Seems uber-simple, but that’s the beauty of this dish. Al dente pasta, diced ripe tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic that gets quickly fried in extra virgin olive oil, and that’s all there is to it! Choose a fun shape of pasta, perhaps something with little nooks and crannies – like radiator – that will suck up or hold some of the light yet flavorful resulting sauce. No matter what, don’t rinse the pasta or add oil to the cooking water, both of which only serve to prevent sauce from sticking. Otherwise, here is one of the best pasta dishes ever!
Ingredients
- pound Pasta, dried, high quality, such as DiVinci, Dicicco or Barilla, (preferably not whole grain)
- 2 pounds Tomatoes, ripe, Beefsteak-type, assorted varieties if desired, diced
- 1/3 cup Basil, leaves, fresh, gently slivered into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup Garlic, fresh, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- To Taste: Kosher or Sea Salt
- To Taste: Black Pepper, freshly ground
Directions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Do not add oil. While waiting for the water to boil, dice the tomatoes and place in a bowl. Sliver the basil and place in a small container. Set both aside. Once the water reaches a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the box (for al dente).
- Meanwhile, in a small sauté pan or pot, combine the garlic and olive oil and stir. Place over medium heat and gently fry the garlic in the oil, until golden in color. Do not burn!
- When the pasta is al dente, pour through a colander and drain. Do not rinse! Pour the hot pasta into a large mixing bowl. Immediately add the diced fresh tomatoes and basil. Pour the garlic and olive oil over the pasta and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss well and serve.
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