• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Contact
Check out my cookbook

The Toasted Pine Nut

fun. flavorful. feel-good recipes.

  • Check out my cookbook!
  • Recipes
    • Dessert
      • Cookies
      • Bars & Brownies
      • Breads & Muffins
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Pies & Crumbles
      • Candy
      • No Bake
    • Meal
      • Breakfast
      • Main Dishes
      • Appetizers
      • Sides
      • Snacks
      • Drinks
      • Salads
      • Sauces & Dips
      • Dessert
    • Diet
      • Gluten Free
      • Dairy Free
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Egg Free
      • Kid Friendly
      • Low Carb
      • Nut Free
    • Meat
      • Fish & Seafood
      • Chicken & Poultry
      • Beef & Pork
      • Meatless
    • Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Oven
      • Grill
      • Stovetop
    • Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Recipe Filter
  • Shop
    • My Baking Mixes
    • Kitchen Essentials
    • Pantry Items
    • Kid Favorites
    • Photography
  • Cookbook
  • Videos
Home Recipes Main Dishes Meatless

30-Minute Harissa Pasta

30 min
VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free
Avatar by: Lindsay Grimes Freedman
October 12, 2021 (Updated: December 7, 2021)
Jump to Recipe
Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This is an overhead view of a bowl of harissa pasta. The pasta is topped with burrata, pine nuts, and basil. Text overlay reads "harissa pasta only 30 minutes!"
This is an overhead view of a bowl of harissa pasta. The pasta is topped with burrata, pine nuts, and basil.
Harissa Pasta is so simple to make in 30 minutes and loaded with flavor! Add more or less spice and balance it out with burrata and basil.

Harissa pasta is the perfect weeknight meal. I love a dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes but doesn’t disappoint on flavor.

The best thing about this harissa pasta recipe is it’s the perfect balance of spice, creaminess, and fresh herbs. The harissa adds the heat which you can really customize depending how you like it. The burrata brings the creaminess, and the basil brings that fresh brightness to the dish.

Top it off with my favorite toasted pine nuts and enjoy this glossy, spicy, delicious meal that’s nearly impossible to stop eating!

What is Harissa?

  • What is harissa made of? Originating from Tunisia, harissa is a chili pepper paste where the main ingredients are roasted red peppers, spices, garlic, and herbs.
  • What does harissa taste like? It’s spicy, peppery, and fiery! Harissa can vary on heat depending on what peppers and chiles are used in the paste.
  • This is an overhead image of a pan with pasta in a harissa sauce, basil, and cherry tomatoes.
  • This is a side view of a bowl of harissa pasta. The pasta is topped with burrata, pine nuts, and basil.

Ingredients & Substitutions for this Harissa Pasta

  • Pasta. You can really use whatever pasta is your favorite! I got some fresh pasta from a local brand by me (which was amazing to use fresh pasta!) but use whatever pasta you have on hand! Any size or shape really works with this recipe!
  • Olive Oil. I think olive oil is best for the flavors in the recipe, but if you’re in a pinch, avocado oil, refined coconut oil, or even butter would work too!
  • Onion. I always go for a sweet onion. Cut it into slices and then cut the slices in half. Longer, large pieces are my favorite for this recipe because they reduce down and caramelize.
  • Garlic. Always garlic.
  • Cherry Tomatoes. I love the juicy burst of cherry tomatoes. They’re sweet and adorable. Plus, have fun playing around with different varieties of tomatoes!
  • Harissa Paste. This is why you’re here, no? The spice! The heat! The deliciously smoky depth. Grab yourself some harissa paste and let’s get pasta-ing! Check out below to see how you can make it more or less spicy.
  • Agave Nectar. I felt like among the heat and the creamy cheese of this dish we needed a touch of sweetness. I added just a tablespoon of agave nectar, you can always use honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or even white sugar!
  • Salt. Bring the salt!
  • Burrata Cheese. I feel like once you have burrata, it’s hard to go bak to other cheeses. It’s just so delightfully creamy and adds the perfect balance to the harissa spice.
  • Pine Nuts. Because we need some toasty flavor and some nutty texture, pine nuts are just always a good idea. Can you sub in another toasty nut? Yes. But because you landed on this specific website, I must insist on pine nuts.
  • Basil. Ahh fresh basil is just so delish. Not only will it add some freshness to this dish, it also adds a beautiful color to balance the red harissa.

Spice it ip (or not)!

Harissa can be really spicy! The heat also depends on the brand of harissa you use. Generally, this is a good rule of thumb and you can adjust this recipe depending how spicy you like it.

Super Mild. Use 1 teaspoon of harissa paste. It will add bit of heat but not too much.

Mild. Bump up the heat just a bit more but still keep it pretty mild. Use 1 tablespoon harissa paste.

Medium. Want a bit more spice but not too much? Use 2 tablespoons harissa paste.

Hot. Like it fiery? Use 3+ tablespoons harissa paste.

This is a closeup of a fork with three noodles on it. The pasta is in a red harissa sauce with some basil. Bowls of pasta are blurred in the background.

How to Make Harissa Pasta

  1. Toast the pine nuts. Add the pine nuts to a pan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently for 5 minutes until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat, transfer the pine nuts into a small bowl and set aside. 
  2. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions. 
  3. Caramelize the onions. Add the olive oil and onion to a pan over medium-high heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring consistently until the onions reduce and turn golden brown.
  4. Start the harissa sauce. Add the garlic, cherry tomatoes, harissa, agave, and salt to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes until the cherries begin to burst. Use the back of your spatula to squash some tomatoes down a bit.
  5. Save the pasta water!! Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
  6. Combine it all! Add the pasta to the pan and pour the pasta water into the pan as your stir and coat the pasta with the sauce. 
  7. Add the cheese and basil. Remove the pan from heat and stir in half of the burrata along with most of the basil. 
  8. Plate and enjoy! Divide the pasta into four dishes, top with remaining burrata, toasted pine nuts, and basil.

How to Store Leftovers

Fridge. Save leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about one week. Transfer to a bowl and reheat in the microwave until it reaches the desired temperature.

Freeze. You can also freeze for two months! Place in an airtight container in the freezer. To reheat, place it in the fridge to defrost for a few hours and reheat in the microwave until it reaches desired temp.

More Pasta Recipes to Try!

Asparagus Pasta Salad

Creamy Garlic Tahini Pasta

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Lemon Zucchini Burrata Pasta

Did you make this? Leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

This is a closeup of a fork with three noodles on it. The pasta is in a red harissa sauce with some basil. Bowls of pasta are blurred in the background. Recipe
VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free

30-Minute Harissa Pasta

Harissa Pasta is so simple to make in 30 minutes and loaded with flavor! Add more or less spice and balance it out with burrata and basil.

AvatarRecipe by:Lindsay Grimes Freedman
Prep: 5 minCook: 25 minTotal: 30 min
Print recipe Rate recipe Pin Save recipe
Servings: serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 12 oz. pasta
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 10 oz. cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons harissa paste
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 oz. burrata cheese
  • 1 cup basil leaves, slightly chopped or torn

Instructions

  1. Before you get started, toast your pine nuts. Add the pine nuts to a pan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently for 5 minutes until the nuts are golden brown. Remove from the heat, transfer the pine nuts into a small bowl and set aside. 
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions. 
  3. While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil and onion to a pan over medium-high heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring consistently until the onions reduce and turn golden brown.
  4. Add the garlic, cherry tomatoes, harissa, agave, and salt to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes until the cherries begin to burst. Use the back of your spatula to squash some tomatoes down a bit.
  5. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
  6. Add the pasta to the pan and pour the pasta water into the pan as your stir and coat the pasta with the sauce. 
  7. Cut the burrata balls into quarters. 
  8. Remove the pan from heat and stir in half of the burrata along with most of the basil. 
  9. Divide the pasta into four dishes, top with remaining burrata, toasted pine nuts, and basil.

Nutrition Info:

  • Serving Size: 1/4 batch
  • Calories: 593
  • Sugar: 7.4g
  • Sodium: 648mg
  • Fat: 3g
  • Saturated Fat: 10.9g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 60.9g
  • Fiber: 1.9g
  • Protein: 22g
  • Cholesterol: 102mg
© The Toasted Pine Nut

Did you make this?

I love seeing what you made! Tag me on social @thetoastedpinenut

Rate recipe Tag me on Instagram
This is an overhead view of a bowl of harissa pasta. The pasta is topped with burrata, pine nuts, and basil. Text overlay reads "harissa pasta only 30 minutes!"
66 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Save
  • Email
overhead image of a gluten free sprinkle cookie with a bite taken out on a white counter

Never miss a recipe!

Join our pine nut family and get recipes delivered right to your inbox.

Join now!
15 no bake desserts

You May Also Like...

  • Grilled Summer Veggie Pasta Salad
  • Strawberry Basil Balsamic Pasta Salad
  • This is an overhead view of a shallow bowl with spaghetti topped with shredded asparagus and toasted pine nuts. A fork has spaghetti twirled around the fork and leaning against the side of the bowl.
    Asparagus Pasta Salad

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

If you love this recipe it would mean SO MUCH to me if you give it a star rating and leave a comment about it. Not only do I love basking in the glory of your recipe love, but (perhaps more importantly 😋) it helps other readers find my recipes online. Thanks so much for your feedback!!

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Lindsay

Hi Friend!

I'm Lindsay I love sharing simple, better-for-you recipes. When I'm not in the kitchen, you can find me at the beach watching my kids boogie board and soaking in that warm Cali sun (with sunscreen, of course).

Read more...

Recipe Key

GF Gluten-Free DF Dairy-Free V Vegan VG Vegetarian EF Egg-Free NF Nut-Free P Paleo Browse All

Most Popular

5-Min Crunchy Chocolate Quinoa Crisps

overhead image of a muffin tin filled with 12 raw eggs sprinkled with pepper

Perfect Oven-Baked Eggs in a Muffin Tin

This is a side view of a chocolate almond butter bar with a bite taken out of it. The bar sits on a white piece of parchment paper and is sprinkled with salt. More bars are blurred in the background.

No Bake Almond Butter Bars

Lemon + Avocado Kale Salad

Freebie alert!

Get My Free No Bake Desserts eBook!

Explore

More Meatless

This is an overhead view of a cast iron skillet with chickpeas and mushrooms in a marsala sauce. A wood spoon is scooping up some of the chickpeas and leaning against the skillet. The chickpeas are topped with parsley leaves.
★★★★★

Chickpea Mushroom Marsala

This is a side view of a stack of quesadilla sliced. The quesadilla has chickpeas, jackfruit, and little pieces of cilantro. The stack is topped with a queso. The stack of quesadilla pieces are on a white plate on a white surface with a white background.

Vegan Buffalo Chickpea + Jackfruit Quesadillas

This is an overhead image of a shallow bowl with hot pink beetroot pasta topped with sautéed greens and a nutty mixture on top. A fork dips into the bowl and leans against the right side of the dish. Another bowl with pasta is to the top right corner of the image. A small bowl with nutty gremolata is to the top left corner of the image.

Almond Beetroot Pasta + Nutty Gremolata

This is an overhead image of a shallow bowl with pumpkin soup on a white counter. The soup is topped with sage leaves, pecans, and quinoa. A spoon is dipping into the soup to the left side of the bowl. Another bowl of soup is to the top left of the image.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup

Browse All
15 No bake desserts

Download my FREE No Bake Dessert Ebook!

As seen on:

Food Network
Shape
Men's Health
NBC
Kitchn
Glamour
  • Browse by Diet
    • Gluten Free
    • Dairy Free
    • Vegan
    • Egg Free
    • Low Carb
    • Recipe Filter
  • Explore Resources
    • FAQ
    • My Baking Mixes
    • Cookbook
    • Shop Favorites
    • Web Stories
    • Meet Lindsay
Follow

@thetoastedpinenut

Accessibility

Privacy Policy

Disclaimer

Contact

© 2023 The Toasted Pine Nut
|
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Support by Foodie Digital
Back to Top
66 shares