In late summer all I want to eat are tomatoes. I wait all year to get those perfectly ripe tomatoes and they never disappoint. I usually eat them raw with just a little olive oil and salt, but I am always on the lookout for new ways to eat the juicy summer fruit and incorporate them into summertime dishes.

In my opinion, this simple summer pasta is the perfect dish to use up extra cherry tomatoes. Ripe cherry tomatoes are pan-roasted to intensify their flavors. They’re then added to pasta that is tossed in a light pan sauce made from shallots, garlic, and butter. The dish is then topped with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese creating the most delicious summertime meal.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti or fettuccine
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated + more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil or mint, torn or julienned
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

  1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the label instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining and set aside (tossing with a little olive oil if needed to prevent sticking.)

  2. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have started to wilt and blister about 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes and their juices from pan and set aside.

  3. In the same pot, warm remaining olive oil over medium high heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook for about 1 minute until shallot is translucent. Add butter and stir until melted. 

  4. Add pasta and coat with pan sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Fold in tomatoes, herbs and a large pinch of salt and pepper.

Nutritional Information

Calories
630
Total Fat
20g
Saturated Fat
6g
Cholesterol
20mg
Sodium
90mg
Carbohydrates
93g
Dietary Fiber
7g
Sugars
7g
Protein
19g
YIELD:

4 servings