Chapter 3: P19

Trove Table Talk: Easy Summer Pasta

Here at Trove, we are passionate about all things home. Part of creating a home involves cooking for the family, an act of love that isn't always easy, especially with parents and children who are constantly on the go. Throw a vegetarian into the mix and you have the making of meal planning and preparation nightmares. This week, Rebecca invited us into her beautiful kitchen to share her favorite summer recipe!

There are many nights when our family is scrambling to pull together any kind of meal, let alone one that is healthy and appealing to meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. The weeks that I sit down on a Sunday and plan our meals makes for less drama and chaos at the end of a busy day.

When I say meal planning, I don't mean elaborate recipes. Often, I'm pulling from my tried and true recipe binder or from one of my favorite Ina Garten's cookbooks. Ina Garten's Summer Pasta recipe has been one of my go-to meals for the past 10 years. I've served it warm and at room temperature, in the winter and summer, as a side dish and as a main meal. I've made changes to it to fit my family's taste and I've taken the pasta part out of it completely and used the tomato portion to create a bruschetta appetizer.

Summer Pasta Recipe

4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
Olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
18 large basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dried angel hair pasta
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Combine the cherry tomatoes, ½ cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.

Just before you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of water with a splash of olive oil and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente according to the directions on the package (be careful – it only takes 2 to 3 minutes!). Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well. Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on each serving.



I typically use fewer tomatoes in my recipe. I find that 2-3 pints for a full pound of pasta is fine. I also cut down the garlic as well. More than 2 or 3 cloves for the full recipe is a bit too much for us. I prefer spaghetti to angel hair pasta, I find it easier to toss. I rarely let the tomatoes sit for the full 4 hours - sometimes it's as little as 30 minutes but the results are just as delicious!

Some nights, especially summer softball nights, this all goes out the window and it's a quick stop at the local sub shop on the way to or from the game, and that's okay too! But, having a loose plan at the ready can be magical on a night when there's a rainout and you suddenly realize you CAN prepare something at home and have a night together.

Happy meal planning, Trove friends!

Rebecca

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