*Coco’s Bi-Monthly Crush List at the bottom of the recipe.
I still remember when I was starting out, listening to a podcast where Caro Chambers was a guest and being like, “that’s it, what’s how successful I want to be”. She had managed to create a community and a significant business alongside it, that felt real and tangible and fun. Now a few years later, I too have entered the cooking content world and I still look at her career as something to strive for.
Caro just came out with her third cookbook this week, What to Cook When you Don't Feel Like Cooking - Make it Fast which features 100 stress free recipes for those who haven’t got a ton of time to spend in the kitchen.
I gave one of them a test drive and it was everything it says on the tin. Quick, delicious and perfect for a home cook of any level. Congratulations Caro and I am confident your third book will be a roaring success! Below is the recipe, straight from her already best selling book.
You can find Caro’s book everywhere where books are sold including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Target.
TINY TOMATO PASTA
Serves 4 to 6
Starring vine-ripe tiny tomatoes and a handful of fragrant basil—this, my friends, is peak summer cooking. What to Cookers everywhere are addicted to this pasta! It’s best with the freshest summer tomatoes— especially Sungolds—but if you’re craving it midwinter, you can make it with cherry tomatoes and add a pinch of sugar. Use whatever pasta you’ve got, but I’m telling you, angel hair is absolutely elite here.
Kosher salt
1 pound angel hair pasta
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves
2 pounds cherry, Sungold, or grape tomatoes
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Handful of fresh basil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
cheese (4 ounces), plus more for serving
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Scoop out 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Thinly slice the garlic. Add the garlic, tomatoes, 1½ teaspoons salt, and the red pepper flakes to the pot and turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are bursting and forming a sauce with the butter, about 8 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully smash any tomatoes that haven’t burst on their own against the side of the pan. Turn off the heat.
Thinly slice the basil.
To the sauce in the pot, add the cooked pasta, ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water (see Learn, page 60), most of the basil (reserve a little bit for garnish), and ½ cup of the Parm and stir until all the cheese has melted into a smooth sauce. Stir in the remaining ½ cup Parm until smooth. Stir in more of the pasta cooking water until everything looks saucy and delicious. Taste and add more salt as needed.
Scoop into shallow bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved basil and more Parm.
Tip: If you’re feeding picky/texture averse eaters, blend the sauce with an immersion blender or transfer it to a standing blender before adding the pasta, basil, and Parm.
Learn: Stirring in the cheese in two batches helps it melt more evenly without clumping.
Shortcut: I will always and forever grate my own Parm in the blender or food processor. Just cut off the rind, cut it into a few hunks, and blend or process until grated!
Recipe reprinted with permission from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking: Make it Fast by Caroline Chambers © 2026. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Photography by Erin Scott.
Welcome to Coco’s Crush list where I give a handful of my all time favorite products with little to no explanation. Some I have been using forever and some might be new. None are sponsored.
The foundation that got an anti-foundation girl to wear it
An affordable face product that leaves my skin baby soft
Light weight, comfortable and looks good on all body types
A brightening sunscreen that lets me go make up free
My all time favorite blender
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