The 5-Ingredient Pasta I Wait All Year to Make

There are the dishes I love, and then there are the ones I wait all year to make. But Courtney, you might ask, if you like them so much, why not make them year-round? Because they typically rely on specialty ingredients that only find their way into the grocery stores and farmers' markets for a few fleeting weeks. Of all the summer fruits and veggies that I look forward to—I'm talking corn, peaches, and cherries, oh my!—there is one capricious piece of produce that trumps all others: tomatoes.

And while I love a big, juicy beefsteak or a misshapen, multicolored heirloom tomato as much as the next person there is one tiny tomato I look out for more than any other: Sun Gold tomatoes. Here's why I quite literally run to the markets when I see they're back in season.

What Are Sun Gold Tomatoes?

Sun Gold tomatoes are a variety of cherry tomatoes. They are small, orange, or yellow cherry tomatoes that are bred to be extra sweet and juicy, with an almost floral flavor. They usually arrive in markets in late July and last until end of August or September, in keeping with the typical tomato season. And if you've got a green thumb, they're a varietal to try growing at home, too.

My Favorite Recipe to Make With Sun Gold Tomatoes

Sun Gold tomatoes have a bit of a reputation in the produce scene. Since they're especially sweet and low-acid, chefs and home cooks alike turn to them to make sweet summery recipes, particularly pasta dishes. (That includes Chef John!) And I, myself, am no exception.

Each summer, I wait patiently for Sun Golds to return to my local farmers market, and when they do, I grab a couple of pints and run home to make one thing: creamy Sun Gold Pasta. Well, the wait is finally over. This is the ideal summer dish because it's fast, celebrates summer produce, and most importantly, requires no ovens to be turned on.

And while you could make this 5-ingredient pasta dish with any cherry tomato, there's something about the yellow and orange varietals like Sun Gold, Sun Sugar, and Yellow Currant tomatoes that makes this dish that much more special—and delicious.

How to Make My Favorite 5-Ingredient Sun Gold Tomato Pasta

I'll admit that I'm not great at writing formal recipes (see here and here), but can talk you through the steps to get this dish on your table in under 30 minutes. If you are someone who likes having the measurements and instructions written out, one of my favorite restaurants recently posted the recipe for its version of this dish on Instagram. We also have a very similar recipe right here on Allrecipes.

Get the Recipe: Campanelle with Cherry Tomatoes

Start with a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a high-sided pan or small sauce pot. At the same time, put a separate pot of salted water on to boil. When the oil is warm, add in 2-3 small garlic cloves (minced if you want more garlic flavor, sliced thinly if you want a bit less). I throw in a few red pepper flakes at this point too, but that's totally optional. Once the garlic is aromatic and a little toasted, you can add two pints of cherry tomatoes—as you know by know, Sun Golds are my top choice.

If you want to speed the process up even more, you can crush or halve the tomatoes before adding them to the pot, but there's really no need to. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper, then lower the heat and simmer them until they burst if they're whole (you can use the back of a spoon to speed up the process). Once the tomatoes have burst and released their juices, add 1-2 tablespoons of butter and continue to stir occasionally. Taste your sauce at this point—it should be sweet and not too acidic. If it tastes a little bitter (this can happen if the tomatoes are not at their peak), add a pinch or two of sugar to counter the acidity.

When your other pot of water is boiling, drop 1/2 pound of your preferred pasta shape and cook until 1-2 minutes less than the al dente time listed on the package. I like to use a curly or tubed shaped so the sauce can cling to it.

When your pasta is done cooking, drain, reserving about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta water. The sauce is done whenever the tomatoes have broken down, about 10 minutes. Add drained pasta to the tomato sauce, along with about 1/2 to 1 cup of grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese and a few splashes of pasta water at a time. Stir until the sauce becomes glossy and uniform. You can add another tablespoon of cold butter at this point to "mount" the sauce, which will make it even creamier, and is just gilding the lily at this point.

Plate up your pasta and finish with more cheese, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. It will seriously be the most luxurious, satisfying, and downright bowl licking-delicious thing you make all summer long. Sun Golds have an unrivaled sweetness and it makes for the most balanced tomato sauce you'll ever taste. I promise this "recipe" will have you going back to the farmstand week after week for Sun Gold tomatoes until their season comes to a close.