Photo: A Couple of Cooks
We love us some Sonja and Alex from A Couple of Cooks. This fabulous recipe is an easy and light option for those summer nights.
Ingredients
8 ounces short pasta (penne, rigatoni, orecchiette (shown here), shells, cavatappi, etc)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pints of whole cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Fresh ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
¼ cup pasta water
1 handful of fresh small basil leaves, chopped if large
INSTRUCTIONS
Start a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta until it is just al dente. Start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside; usually around 7 to 8 minutes. Before draining, reserve some pasta water with a liquid measuring cup (at least ¼ cup). Drain the pasta.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a very large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tomatoes, making sure there is space around each tomato (they are not touching) and the pan is not crowded. If you’re using a medium pan, cook the tomatoes in 2 batches.* Cook for 1 minute without touching the pan, then 2 to 3 more minutes until blistered, shaking the pan several times to rotate the tomatoes. Turn off the heat and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar, gently shaking several times to coat. Add 2 pinches kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Remove the tomatoes from the pan to a bowl.
Mince the garlic. Once the pasta is done, in the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with ¼ cup pasta water, scraping the pan with a spoon to release all of the flavor of the tomato juices. Turn off the heat.
Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat. Add the blistered tomatoes, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and basil. Season with 2 pinches of kosher salt and lots of fresh ground pepper. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve with the remaining ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
