After stumbling upon this recipe on the beautiful Donna Hay’s website it has become almost a weekly staple for my friend “Bing Bong” aka The Malaysian and me. And also since finding it, variations of this recipe have been popping up in every magazine and website imaginable. It’s so classic you could call it stylish. It’s so simple you will be eating in less than 20 minutes. It’s so cheap you’ll think you’re a college student.
This dish is perfect at any time of year and can be manipulated and augmented to suit different tastes or cravings. Add some bacon (my favourite thing to do!), add some onions, serve it warm, serve it cold. Splash in some dry sherry to flambeau the tomatoes. Endless possibilities, yet so humble I’m almost ashamed to write about it. Not.
Crushed Cherry Tomato Pasta
a manipulated recipe from donnahay.com
Elements:
200g spaghetti (preferably organic. You WILL taste the difference, trust me.)
500g cherry tomatoes (can substitute grape tomatoes. Choose what looks fresher at the market.)
50g butter
3 cloves (yes, three) garlic, crushed with a fork
3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, also reserve and chop stalks
Shaved parmesan to serve
Sea Salt and black pepper
Method:
Cook spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes til al dente.
Drain the pasta and return to the saucepan to keep warm. If needed, add a lug of olive oil to keep the spaghetti from sticking into a great glob.
While pasta is cooking, chop and prepare remaining ingredients: halve the tomatoes, chop parsley, measure vinegar, crush garlic. (You will want to be prepared as cooking goes very quick once the pasta is done.) Put your plates or bowls in the oven on it’s lowest setting to warm them.
When the pasta is done cooking, put a wok or large frying pan on medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and cook til melted. Add the garlic and parsley stalks and cook for about 1 minute. Now add red wine vinegar, tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Using the back of a fork, gently crush about half the tomatoes. Tip the pasta and parsley into the wok/frying pan and toss together. Season to taste if needed. Dish out onto the warmed bowls or plates and serve with shaved parmesan.
Everybody Loves Ramen 