Pasta is my love language. I dream in penne, bow ties, orzo, orecchiette, linguine, lasagna… you name it! However, I have been advised that pasta can’t be my only food group. Whatever. Haters gonna hate.
Luckily, the crazy-hot summer we had in the PNW this summer has resulted in the most incredibly sweet tomatoes I have ever tasted. Our garden has exploded into a cornucopia of deliciousness.
Sweet, amazing tomatoes + pasta? How can you say no! Answer: you cannot. One of my favorite and easiest pasta dishes is Tomato Basil Pasta. Here’s how to make it:
Tomato Basil Pasta – Serves 4 as a light main dish
Ingredients:
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of chopped basil
1/4 cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese
2 cups uncooked pasta (I like penne or bow tie for this recipe)
Process:
- In a sauce pot, heat water to cook the pasta. Toss a pinch of salt into the water to season the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions while you’re preparing the tomatoes.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet.
3. Add the tomatoes and the basil. Turn the heat to medium and allow the tomatoes to “melt,” giving up their juices.
4. Salt and pepper the tomatoes as they’re cooking.
5. After the tomatoes have “melted” (it will take about 15 minutes), add the basil and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes.
6. Drain the pasta, retaining a little bit ( a few tablespoons) of pasta water.
7. Mix the pasta (and retained water) with the tomato mixture.
8. Spoon onto a plate and top with Parmesan. Delicious!
If you’re wondering what is in the foreground of this picture, I made summer squash chips using this recipe. They were a yummy side dish!
This recipe is so easy that it’s basically a non-recipe. Plus, it’s light, summery, and delicious!
Copyright Best Coast Living, 2015. May not be reproduced without express permission of the author.
Washi tape clip art by Teacher Karma.
