The Tomato Pasta of my Dreams
This is the no-cook 30-minute tomato pasta of my dreams, lots and lots of herbs, garlic, organic cherry tomatoes and peppery extra virgin oil – simplicity at its best! I love the fact that the pasta is equally delicious served at room temperature too.
It’s the end of summer here in Cape Town and the flavour of the organic cherry tomatoes is really something else this year and I am trying to make the most of them.
I made this fuss-free pasta for dinner with friends when I had 1kg of cherry tomatoes hanging about (you don’t? 🙂 and a garden brimming with fresh herbs.
I am particularly happy about my tarragon bush, a garden first and one of my favourite herbs to pair with tomatoes.
When should you make this pasta
- in Summer when the tomatoes are cheap, ripe and plentiful
- when you have little time & friends coming for dinner
- when its hot and the idea of cooking sounds like too much ‘faff’
Flavour additions
I wanted to keep the pasta super simple and with minimal ingredients. The following would be great additions to the pasta though.
- 2 x burrata balls – torn over the top of the pasta
- generous helpings of sharp and salty pecorino cheese (parmesan style cheese made with sheep’s cheese)
Organic Sun-Ripened Tomatoes
Many commercially grown tomatoes are grown in greenhouse tunnels with artificial light. The tomatoes are grown for appearance and durability during transportation and not for flavour.
Most (not all) organic tomatoes are grown outside, in their natural season and picked when sun ripened – resulting in a tomato which bursts with flavour.
For the best tomatoes:
- Neighbourhood Farms
- Those Who Harvest – a devastating fire wiped most of their orchards and land – your support would mean the world, you can support them here
- the most impressive tomato stand probably this side of Italy is at my local farmers market – OZCF market
- Wild Organics
What is pomegranate molasses
In this recipe I decided to drizzle pomegranate molasses instead of balsamic vinegar to play about with a video shot I did for the recipe. Boy, did it work! It tasted amazing on the pasta.
Pomegranate molasses is made by reducing pomegranate juice and what you are left with is a sweet and tangy syrup. It’s used a lot in Middle Eastern cooking and is a staple in my kitchen.
You can use an aged balsamic vinegar instead. A word of caution though, not all balsamic vinegars are made equal, some are really sharp and vinegary, I prefer to invest in a balsamic vinegar that is at least 3 years old to ensure the right balance between sweet and tangy.
The Tomato Pasta of my Dreams
Equipment
- mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 400 g cherry tomatoes halved
- flaky sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves change to your preference, the garlic will be raw'ish'
- 15 g basil leaves only
- 15 g flat leaf parsley leaves only
- handful tarragon opt
- 5 stalks mint leaves only
- 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 400 g pasta of choice I venture between Rummo gluten free or wholegrain spaghetti -
- pomegranate molasses to drizzle
Instructions
- At least 30minutes before you want to eat, add the tomatoes to a big, deep and pretty serving dish, (big enough to fit the pasta and tomatoes), generously season with sea salt and freshly grind pepper, mix well, set aside.
- Bash the herbs (except the mint) and garlic in batches in the mortar and pestle to a rough paste/pesto - add to the tomatoes and mix well.
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to the boil, add the pasta, swirl, and cook until perfectly al dente (soft but with a bit still to it). Drain well.
- Toss the pasta through the tomatoes well for about 2 minutes or so to make sure the oil, herbs and tomato juices cover and season the tomatoes well - the flavour of the pasta really depends on it! Have a taste and season with more salt if needed.
- Finally drizzle and toss with 1 or 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses. Serve family style with the big bowl of pasta in the middle for everyone to help themselves to. Bliss!
