Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until it’s barely tender to bite (al dente), about 8 minutes. Scoop out 1/2 cup cooking water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop garlic and set aside. Finely grate zest from the lemons and put it in a small bowl. Juice 1 lemon and add it to the bowl. (Save the remaining lemon for other uses.)
3. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking them up a little with a wooden spoon, until they begin to collapse, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Reduce heat to low and keep tomatoes warm until the pasta is ready, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the remaining 5 Tbsp. olive oil, 3/4 tsp. salt, the lemon zest and juice, and pepper to the tomatoes and stir to blend. Then add the cooked, drained pasta and the reserved cooking water. Toss with tongs, adding nutritional yeast 1 Tbsp. at a time. Tear or chop basil leaves into small pieces and add them to the pasta.