FRESH TOMATO & GARLIC ANGEL HAIR

I will never be sieged by vampires because I LOVE garlic! When I was 22 years old and waiting tables in an Italian restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, my favorite dish on the menu there was Portobello Pasta. (Which reminds me that I need to recreate it—it’s been too long!) Whenever I ordered it, I modified it with “extra extra garlic.” On the morning following one of my dinner shifts, my mother opened my bedroom door and exclaimed, “Good grief! Did you eat garlic last night? It must be coming out of your pores!”

While this doesn’t go that overboard on garlic, it will still tickle the tastebuds of fellow garlic lovers. This recipe was inspired by one true culinary love, Ina Garten. Except apparently, I love garlic a bit more than she does. And who can deny that the simplicity of fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic is unparalleled. You can make this dish year-round. During summer months, it’s wonderful to mix Sungold tomatoes in with cherry or grape tomatoes to give the dish a hint of sweetness. This is a perfect and quick summertime meal. I made this for two, but it can be increased easily by simply cooking more pasta and using a 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 ½ cups pasta water, and a bit more tomatoes, cheese, and basil. It’s difficult to mess up this dish when increasing it, so don’t worry too much.

SERVES 2

10  garlic cloves, sliced thinly
¼ cup                  good olive oil
pinch                  red pepper flakes
     kosher salt
2 cups                  cherry, grape, and/or Sungold tomatoes, halved lengthwise
 10-12                  large fresh basil leaves, julienned
1/3 cup                   freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ pound                   angel hair pasta

 Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta and cook about 1 ½ minutes. You want the pasta al dente because it will cook a little more when added to the sauce. Angel hair pasta cooks very fast, so shave ½ -1 minutes off of the recommended cooking time. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.

In a 12” skillet (or one large enough to hold the pasta), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until it just starts to turn a golden color, being careful not to overcook it. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds longer. Add the reserved pasta cooking water to the pan and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, reduce heat, and simmer about 5 minutes to reduce liquid.

Add drained pasta and tomatoes and toss to coat the pasta and mix in tomatoes. Turn off the heat. Allow to rest for 3-5 minutes for the flavors to mix and the pasta to absorb the sauce. Add fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and salt to taste.