Cherry Tomato Pasta
It doesn't get much better than this for a lazy weeknight meal. It's easy to make a bad pasta with exactly these ingredients but with this technique, I always have an amazing result. The sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes with the salty pecorino and pasta makes it one of my favourite 20 minute dinners.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, very finely grated or chopped
- 650g ripe cherry tomatoes (store them on your bench to ripen faster), halved
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp sugar
- Handful basil leaves (around 15 leaves)
- 50g butter
- 300g short pasta
- Pecorino Romano, to serve
Method
- Heat olive oil in a large pan.
- Add garlic followed by tomatoes and a big pinch of salt, and stir to combine.
- Let sizzle in the oil while you add chilli flakes and sugar.
- Use a potato masher or a wooden spoon to crush down tomatoes, then continue to simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente.
- Drain pasta (reserving some pasta water) and add to the sauce with basil and butter, stirring until the butter melts and the sauce becomes glossy.
- Loosen with a little pasta water if it needs it, season to taste and serve with shaved Pecorino.