Ina Garten’s Tomato-Basil Pasta, which takes only 15 minutes to prepare, has a cult following.

Ina Garten's Tomato-Basil Pasta, which takes only 15 minutes to prepare, has a cult following. - Photo by GETTY IMAGES
Ina Garten’s Tomato-Basil Pasta, which takes only 15 minutes to prepare, has a cult following. – Photo by GETTY IMAGES

With a book devoted to Modern Comfort Food (Buy It, $19, amazon.com), those unfamiliar with Ina Garten’s enchanted culinary abilities may envision a plethora of hearty stews and cheesy casseroles. While Garten does have a few of those in her recipe archives, she is actually quite adept at transforming fresh produce into something that is both quick and showy.

Take her Parmesan Roasted Zucchini, for instance. This summer-appropriate recipe received rave reviews from fans, such as, “This has been done numerous times. This is now my go-to zucchini recipe. “

Garten returns with a greatest hit (it originally aired on Barefoot Contessa in 2009!) following her summer squash masterpiece, which was recently re-uploaded to the Food Network’s YouTube channel.

The total time required is approximately 15 minutes — yes, from start to finish! As a result of noticing that detail and reading fan reviews such as, “This was INCREDIBLY good; it was inexpensive, quick, and tasty,” and “I’ve been making this recipe for years. It’s the ideal way to capture the essence of summer. ” We knew this Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil had to be on this week’s dinner menu.

It was inspired by a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes in Garten’s garden; the pasta toss incorporates four pints of the nutritious summer produce.

“It’s delicious and quick,” Garten says as she measures 1/2 cup of olive oil into a measuring cup to begin the super-summer supper idea. “I’m going to use a lot of olive oil,” she says, “but it’s going to be tossed with the pasta — about 1/2 cup.” “Previously, I prepared this recipe by marinating the tomatoes for approximately six hours. Then one day, I thought, ‘Perhaps I can simply sauté them for three minutes?’ And, as you may have guessed, it worked. “

Eliminating 5 hours and 57 minutes from the total time required to complete the recipe? We adore math!

Over medium heat, pour the olive oil into a large skillet (Garten adores All-Clad products, such as this 12-Inch All-Clad d5 Stainless-Steel Fry Pan, Buy It, $195, williamssonoma.com). As it cooks, chop six garlic cloves and bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta.

“I chose cappellini because it cooks in less than two minutes in a pot of boiling water,” she explains. “Boiling the water takes longer than preparing the dish!”

Cook the garlic for about 30 seconds in the oil, then strip the leaves from the fresh thyme stems until you have about 2 teaspoons to toss in the garlic oil. Season with 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and a “hefty pinch” of red pepper flakes.

Add 4 pints of rinsed cherry tomatoes, reduce to a medium-low heat, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, gently tossing occasionally.

While the pasta cooks to al dente perfection, julienne piles of fresh basil and parsley. Remove the tomato-filled skillet from the heat and sprinkle with fresh herbs, incorporating them with a wooden spoon.

“The heat simply wilts them, but it has no effect on the flavor or the vibrant green color,” Garten explains.

Then, rather than manually shredding the cheese, Garten has one final trick up her sleeve for “really fast Parmesan cheese.” Her food processor (Amazon.com, $120)! Roughly chop a wedge of Parmesan cheese, cover, and blitz until the cheese is finely grated.

Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the skillet with the garlicky tomatoes, “so it absorbs all of that wonderful oil… and seasoning,” Garten explains as she tosses the cappellini into the tomatoes.

Garten sprinkles Parmesan on top and inquires, “Is that one of the quickest dishes you’ve ever seen?”

It certainly is, Ina, perhaps only surpassed by your next-level no-cook Summer Garden Pasta, which we consumed on repeat throughout the summer!

Get Garten’s Capellini with Tomatoes and Basil recipe here, and then round out your week’s menu with more of our 20-minute summer dinners.

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