I Say Tomato, You Say Pomodoro

Pasta Pomodoro is fresh,  delicious and a cinch to prepare.   A great Go-To recipe when you need to throw something together for a late-night dinner, weekend lunch on the fly or to easily AND economically feed a big group (recipe doubles well).  I usually have most of these items permanently stocked in the pantry and fridge anyway.  Guaranteed full-bellied, happy and satisfied eaters with this flavor-filled dish…especially the vegetarians and pasta lovers.  It also co-stars as a great side with grilled chicken or fish.  A little wine, a little simple salad and you’ve got yourself a solidly good meal.  Buon Appetito!

PASTA POMODORO

Ingredients: 

1 box of cherry or grape tomatoes (halved if large)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

3 cloves of garlic chopped

salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

1/3 cup of white wine

1 tablespoon of grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 of chopped basil

1/3 cup of grated Pecorino (optional for topping)

Directions

In a separate pot, prepare boxed pasta as directed.  For this recipe, I love Farfalle.  Reserve about 1/2 cup of cooked pasta water before draining cooked pasta.  In a large pan, heat olive oil and add chopped garlic to saute.  After about 1 minute, add halved tomatoes along with salt and pepper (to your personal taste).  Saute for about 1 minute and then add white wine, grated lemon peel and lemon juice.  Let saute and reduce for about 8 minutes until tomatoes are soft and wine has thickened slightly to form a wonderful sauce.  Remove from heat.  Add cooked pasta to saute pan of reduced tomatoes and sauce and stir in shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil.  Add a few tablespoons of pasta water as necessary to avoid sticky pasta.  You may add additional salt and pepper, if needed.  Plate and top with more grated Parmesan and/or Pecorino cheese.