Recipe: Summer Garden Pasta

A couple years ago, I found the most delightful recipe for the perfect summer dish. I love a good pasta, and this fit the bill for me. The recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. I'll link it below. 

It's a really easy meal to make. All you need are cherry tomatoes (I use regular or grape tomatoes if I don't have cherry tomatoes on hand), olive oil, basil, salt, parmesan cheese, and pasta. It's best to use a good olive oil. It really does affect the flavor of the dish if you use a lower quality oil. I like Colavita brand oil. It has a slightly floral taste, which adds a lightness to the pasta. I also use flaked sea salt (fleur de sel guerande from France, available on Amazon) because it has a more robust flavor than regular salt. 

I don't always have fresh basil on hand, so I use a lightly dried basil (Gourmet Garden brand, available at WalMart). It has a very similar flavor to the fresh basil. I prefer to use freshly grated parmesan, as opposed to the shelf stable variety. It has a marked effect on the flavor of the dish. I like to mix a little parmesan in with the marinade, and then grate some on top. 

Photo Credit: Barefoot Contessa

This is a quick meal for when you don't have a load of time to spend in the kitchen. I do like to prepare it ahead of time, as it's better when the tomatoes have a chance to marinate in the oil, basil, and salt. The flavors blend together beautifully, so it's worth the marinating time.

I like to add shrimp to it sometimes if I'm in the mood to have protein along with my pasta. I also really like it with just the pasta and tomatoes. It's one of those versatile dishes that works really any way you do it. It's light and satisfying. It is good hot or cold - it reheats better than just about any other pasta dish. 

Here's the recipe: Summer Garden Pasta

Let me know if you make it!