Cherry Tomato Pasta

One summer, I had a garden and grew a ton of cherry tomatoes, but got tired of just eating them raw. I decided to look into recipes that included cherry tomatoes and found this gem! Just eat the pasta dish by itself or with some grilled chicken. This is based off of a similar recipe on www.acouplecooks.com

Serves: 4
Time: 20-30 mins

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Ingredients

• 8 oz rotini or penne pasta
• 1/4 cup pasta water (reserved from pasta cooking)
• 3-4 TBS olive oil, divided
• 2 pints (or 4 cups) cherry tomatoes
• 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground salt and pepper
• 2 tsp minced garlic in water
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1 handful fresh basil leaves, torn or 1 TBS dried basil

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Method

1. Cook the Pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions, until pasta is “al dente.” Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining pasta.
2. Blister the Tomatoes: While pasta is cooking, blister the tomatoes. Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add one pint of tomatoes. Make sure the tomatoes have enough room around them so they aren’t touching. Cook for about 2 mins without touching the pan, and then begin to shake the pan periodically to stir and cook another 2-3 mins, until tomatoes are blistered. Take the first batch of tomatoes out (put in a medium bowl) and add another tablespoon of oil if needed. Add the second pint and repeat the process again to blister the tomatoes.
3. Season the Tomatoes: Once tomatoes are cooked, turn off the heat, add all tomatoes to the pan, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar then shake to stir. Grind salt and pepper to taste on top of tomatoes. Place tomatoes in a bowl.
4. Prep the Sauce Base: Once pasta is done, use the same pan you used to cook the tomatoes and heat another tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Then deglaze the pan by adding 1/4 cup pasta water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula or wooden spoon. Turn off the heat.
5. Assemble and Serve: Add the pasta to the pan, and toss to coat. Add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and basil. Grind salt and pepper, to taste, on top. Mix well. Serve with additional parmesan cheese on top, if desired.