This summer sungold tomato pasta recipe is a simple, vegetarian pasta that can stand alone as a summer star or add flavorful delight to a seasonal spread.
Summer Sungold Tomato Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bronze cut bucatini (or spaghetti) noodles
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 large shallot
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 tablespoons grated (or freshly grated) parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 4 tablespoons salted butter (or unsalted if preferred)
- 1 large sungold tomato (1 pound) or 1 pound of small sungold tomatoes
- salt to taste (finishing salt)
- a small bunch (~4 leaves per portion) of basil
Directions
- Boil a pot of salted water for pasta, following package directions.
- While the water boils, begin to prepare the sungold tomato sauce in a separate pan (~ 5 minutes). I used a cast iron low-walled pan for even heating but a dutch oven would work well if you were doubling the recipe servings.
- Peel and thinly slice the shallot and garlic gloves.
- If you use a large tomato, gently cut into pieces, carefully retaining juice to use in the sauce. Remove large pieces of skin and seeds as much as possible. If you use small tomatoes, you don’t need to cut them.
- Add olive oil on low-medium heat to the sauce pan.
- Add shallots and garlic. (~10 minutes)
- Once salted water boils, add pasta noodles. (~12 minutes)
- Raise the temperature of the pan for the sauce to medium. Add tomatoes, gently crushing and stirring, monitoring the appearance to ensure pan temperature is not too high.
- Stir in noodles, butter, parmigiano cheese.
- Add 1/2 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- Add a soup ladle full of pasta water to the sauce to help the sauce thicken.
- Garnish with shredded basil slices and sprinkle with salt to finish.
Cooking Notes
Tip: Bronze cut pasta serves this recipe in two main ways: 1) the pasta is rougher in texture, so it holds sauce better and 2) the pasta water will be a little more starchy, and thickens the sauce in a just-right way.
Seasonal: Sungold tomatoes are a summer darling – they are bright, sweet, and make a unique sauce and a satisfying dish. You may see them more often offered at farmer’s markets, but also look out for them at your usual market.
Enjoyment: Preparing food together with loved ones can be enjoyable. Since this dish requires basic chopping food prep skills and is not very complex, it is one that can be made in a leisurely way over conversation in a cozy kitchen with loved ones nearby and helping, or alone with the windows open in a nourishing, meditative moment.
Delightful, fresh, warm. Perfect celebration of a late summer evening.
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