Summer Cherry Tomato Pasta
This recipe is quick and easily made for one or twenty (depends on how many tomatoes you have). I especially like this recipe on a hot night when I don't want to turn on the oven or too many burners in the kitchen. You can adjust the garlic to taste (or according to who is coming for dinner) and it is even better the next day warmed up for lunch.
Serves 4
1 pound bucatini (my favorite pasta noodle for this dish - any long noodle pasta can be used)
Salt
2 - 4 cloves garlic
Great big bunch of Basil
Colander full of cherry tomatoes just picked from the garden (15-25) sliced in half and larger varieties in quarters.
½ cup of good olive oil
Pepper
Freshly grated parmigiano to taste (I like a good ½ cup if not more)
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water to aldente.
Chop garlic and put in your serving bowl. Add 2-3 pinches of salt and 1/2 cup olive oil. Stir and let sit while you get the basil ready.
Give the basil a quick rinse in cold water, pat dry and chop basil leaves. For larger leaves, fold leaf in half, slice away stem, then fold the leaf again 2-3 times. Then simply slice it against the fold. Leave a few smaller leaves un-chopped to garnish the dish (it looks pretty).
Add basil, chopped tomatoes and a bit (2-3 grinds) of freshly ground pepper to the mixture and give it a good stir. When the pasta is ready, drain it and add to the serving bowl.
Mix it all together. Stir in the parmigiano, add more olive oil (if you think you need it), garnish the bowl with your small basil leaves and - Enjoy!