Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta shells until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Add olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic and chilli for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and get jammy and saucy.
Stir in the tomato paste and sugar. Cook for 1 minute, then pour in the cream and 1/4 cup pasta water. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Season to taste.
Add the cooked shells and toss to coat. Add more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Garnish with fresh basil, parmesan, bocconcini, and basil pesto. Serve hot and creamy.
Basil Pesto
In a dry pan over medium heat, lightly toast the pine nuts until golden and fragrant. Let cool.
Add basil, parmesan, toasted pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice and a splash of olive oil to a food processor or blender. Pulse a few times to break it down.
With the motor running, slowly drizzle in more olive oil until the pesto is smooth but still has some texture. You might not need all of the measured olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend again briefly.
Chef's Tips
Let the cherry tomatoes properly break down over the full 8–10 minutes until jammy, as written — this is what builds the base of the sauce, and pulling them early leaves it thin and less flavourful.Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer once the cream goes in, not a hard boil — pushing it too hot risks the cream splitting instead of staying silky.Add the bocconcini fresh at the end as a garnish rather than stirring it into the hot sauce — melting it directly into the pasta turns it rubbery instead of keeping that soft, creamy bite.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze the pasta and sauce for up to 3 months, in an airtight container. Keep the bocconcini, fresh basil and pesto garnish separate and add them fresh — bocconcini turns watery and loses its texture once frozen and thawed.To reheat, warm gently in a pan over low-medium heat or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in a small splash of water or milk as needed to loosen the sauce. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge overnight before reheating, then top with fresh bocconcini, basil and pesto.