Easy Summer Pasta (use up those garden veggies)
This summer pasta with basil and cherry tomatoes is bursting with fresh-from-the-garden flavor! It's a quick and easy dinner that's light, but still satisfying. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 422kcal
Equipment
- Medium-sized pot
Ingredients
- 8 oz (226 g) linguine pasta or preferred noodle pasta, uncooked
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (110 g) finely chopped onion sweet, yellow, or white onion, I like sweet (about ½ large onion)
- 6 large cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 24 oz (680 g) cherry tomatoes about 6 cups
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon table salt plus additional for cooking pasta and to taste/as needed
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ heaping teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 oz (28 g) fresh basil leaves shredded or cut into ribbons (about 1/3 cup)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese plus more for topping
Instructions
- Cook pasta in well-salted water according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside.8 oz (226 g) linguine pasta
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering.¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, then add garlic and cook about 30-60 seconds longer, until fragrant.1 cup (110 g) finely chopped onion, 6 large cloves garlic
- Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper and cook, stirring frequently until tomatoes soften and burst. Once tomatoes are soft enough you can use a wooden spoon or spatula to squish them as you stir.24 oz (680 g) cherry tomatoes, ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ heaping teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Add basil and stir.1 oz (28 g) fresh basil leaves
- Add warm cooked, drained linguine and stir well. Add splashes of pasta water as needed to make a thin sauce, you basically want to ensure the pasta is not dry and the noodles are coated with a thin layer of the sauce. I typically need to add about ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- Remove from heat, add parmesan and stir well. Taste-test and add additional salt or pepper as needed, then serve warm topped with additional parmesan as desired with a side salad or side of crusty bread.⅓ cup freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 615mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1319IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 3mg