You Had Me at Tomato (One Pan Pasta)
Every year Wes, the garden guy in our house, plants tomatoes. We pick out a mix of cherry tomatoes and heirlooms and usually by this time we are enjoying fresh vine ripened tomatoes. Our jaunts to the weekly farmer’s market include plums, nectarines and berries but we smugly walk by stalls with the expensive heirloom tomatoes. Not this year, the plants never took off and our yield was small. The lone bright spot was a variety called Tomato Blush. A small tomato, golden yellow with a hint of red that salvaged our dismal tomato season. Sweet and meaty, great in salads or pastas, it will definitely be in the mix next summer. If you had a bumper crop this year, suggestions and tomato advice would be appreciated!
This recipe has been making the rounds, first on Martha Stewart and then on some of my favorite blogs including Lottie and Doof and Food52, its quick, easy and yummy. A great dish to showcase homegrown tomatoes or those pricey tomatoes from the farmer’s market. I love this, you throw all the ingredients, including dry pasta, into a pan and 12 minutes later, voila’, a tasty dish on the table and only one pan in the sink!
One Pan Pasta
Ingredients
- Adapted originally from Martha Stewart but found on Food52 and Lottie and Doof!
- 12 ounces linguine
- 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes halved or quartered if large
- 1 onion thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- black pepper
- 2 sprigs basil plus torn leaves for garnish
- 2 green onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for serving
- parmesan cheese
- Coarse salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 1/2 cups water or chicken stock
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- This is so incredibly easy, it's crazy. Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, basil and onions in a straight side skillet. Add water or stock and olive oil. Bring to a boil over high heat. Using tongs stir and move pasta around pan as it boils. Cook for additional 9 minutes until pasta is al dente and liquid is reduced. Taste for seasoning. Garnish with basil and serve immediately with lots of parmesan cheese.
- I use stock for that extra zip. You could add some dried porcini also for added flavor.