One Last Taste of Summer
This was officially the first really chilly day in Birmingham, but the cold was slowly seeping in all week in the form of drizzly rain, cloudiness, and general ick. Instead of my go-to comforting soup or baked-something-or-another, I took one glance at our CSA box brimming with ripe tomatoes and huge stems of green and purple basil and had an idea. If it couldn’t be warm and sunny outside, I’d cook something that would make it that way inside.
I made a quick tomato sauce with lots of fresh basil and tossed it with whole-wheat penne for just the right amount of heartiness. It was bright and warm and just the perfect way to really bid farewell to the warm weather and usher in the lovely fall. If it’s still warm enough where you are to have red, ripe tomatoes and fragrant, fresh basil, this is a great last taste of summer.
Simple Tomato-Basil Penne
serves 2
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon anchovy paste or 2 anchovies, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste
2 large or 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
1/2 pound whole-wheat penne
1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned
Coarse salt, to taste
Heat olive oil in a large skillet with high sides or a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add anchovy paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until fagrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, and add tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Meanwhile, cook pasta until just underdone, when it’s still just a little too chewy in the middle. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid, and add pasta to the pan with the tomato sauce. Toss to combine; if the pan looks dry, add a splash of the reserved cooking water. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add basil, and stir to combine. Taste, and add salt if it needs it.
October 17th, 2010 at 10:48 am
I love the simplicity of this recipe – it really allows the individual ingredients to shine. I also add a few shaves of good Parmigiano reggiano to it – but that’s just personal taste. Much to the waiters’ and restaurant owners’ chagrin, even while in Italy I also add shaved or grated parm-reg to seafood pasta. Thank you for another delicious recipe that celebrates both the season and the freshness of the ingredients.