Blog - Inside BruCrew Life

Tomato Basil Pasta

Tomato Basil Pasta is a simple yet satisfying dish. It's quick and easy, making it the perfect homemade meal without all the hassle. Pair it with a garden salad or a loaf of bread for a tasty dinner.

This post was first published in May 2014. It was updated and then republished in August 2024.

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I'm always looking for simple, inexpensive dinner recipes that taste great and can be made in under 30 minutes. A few that we make all the time are cheesy chicken and rice casserole, chicken pasta bake, and tomato soup.

This tomato pasta recipe is another one that checks all the boxes. It's easy to make in minutes, packed with flavor, and our whole family loves it.

The highlight is the light sauce, made from juicy tomatoes and a handful of sweet basil leaves. It's guaranteed to be a favorite on busy weeknights when you need to get dinner on the table fast.

Why You'll Love Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil

Quick and Easy: This simple pasta dish can be on the table in under 30 minutes with just a few ingredients. It's perfect for those nights when you want a home-cooked meal without all the fuss.
Versatile: This delicious meal can be paired with various proteins, such as grilled chicken, shrimp, or meatballs. It can be easily adjusted to your taste or whatever you have in your kitchen.
Light and Fresh: The sauce uses tomatoes instead of heavy cream or cheese, making it lighter but still satisfying.

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Brookies

Brookies are the ultimate treat, combining the best of two classic desserts. With layers of fudgy brownies and buttery chocolate chip cookies, brownie cookie bars have a delicious combination of flavors and textures.

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Brookie Bars

We frequently bake these chocolate chip brownies and this thick chocolate chip cookie recipe for parties and get-togethers. But there are days when I can't decide which one I'm craving the most.

With brookie bars, I don't have to choose. I love to combine homemade brownies with soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie dough in one pan. It's like getting two treats in one, and I can't get enough of them.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

The Best of Both Worlds: With brookies, you don't have to settle for a brownie or a cookie. In every bite, you get both treats.
Ultimate Crowd-Pleaser: Brownie cookies are always a hit, so they are great for parties or bake sales. The combination of flavors makes them hard to resist.
Easy to Make: Despite appearing impressive, brookies are surprisingly simple to make. They're perfect for a special treat without spending hours in the kitchen.
Have Fun with Them: For extra flavor, try adding nuts, peanut butter, caramel, or sea salt. Enjoy experimenting with different toppings.

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Pizza Pasta Salad

Pizza Pasta Salad combines all your favorite pizza toppings with noodles and a zesty Italian dressing. This cold pasta salad is a great choice for summer picnics, back-to-school lunches, or potluck dinners.

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Pizza Pasta Salad Recipe

My husband usually chooses what's for dinner because he makes savory food in our home, while I stick to dessert. One of his specialties is homemade pizza dough, which we use every weekend for pizza nights!

This week, I was motivated to make dinner. We had leftover toppings, so I used them to change up our usual veggie pasta salad. It was the perfect side dish to serve with the rotisserie chicken I purchased from Sam's Club. Finding that balance is key, isn't it?

This pizza pasta salad recipe is ready in minutes and can be custom-made to your taste. We use our favorite toppings with the pasta, but you can adjust it to your preferences. It's perfect for any season, so we make it all year long!

Why You'll Love Pizza and Pasta

No oven required: When it's too hot to turn on the oven, this pasta salad gives you pizza vibes without breaking a sweat.
Easy to customize: Just like pizza, you can make this salad with your favorite pizza toppings. Try meat lovers or veggie-packed version
Great for gatherings: It's easy to prepare in large amounts, so it's ideal for parties, picnics, and family events.
Can be made ahead: You can make pasta salad in advance. It tastes better after sitting for a while, allowing the flavors to mix together.

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Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Our Pumpkin Spice Muffins are a fall favorite because they are easy to make, and everyone loves them. Whether you enjoy them with your morning coffee or share a batch with friends, these glazed muffins will make your day warm and cozy!

A glazed pumpkin muffin on an orange towel.

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Best Pumpkin Muffins

Fall is in the air, which means it's time to embrace everything pumpkin spice! There's nothing like a warm, fluffy pumpkin treat to get you in the autumn spirit.

As soon as August arrives, I'm ready to start every day with a pumpkin cream cold brew and a pumpkin muffin. I've been making these pumpkin coffee muffins for years, but this time, I decided to go for a simple pumpkin spice flavor.

These pumpkin muffins are soft, moist, and perfectly spiced. Adding the sweet glaze and cinnamon sugar is optional, but it gives them a finished look.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Delicious Fall Vibes: The pumpkin spice blend is like a warm, comforting hug in muffin form. It's everything you love about fall in one sweet bite!
Simple Ingredients: Our easy pumpkin muffins can be made in under an hour with basic pantry items and canned pumpkin.
Great for Sharing: Whether you're hosting a fall brunch or want to treat your coworkers, these muffins will surely be a hit with everyone.
Adaptable: Enjoy them plain or load them up with chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit. They're delicious either way!

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Apple Butter Coffee Cake

This Apple Butter Coffee Cake will steal the show this fall. With layers of soft cake, apple butter, oat crumble, and a sweet glaze, it's the perfect treat to enjoy with coffee or to share with friends and family.

Two squares of apple coffee cake on parchment paper.

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Fall is my favorite season. I love the changing leaves, crisp air, apple picking, and all the apple treats. This is also the time of year when you can find jars of rich apple butter in stores.

Apple butter takes me back to my childhood. We always had a jar of this spicy, thick spread in our refrigerator for toast or biscuits.

This apple spread is delicious on toast but has many other uses. Last year, I used it in this apple butter bread and these apple butter cinnamon rolls, which are still family favorites.

This fall, I wanted to make a coffee cake that could be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert. I used the base recipe from my strawberry snack cake and added apple butter filling and a cinnamon crumb topping.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Fall Flavors: Apple butter and cinnamon create the perfect fall flavor combination, making this cake a seasonal delight.
Perfect for Sharing: This autumn snack cake is perfect for brunches, potlucks, or a cozy family breakfast.
Comfort Food: The warm, sweet, spiced flavor makes it perfect for chilly mornings or evenings.
Easy to Make: This coffee cake is simple despite its fancy layers.

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Zucchini Oatmeal Bars

These Zucchini Oatmeal Bars are a delicious option that the whole family will enjoy for breakfast or dessert. They are made with oats and butterscotch chips, making them a sweet way to enjoy summer produce.

Two oat bars with butterscotch chips and frosting.

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Zucchini Granola Bars

Last week, I bought too many zucchini at the grocery store. So, I have been busy creating new and fun recipes to use all the green veggies.

We started with zucchini blueberry muffins, banana zucchini bread, and a pineapple zucchini cake. With the last zucchini, I made baked oatmeal bars, modifying these caramel apple oatmeal bars.

The combo of butterscotch chips and oatmeal gives these soft granola bars a sweet and hearty flavor. The frosting is totally optional, but I love the extra sweetness it adds.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Easy to Make. Skip the store-bought oatmeal breakfast bars and make this one-bowl recipe in less than an hour.
Soft and Chewy. They are a sweet cross between soft baked oatmeal and a chewy oat bar.
Snack Size. Grab one for a quick breakfast on the go, pack them in school lunches, or enjoy it as an after-school snack.

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Pineapple Zucchini Cake

Our Pineapple Zucchini Cake adds a tropical twist to a classic zucchini cake. The taste of pineapple, coconut, and cherries instantly transports you to an island paradise.

A square of frosted zucchini cake made with pineapple and coconut.

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Zucchini Cake With Pineapple

Every summer, I look forward to the moment when the gardens are overflowing with zucchini. Sure, I love to eat them for dinner, but honestly, I love baking with them so much more.

This green veggie adds moisture to baked goods, giving desserts a decadent and rich texture and taste. This dark chocolate zucchini cake is one of my all-time favorite zucchini recipes. However, I enjoy experimenting with new flavors and combinations.

This pina colada zucchini cake was inspired by pineapple zucchini bread. I modified my loaded carrot cake recipe with pineapple and zucchini, and this fun tropical cake was born.

If you enjoy zucchini and piña coladas, trust me and make this amazing cake! Your tropical oasis awaits!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This zucchini pineapple cake recipe is easy to make. It's the perfect tropical dessert for summer picnics, potlucks, or dinner parties.

Moist and flavorful. The cake is incredibly moist because of the zucchini and pineapple combination. The addition of coconut and cherries provides a burst of flavor.
Great way to use veggies. This cake recipe is a great way to use extra zucchini in summer. It is perfect for those who have a garden or enjoy farmer's markets.
Made and frosted in one pan! This sheet pan zucchini cake is baked and frosted in the same pan. No fancy decorating skills are needed!
Tropical vibes. The pineapple and coconut give this cake a tropical twist that makes you feel like you're on vacation with every bite.

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Mocha Banana Bread

Dark chocolate and coffee give this Mocha Banana Bread an amazing flavor twist. Plus, extra chocolate chips and a creamy coffee frosting are guaranteed to perk everyone up.

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Chocolate Coffee Banana Bread

Whenever ripe bananas are on the counter, I begin thinking about making something delicious with them. Our children request chocolate banana muffins and sour cream banana bread at least once a month.

This time, I wanted to add chocolate and coffee to the traditional banana bread. This recipe is packed with chocolatey goodness and topped with a dreamy coffee frosting.

Trust me, this is the combo you didn't know you needed!

Don't want the bananas? You might love these Starbuck's copycat marble loaf and lemon loaf recipes instead!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Great for overripe bananas. This recipe is the best way to use spotty bananas and avoid waste.
Serve any time of day. Perfect for breakfast, as a snack, or even dessert. It's delicious any time.
Perfect for coffee fans. The combination of chocolate and coffee perfectly complements banana bread. Plus, coffee frosting adds a sweet caffeinated kick.
Looks and tastes fancy. It's easy to make but looks and tastes like something from a bakery. Get ready to show off your baking skills!

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Cherry Zucchini Coffee Cake

This Zucchini Coffee Cake has a buttery crumble and is loaded with fresh cherries. It's a unique and delightful twist on breakfast cake that's perfect for any time of day. With fresh flavors and a sweet glaze, everyone will fall in love after one bite!

A slice of zucchini coffee cake with cherries in it.

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Zucchini Coffee Cake Recipe

At this time of year, zucchini plants grow abundantly in the garden. A few years ago, I tried to grow a garden even though I'm not very good at it. Surprisingly, our zucchini and cherry tomato plants survived despite my inconsistent watering.

I am always thrilled to have extra zucchini for baking. During the summer months, I love baking zucchini bread with chocolate chips and chocolate zucchini cake each week.

This week, I made a zucchini crumb cake to change things up. At the last second, I added some fresh cherries to the batter. Combining green veggies and fresh cherries might seem unusual, but it works so well.

Zucchini adds moisture without an extra taste, allowing the bright, fruity cherries to stand out. It's a fun twist on traditional coffee cake that keeps people coming back for more.

Why You'll Love This Cake

Perfect for any occasion. Whether you are hosting a brunch or potluck or just enjoying a quiet afternoon treat at home, this snack cake is great. Casual enough for a regular breakfast but also fancy enough for special gatherings.
Great way to use summer produce. Zucchini and cherries can be found in gardens and farmers' markets in summer and early fall. If you have extra fruits and veggies, this recipe is an excellent way to use them.
Flexible and adaptable. You can switch up the fruits and nuts or use other spices. If you're not into cherries, try blueberries or raspberries.
A sweet finish. The glaze is the cherry on top (pun intended!). It adds a lovely finish that makes the cake look gorgeous and taste even better. It's a simple addition that makes a big impact.

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Layered Peanut Butter Brownie Dessert

If you're a fan of chocolate and peanut butter, this Peanut Butter Brownie Dessert will be your new favorite treat. With layers of fudgy brownies, pudding mousse, and Reese's candies, it will disappear quickly.

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Layered Brownie Dessert

I love making gooey, rich brownies and decadent bars. They are so delicious and easy to put together in just minutes. I make these salted caramel brownies and tiramisu brownies quite often for parties.

This peanut butter brownie dessert is another recipe I have made for years. Every time I bring it to church potlucks or events, there are so many requests for the recipe.

The decadent layers of fudgy brownie, creamy peanut butter, fluffy mousse, and Reese's candies create a fantastic combination. If you're a peanut butter lover, prepare to fall head over heels for these brownies.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

The dessert is easy to make. A box brownie mix keeps the crust on this layered dessert super simple.
It's a dream come true for peanut butter lovers. These yummy brownies have peanut butter on top, making them tempting, especially with Reese's candies added.
This amazing dessert is perfect for parties or picnics. It looks impressive, tastes delicious, and will be a hit with everyone.

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