Thursday, May 19, 2011

Pasta Inspiration

The latest issue of Bon Appetit sucked me into trying more than the just the Rhubarb Crostata. They had an article discussing 10 steps to making fabulous pasta dishes and I have thrown myself into that, trying a different sauce using the same basic method each week. The first one I tried was the pasta with sun gold tomatoes.
It is not tomato time yet but I couldn't help myself. I bought two baskets of cherry tomatoes and tossed them in a saute pan with a few cloves of minced garlic, a coating of olive oil and some sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes.
I partially covered the pan as instructed, swirled and waited for the tomatoes to blister. Meanwhile, I added my pasta to a pot of boiling salted water. The pasta was supposed to cook for 7 minutes and I pulled it out after 4ish - which seemed to work well. Before dumping the pasta water reserve a few cups to add to your sauce (I always reserve more than is actually called for - can't hurt to have extra on hand). I popped all the tomatoes (a very satisfying process) and added in the ultra al dente pasta and 3/4 cup pasta water. Keep tossing with your trusty tongs (another Bon Appetit must and common restaurant staple). 
Once the sauce has thickened, add in 1/2 cup cheese and some shredded basil (they say to add in more cheese and some olive oil - I didn't think it needed that much and just added a little more salt and pepper, to taste). I love this recipe - I love my tongs and my pasta water and the simplicity - and I loved the addition of the toasty breadcrumbs on top. 


P.S. There were no leftovers.

1 comment:

  1. Now THERE's a dish even I could make! Except wouldn't it be nicer if you made it for me? But can I pop the tomatoes? Can I? Can I? Pleeeease? More gorgeous photos, as well!

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