Fresh Tomato and Garlic Pasta
August 22, 2014
by Cornelia Emlen
Serves: 4
Easy, quick and intensely flavorful, this recipe may be destined to become a work-night favorite. I call it “I’m hungry now!” Pasta with Tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 4 medium to large ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1½ - 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 12 – 14 ounces fresh pasta
- 10 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 6 tablespoons butter
- few tablespoons of olive oil
Farmers to You Ingredients:
Other Fresh and Pantry Ingredients:
- salt, butter, olive oil
Instructions
- Wash, core and chop tomatoes. Place tomatoes along with all their juice in a bowl. Season with salt. (The salt draws the moisture out of the tomatoes.)
- Cut basil into thin ribbon-like strips. Add a third of it to the tomatoes.
- Peel and finely mince garlic. Set aside.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the fresh pasta and cook to specifications on package. Drain, return to its pot and toss with a small amount of olive oil so that the pasta won’t stick to itself.
- Heat a tablespoon or less of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook carefully for a couple of minutes, so that the garlic begins to soften but does not burn. Add a bit of salt.
- Hold a colander over the skillet and pour your tomatoes into it. Gently press the tomatoes with a large spoon, urging the juice into the pan below. When all the juice has dripped through, place the colander with the tomatoes on a plate. Set aside.
- Simmer the garlic and tomato water. After a few minutes add the butter and stir until melted. The tomato-garlic-butter sauce will be brown and slightly thickened.
- Gently place the pasta in the pan with the sauce until it is completely coated. Divide pasta into individual bowls and top with tomatoes and basil.
Variation: Try this sauce on fish or chicken.