The 15-Minute Dinner I Make All Summer Long
My tomato pasta recipe is a summer favorite around the family dinner table that requires just 5 ingredients and takes only 15 minutes to make. I make it all summer long.
For as long as I can remember, tomatoes have been my favorite food. As a kid, I used to baffle my parents by asking for tomatoes instead of candy at the grocery store, and some of my favorite childhood memories are of eating sun-warmed heirloom tomatoes while standing barefoot in my Dad’s garden.
These days, I grow several varieties of tomatoes in my own backyard garden, and my favorites are the super-sweet, orange-hued cherry tomatoes called Sungolds. These are usually the first tomatoes of the season, and they herald a few months of eating pan con tomate, tomato biscuits, and tomato and mayo sandwiches nonstop.
I usually prefer to eat these sweet-as-candy beauties out of hand as a snack, but I also love to cook them down slightly with a little garlic and white wine to make a simple sauce. I pair this light-as-air sauce with a fittingly light pasta—angel hair—and a bit of Parmesan cheese. If you’re not an angel hair person, use your favorite pasta shape instead.
The recipe comes together in around 15 minutes, since you make the sauce while the pasta is cooking and then toss everything together in the saucepan at the end. This is one of those riffable recipes that you can make your own, just don’t fuss over it too much; it should be nice and easy.
Choosing the Perfect Tomatoes for This Recipe
You can reliably find Sungolds at the farmers market from July to September where I live in Virginia, but if you don’t have access to Sungolds, don’t worry—any cherry tomato will work in this recipe.
Look for cherry tomatoes that are plump and flavorful but not mushy or shriveled. And while it won’t be quite as flavorful, you can make this recipe all year long using hothouse cherry tomatoes.
Quick and Easy Swaps
- If you’re not an angel hair person, use your favorite pasta shape instead
- Toss in some fresh basil at the end
- Top it with a ball of burrata for a decadent dish
Summery Pastas
Cook the pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, make the sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a medium to large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften and become fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the cherry tomatoes and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes begin to pop and release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Add the butter and stir to melt and create a silky sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and remove from heat.
Toss and serve:
When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander and add it directly to the pan of tomato sauce, using tongs to toss the pasta and sauce together. Serve immediately. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese, if using.
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