The warmer weather means that Jersey tomatoes and basil are both back in season! It is my absolute favorite time to go to my farmer’s market because the smell of fresh basil is everywhere. The tomatoes look like shiny jewels. In summer my Nana Lulu made a simple tomato basil sauce often that she tossed with pasta. She loved the seasonal ingredients more than I can even describe! So this simple and fresh tomato basil pasta is inspired by her.
Oh my goodness, when I took my first bite it was a pure taste of summer. The tomato and basil were just magical together. Best of all it was a simple dish that I put on the table in 30 minutes. I think my Nana Lulu would have been really proud of this recipe that she inspired. It made me feel like I was in her house on a summer Sunday having family dinner! Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did. xoxo
In the warm weather, I love to make really light pasta dishes. This fresh tomato basil pasta fit the bill perfectly with loads of flavor!
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh basil packed, plus additional for garnish
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 whole onion quartered
- 1 dash olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 pinch salt plus additional for the pasta water
- 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus additional for topping
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- First, get a large pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta. Salt it generously once it is boiling. While it comes to a boil, combine the cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic and onion in the bowl of a food processor. Puree them all together until it is a thick sauce. Set it aside. Get a large skillet with deep sides on the stove and heat the olive oil in it over medium high heat. Add the wine and tomato paste, letting them cook for a minute. Pour the puree into the skillet and let the sauce come to a boil. Reduce it to a simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes.
- The water should be boiling by this point, so cook the pasta according to the directions until tender. It should take 8-10 minutes. Scoop out a 1/4 cup of the cooking water before you drain it and add it, along with the parmesan cheese, to the sauce. Stir the sauce well so that the cheese thickens and emulsifies the sauce. Drain the pasta and stir it into the sauce as well. Scoop the pasta into pretty bowls and top with it extra parmesan and basil. Enjoy!
I love anything tomato based. We do a bunch of canning of different tomatoes so this will be easy to put together and make. Perfect comfort meal.
I love that, Candy! I’ve always wanted to learn canning and I think this summer I might try it out. Thanks very much for the kind comment :-).
Totally love fresh tomato flavors in pasta. This is a great recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much!! Yes, fresh tomato and pasta is definitely a match made in heaven.
Oh this looks super tasty! And I love the hack about using a food processor instead of mincing everything by hand!
It saves a lot of time so that it can get on the table quickly! Thanks so much for stopping by :-).
This sounds absolutely amazing! All those fresh ingredients sound delicious.
Thanks so much, Jordan!!
This recipe looks right up my alley! Looks easy and delicious. Yum!
Thank you so much!!