As the Italians say – Spaghetti al Pomodorino Fresco. One of our talented JSHealth team members taught us how to make this delicious cherry tomato pasta dish and we can’t get enough. I just love recipes that hero simple ingredients cooked with love! The added bonus is that tomatoes are such a great source of Vitamin C. You can also elevate the dish with your protein of choice – prawns, fish, chicken or lentils would all work deliciously.
Jess x
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 750g (26oz) cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ bunch basil, leaves picked, approximately 1 large handful
- 1 Birdseye red chilli, finely diced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 160g (5.6oz) pasta of choice, we used Barilla Spaghetti no.5
To serve:
- 20g (0.7oz) parmesan cheese
Method:
Smash the garlic and remove the peel.
Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add a generous pinch of sea salt.
Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Use one that has a lid. Pour in some olive oil, you want enough to cover the base of the pan.
Once the oil is heated add in the smashed garlic. Toss the garlic through the oil to infuse it. You don’t want the garlic to brown. Then add in the finely diced chilli and toss again.
Carefully pour the tomatoes into the pan and toss to coat in the olive oil. Allow to simmer for a few minutes until the skins of the tomatoes start to break down and blister.
Cook the pasta for 8 minutes or as per the packet instructions.
Add a ladle of pasta water to the tomatoes and cover with the lid. Leave the tomatoes to cook down for a few minutes. Then use a fork to squash the tomatoes and release all of the juices. If there is still a large amount of liquid remaining, continue to simmer uncovered. Otherwise, cover with the lid again and cook for a few more minutes until further reduced.
Add in the basil leaves and a pinch of sea salt. Stir to coat. Add in the cooked pasta and toss to coat.
Transfer to serving platters and garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
