It is hot hot hot! Step outside and you’ve entered a sauna. If Carly and I don’t make it out the door by 8:30am then our stroller ride/run is cancelled because there is no way mama can handle that heat.
Inside is hot too because despite the charm of living on the quite, lots of sunlight, and great view third floor, heat still rises. With that intense heat, my motivation to use the oven (and heat up the apartment even more) is ZERO. So I’ve been resorting to skillet meals like this yummy Bruschetta Pasta.
Simple, fast (less than 30 minutes! Yay!), and fresh. I’ve already made it twice this month!
It’s pretty much just noodles, tomatoes, and basil with a little bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Parmesan… so basically it’s the bruschetta topping mixed with noddles instead of placed on top of bread.
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The basil and vine-ripe tomatoes make this pasta so light and fresh. Exactly what’s needed on a 98 degree day.
I got to use our homegrown basil but we’re still waiting on our tomatoes to turn red. We’ve gone through some rough patches with our tomato plants and had to prune one of them down to like 10 leaves in order to save it. It’s starting to flower again so I think we did okay. But yeah, we are definitely tomato growing newbies. When we finally get some juicy tomatoes though they are going to be A-mazing in this pasta!
Um, I feel like every pasta dish needs a side of yummy garlic cheese bread. Ya know, because the noodles don’t already provide enough carbs. But really, bread rubbed with butter, garlic, and a pile of cheese, who can say no to that!?
Bruschetta Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine pasta
- 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes ~3 cups
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup basil leaves chiffonade
- 3 plump garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese shaved
- Crushed red pepper optional garnish
Instructions
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In a large pot, boil water for pasta as directed on package. When it comes to a boil gently place the tomatoes in using a large spoon and let them cook for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook as directed on package.
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In a large bowl, combine olive oil, basil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper.
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When the tomatoes have cooled enough to handle, remove the skins from the tomatoes (As you would a peach. Trust me, after boiling it's really easy.) and then dice. Add to the large bowl.
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When the pasta is finished cooking, transfer it with a spaghetti spoon straight from the pot to the bowl of tomatoes. Toss until all pasta is coated. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Add a little of the pasta water if the pasta seems too dry. (You'll want to reserve about 1/2 cup if you are planning on eating this for leftovers.)
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Serve topped with shaved Parmesan cheese and red pepper.
Recipe Source: Inspired by Rosalie Serving Italian
Any basil growing tips?
Aimee- I have had the best luck when my basil is in more of a shaded area or at least not in direct sunlight the whole day. You also don’t want it to ever flower. Flowering causes the plant to taste bitter so every few weeks you need to trim/cut the center stalk right above where two leaves are sprouting out. If you search on Youtube you can find a video showing where exactly to prune/cut. This also encourages plant growth and will make the plant more bushy instead of just grow straight up. My other tip is to water like every other day and don’t get any water on the leaves. I hope that helps! Having fresh basil on hand is the best!
Yummy! I can’t wait to try this, thanks!!
Balsamic vinegar is mentioned in the ingredients but not in the instructions, so you know! I guess I’ll just add it in at the end, looking forward to trying this!
Aww! Thanks for pointing that out. I fixed it in the directions.
Can you eat this cold? or is it something that needs to be hot?
The bread is best warm but you can make it ahead to eat at room temp. The tomatoes can be eaten at room temp or cold.
Oh nooooo!! I SO wanted to make this today and realized I don’t have any more balsamic vinegar 🙁 Will it ruin the dish if I omit it?
What a bummer! It will still be tasty without it.
Definition of bruschetta
: thick slices of bread grilled, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, often topped with tomatoes and herbs, and usually served as an appetizer