Fresh Tomato Pasta with Basil
Fresh Tomato Pasta with Basil is an easy summertime dish that comes together in roughly 10 minutes and uses high quality tomatoes along with few other ingredients. This is an easy recipe which makes it a perfect weeknight meal for busy families. The fresh tomatoes, basil and lemon are so refreshing when mixed with the pasta and some parmesan cheese. The key is to use good quality tomatoes and reserved pasta water. When all mixed together with the cheese, the texture is so velvety smooth and creamy.
The dish takes a whopping 10 minutes to make, which is a good thing. Once the aroma of garlic simmering with fresh tomatoes starts running through the house, the family will be waiting and ready to gobble this dish up.
This is a perfect weeknight meal, not only because it’s a quick recipe, but it’s also budget friendly. Most of the ingredients are already in your house. The full recipe for Fresh Tomato Past with Basil includes staples such as olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and garlic. Tomatoes are in season everywhere so those should be easy to find, and don’t skip the basil as it’s the perfect final touch to this beautiful dish!
The Ingredients Are Minimal
I do recommend splurging on a good parmesan cheese for this dish. It’s not necessary but it definitely elevates the dish, and because there are so few ingredients I don’t feel guilty splurging on the cheese. Pro tip: I buy the large brick of Kirkland Signature Italian Parmigiano Reggiano from Costo. It goes a long way and is cost friendly compared to similar brands at specialty food stores.
Fresh Tomato Pasta with Basil is best served right off the stove but it’s also delicious cold which makes it a great dish to take to a summer picnic. If you do serve the dish cold, just drizzle olive oil and a freshly squeezed lemon before plating. That will freshen it up a little and bring some of those flavors back to life.
Fresh Tomato Pasta with Basil
Equipment
- Microplane grader for lemon zest and cheese
Ingredients
- 1 package Spaghetti
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced or diced
- 4 Roma or good quality tomatoes diced
- 1 Zest of a Lemon
- 1 Juice of a Lemon
- 1.5 cup Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup Reserved Pasta Water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup Fresh basil torn or chopped
Instructions
- Cook the package of pasta in salted and boiling water. Strain and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, Ad the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add in the diced tomatoes and cook 2-4 more minutes until the tomatoes start to soften and break down.
- Add the pasta to the tomatoes and garlic, along with the zest of a lemon, lemon juice and reserved pasta water. Mix well and let simmer for 1 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Mix well and season to taste. Toss in most of the fresh basil and mix. Serve with a little more cheese and fresh basil.
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