta simmers.
In no time at all, you’ll pull the casserole out of the oven, give it a stir (and don’t forget to squeeze the garlic into the sauce), add in the spinach and the pasta, and you’ll have a glorious dinner on the table. And it’s so good, so creamy, so rich, you might not even notice it’s meatless.
About Boursin Cheese and What Can be Used Instead:
Boursin Cheese is a fresh cheese spread that comes in several different flavors; this recipe uses the Garlic and Fine Herbs Boursin. It’s put out by Bell Brands USA; you might be familiar with their Babybel, Laughing Cow, and Kaukauna brands.
If it’s not available in your area, try my Homemade Boursin. While not an exact copycat (mine is based on Cream Cheese rather than the French Gournay cheese), it does work. My recipe makes 20 ounces rather than the five-ounce container of Boursin, so cut back or make the full recipe and enjoy it as an appetizer or addition to a tray.
Easy Homemade Boursin Cheese
Making Boursin Cherry Tomato Pasta:
The recipe is super easy. The sauce is roasted in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes, so start your pasta water as soon as the casserole goes in.
To a casserole, add the Boursin cheese, cloves of garlic (add them to a corner of the pan, not too close to the edge, so they don’t burn and are easy to retrieve), and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle everything with fresh basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and a little salt. Toss in the oven.
When the casserole comes out, squeeze the garlic out of the cloves, and mix everything up. Add a layer of fresh spinach and the cooked pasta right on top. Toss everything together. Make sure to save some of the pasta water in case it needs to be added once the dish is mixed. Garnish with Parmesan and more basil.
Serve With:
Add a simple salad if you’d like, or if you’d like to put out a little more effort, you can’t go wrong with an Antipasto Salad. Below is my favorite, but riff on it as you’d like.
Favorite Antipasto Salad
Leftover Boursin Cherry Tomato Pasta:
Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for three to four days. Remove the basil garnish before storing. (It will wilt and become strong with time.) Do not freeze.
For best results, reheat servings, lightly covered, in the microwave, stopping to stir frequently. Too high a heat will break the sauce, causing it to separate.
Other Easy Pasta Recipes You Might Like:
- Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce – a simple, fresh skillet pan sauce for spaghetti, made in minutes.
- Pasta Carbonara – an old school classic, this one is more approachable with bacon instead of the classic guanciale.
- Pasta with Tuna, Tomatoes & Artichokes – another quick and simple toss together pasta dish.
Pasta with Tuna, Tomatoes, Artichokes
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends not only on WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Use these sales not just for your holiday, but to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- Take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality; be selective.
The best way to save money on this or any recipe is to have a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer full of sale-priced items.
Pasta:
- Pasta is a basic pantry ingredient; there’s no need to pay full price. stock your pantry when the pricing is rock bottom.
- Freeze it and any item containing flour when you bring it into the house to eliminate any possibility of pests.
Cherry Tomatoes:
- Cherry tomatoes are easy to grow; smaller varieties do well in pots.
- If buying: check your buyers club for fabulous pricing and quality, discount grocers, or sales at the grocery.
- Pricing at Farmers’ Markets can be iffy, but quality and variety may be better. Consider imperfect.
- Budget option: Use whole tomatoes cut into bite-sized chunks.
- Once fully ripened, place in the fridge to buy time; bring out a few hours before using.
Boursin Cheese:
- Widely available in the US, Boursin can be found in most well-stocked grocery stores, discount stores, and your buyers’ club. The best pricing will be before any major holiday, when it will generally be at a steep discount.
- Boursin is good for several weeks past the “buy by” date, and a week to 10 days once opened. Discard the entire package if it has a funky, sour milk smell or any discoloration, including mold.
Fresh Basil:
- It pays to grow it, even if in a pot. Bring in during the winter.
- A plant runs about the same as a cut bunch; if it dies, just snip and dry the leaves.
- Plants are available in the produce aisle in many grocery stores. Avoid any with dark spots. Choose carefully: even a healthy plant can harbor fungus; it will destroy a plant in a day or two.
- Use grocery plants ASAP (have another recipe and ingredients ready for the remainder). If the plant is healthy, plant it outside.
Happy New Year’s, and I hope you enjoy this simple Boursin Cherry Tomato Pasta. It’s an ideal reset for your taste buds and your budget after the holidaoys. It’s also a fabulous way to use leftover Boursin if you have it from the holidays. Until next time,
Mollie
Boursin Cherry Tomato Pasta
boursin cherry tomato pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: main dish meatless
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 package (about 5.2 ounces) Boursin cheese
- 3 cups (about sixteen ounces or 1 1/2 pints) cherry tomatoes
- 1 head garlic, root end trimmed off, separated into cloves; leave the paper on each clove
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- a handful of fresh basil, half rolled and sliced, and half whole leaves reserved for garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 3 cups spinach, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 8 to 12 ounces pasta, long noodles preferred
- grated Parmesan cheese as garnish along with the reserved basil leaves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a 9 x 13″ pan, add Boursin cheese to the center. Sprinkle tomatoes around the Boursin. Add garlic cloves to a corner of the pan, just a bit away from the edge. Drizzle all with olive oil. Sprinkle with the thinly sliced basil, salt, Italian seasoning (if using), and red pepper flakes (if using). Using a fork gently mix the tomato mixture, but leave the garlic as is.
Place in oven and roast until most of the tomatoes have burst and the Bousin is slightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Keep an eye on the garlic, making sure it doesn’t burn. In the meantime, prepare the pasta, timing so it’s finished about the same time as the casserole.
When the casserole is removed from the oven, squeeze the pulp from the garlic cloves and mash; discard the skins. Lightly mix together the Boursin, tomato mixture, and garlic. Sprinkle the top with Spinach.
When pasta is cooked al dente, reserve a cup of the pasta water, then quickly drain. Toss the hot pasta on top of the casserole, tossing to mix. Add the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy mixture.
Garnish with remaining basil and Parmesan cheese.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 4.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 430 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 30 g | 47 % |
| Saturated Fat 13 g | 63 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 10 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 38 mg | 13 % |
| Sodium 1000 mg | 42 % |
| Potassium 491 mg | 14 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 31 g | 10 % |
| Dietary Fiber 3 g | 14 % |
| Sugars 3 g | |
| Protein 9 g | 18 % |
| Vitamin A | 183 % |
| Vitamin C | 44 % |
| Calcium | 10 % |
| Iron | 14 % |
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