This is my riff on a dish from “The Silver Spoon Pasta” book, and it is the epitome of “easy”. It is perfect for when you are bushed and want something quick and simple. However, because it is so simple, there is nowhere for inferior ingredients to hide, so only use tomatoes that are full of flavor, and basil that is fresh and aromatic.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound, around 4-6, tomatoes, seeded and cut into ½ inch dice 1 clove garlic, peeled Salt and pepper to taste 10-15 basil leaves Olive oil as needed Parmesan cheese ¾ pound spaghettiMETHOD:
Rub a non-reactive bowl vigorously with the garlic clove, coating the interior with oil from the garlic clove.
Add the tomatoes to the garlic rubbed bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Tear or finely slice half the basil and add it to the bowl, and toss to mix it in.
Drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil over the tomatoes and basil, and allow to “marinate” 30 minutes.
While tomatoes marinate, bring a pot of well salted water large enough for the pasta to a boil. When there is around ten minutes of time left to marinate the tomatoes, start cooking the spaghetti.
Just before the pasta is done, add the rest of the basil to the tomato “sauce”, tossing to evenly distribute.
When spaghetti is done, drain well and add the noodles to the “sauce”. Toss gently to combine, and serve. Pass the cheese separately.
Chef’s Notes and Tips:
If you do not feel like fussing with the basil twice, just add all of it when you marinate the tomatoes. I use a two step process because I feel the fresher basil added at the end will add a certain brightness to the dish that comes from just cut basil. If you wanted to add more “brightness” to the dish you could give a squeeze of lemon to it at the end. Some variations would to add some capers to the tomatoes or toss in the pitted chopped olives.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew Cohen (Inspired by the “Silver Spoon Pasta” book)
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