Pasta with fresh tomatoes is a quick, yet much-appreciated, solution when you have little time to make dinner and still want something that tastes good. Fundamental to the success of this dish is tomato selection; the tomatoes must be juicy and ripe – with a firm and compact texture.
Pasta with fresh tomatoes: which tomatoes are best?
You’ll find many different types of fresh tomatoes in the vegetable section at the supermarket – but the best selection for this recipe is the Italian variety of ‘datterini’ tomatoes. These tomatoes feature the classic elongated shape, a thicker skin and a very sweet taste; you can find them at specialty shops. If these aren’t available, you can also opt for cherry or grape tomatoes; this variety is small and round with a thinner skin and sweet on the inside (usually grown near the sea). Cherry tomatoes usually contain more water than the ‘datterini’ variety, so it can take a few more minutes of cooking for the juices and liquid from the tomatoes to evaporate.
How to blanch tomatoes
Pasta with fresh tomatoes should be made using tomatoes with the peel, but if this bothers you, go ahead and blanch them in a pot with plenty of water for five or six minutes. Then drain and using a small knife, gently remove the skin from each tomato and cook as described above. This makes for a creamier, smoother result at the end.
Short pasta or long pasta? Either way, it’s delicious!
There is no specific kind of pasta you need to use for this recipe. The choice only depends on your taste. Spaghetti, linguine, maccheroni or penne all work perfectly for such simple (yet tasty) sauce. In order for this dish to succeed, the only trick is draining the pasta one minute before the end of the time indicated on the pasta box. Mix pasta with the tomatoes in the pan so that the sauce blends perfectly and the starch releases into the tomatoes.
The Recipe: Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients:
1 lb pasta, 1 lb cherry tomatoes, Extra-virgin olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, Fresh basil, Salt
Method:
In a pan, sauté garlic in a little extra-virgin olive oil. Once the garlic is golden-brown, add the tomatoes (washed and cut in half). Cook over high heat for 6-7 minutes. Turn off heat and add salt. In the meantime, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water. Drain it just before the end of the cooking instructions on the pasta box. Pour pasta into the pan with the tomatoes and cook for one minute. Mix well and add fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.