Late Summer Tomato Pasta
First off, it’s been a very Tucci summer. Not only did I get Stanley Tucci’s What I Ate in a Year as a birthday gift, but I also scored a copy of Tucci Table at the thrift (purchased on a gift card which was a birthday gift from my son). Plus they’re shooting the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, so, yeah, I’d say everything in my life right now is pretty heavily Tucci-leaning.
One of the recipes I bookmarked in Taste was for Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomatoes and Basil, and given that it’s the end of summer and I’m currently swimming in both cherry tomatoes and basil, I thought I’d make Late Summer Tomato Pasta. I did tweak it a bit, not to say I’m a better cook than Stanley Tucci, just this was more to my taste. It would be really easy to veganize this recipe simply by swapping out the the parmesan for vegan parm.
I love this because it makes a really fast, no-fuss, simple dinner, which is all I’m in the mood to cook these days.
PS if you like this one, check out my other Tucci-inspired summer pasta dish here.
Late Summer Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp good quality olive oil
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tbsp white wine
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves chiffonade
- hard cheese such as parmesan or grana padano
- 250 grams spaghetti or similar shaped pasta
Instructions
- Place a large pot of salted water on high heat and bring to a boil. Once it's at a boil, drop the pasta in and stir well. Cook for about 9-10 minutes, until al dente. Drain in a colander, but reserve a cup or so of the cooking liquid for later.
- Return the pot to the stove and reduce the heat to medium. Add the olive oil, and when it starts to shimmer, add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-6 minutes, until they are transluscent and start to pick up some colour on the edges.
- Add the garlic and stir well for about a minute, until fragrant.
- Deglaze with the white wine.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, salt and tomato paste and stir well. Allow to cook down, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes burst and start to break down, then come together and get saucy.
- Add the pasta back into the pot with a few splashes of pasta cooking water and mix mix mix everything well together until the pasta is nicely coated with the sauce. Add the basil, reserving a little for garnish, and mix again.
- Portion the pasta out into plates and garnish with additional basil and gratings of cheese.