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Summer Garden Pasta

Source of Recipe

From "Barefoot Contessa at Home" by Ina Garten


Recipe Introduction

"This is a recipe from my friend Jean Halberstam, who had a wonderful cookware store in Nantucket and is also a renowned cook. This recipe uses surprisingly simple ingredients but it has lots of flavor without being loaded with butter and cream. It's the essence of summer. Jean says her husband, David, calls it a 'three-bowler."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
â—¦ Good olive oil
â—¦ 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
â—¦ 18 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving
â—¦ ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
â—¦ Kosher salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 1 pound dried angel hair pasta
â—¦ 1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving


Recipe

Combine the cherry tomatoes, ½ cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.

Just before you're ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente according to the directions on the package (be careful—it only takes 2 to 3 minutes!).

Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well. Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on each serving.

Serves 6



• Grate the Parmesan cheese by cutting off the rind, cutting it into chunks, and processing it in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. It's really ground rather than grated.