As the days grow colder, I begin to mourn the loss of one of my favorite summer ingredients: tomatoes. I know, I know, tomatoes are available year round. But they lose their appeal when they begin to look like Styrofoam. Trying to get in one last hurrah with fresh tomatoes, I decided to try a recipe from Cooking Light (September 2010 edition, I’m a little late in my preparation), “Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce”.
- 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine (I substituted box spaghetti, I’m sure fresh pasta would really enhance this dish though)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved (about 1/2 cup)
This is one of the simplest dishes ever, and so satisfying! I cooked the pasta according to the package, leaning more towards al dente. While that was cooking, I heated the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. I added the garlic, cooked for one minute, and then added the tomatoes and salt and covered the saucepan to allow it to cook for four minutes. I then removed the pan from the store and added the basil and pepper. I tossed this with the cooked pasta, topped with cheese and was all set to eat!
I loved everything about this dish. Easy to make, quick (max 20 minutes), and it fully embodied the tastes of summer. Tomato and basil is always a winning combo. I even ate this for lunch the next day and it was still super tasty, although my poor basil leaves got a little wilted in the microwaving process.
Kudos to Cooking Light for giving me the chance to give my final farewell to tomatoes until next summer.
