I am mad mad mad about summer tomatoes.  I love them.  LOVE.  I could almost eat them like apples.  You show me a ripe summer tomato and I’ll make it disappear.  I can’t get enough of ’em!  I’ve got a recipe for you today that I learned from watching Oprah a few years ago.  It’s arguably the easiest thing that I know how to cook.  My two favorite things about this recipe are that it’s a sort of do what you want recipe AND that it involves tomatoes.

I’m clearly feeling more brave in the kitchen these days.  I’m currently addicted to recipes that give me a guide that I can alter and shift as needed.  I know, I KNOW…that’s exactly what all recipes are.  You can believe it or not but recipes are guides.  They aren’t one of the 613 Mitzvot.  You can change them!  Who knew!  I get that, sorta.  I’m brave-ish…not crazy.  I like a recipe that starts out by saying here’s the base, here’s a guide line.  BUT!  If you like _____________ then throw that in.  I like pretending that I’m a chef.  Throwing in random ingredients makes me feel like I know what I’m doing and gets me excited.  It makes me feel like I’m slowly turning into Ina Garten and who doesn’t want that?

What?

1 box of spaghetti (or other pasta that you love…linguini, angel hair…whatevs)

1 small bag of vine ripened cherry tomatoes (they come in a cute little bag still on a vine at the store)

1 small bunch of basil (this also comes in a small little box at the store)

Olive oil, salt and pepper

How?

I know what you’re thinking.  How on earth can I prepare a pasta dish that only involves 3 ingredients.  Take a deep breath and come with me.  It’s real easy, y’all.  Boil your pasta.  While that’s happening take a large bowl that can hold all of the pasta.  If you have a large bowl that also has some sort of a lid use that.  Take your cherry tomatoes and squeeze them into the bowl.  Literally.  Squeeze the tomatoes open into the bowl and tear the tomatoes into small pieces.  Use the whole bag.  Take your basil and chop or tear it into the bowl with the tomatoes.  Once he pasta is ready?  Dump maybe half a cup (don’t stress about the amount…not a lot but also not a little) into the bowl with the tomatoes and basil.  Strain your pasta.  BUT!  Be quick about it toss the pasta into a colander and let most of the water drain out but not all.  Throw the pasta into your bowl.  The hot pasta will cook the tomatoes and basil, the starchy pasta water will keep the pasta wet and form a little sauce with the tomatoes.  Put the lid on your bowl and give it a shake to mix up the tomatoes, basil and pasta. Give it a few minutes to let the pasta cook the tomatoes and basil maybe 10-ish minutes?  Salt and pepper the dish and finish it with a little olive oil…just a drizzle or 4.

Done!

This isn’t super saucy but it is delicious.

Want to kick that up a notch?  I added a couple of chopped garlic cloves and a can of San Marzano that I also smashed into the bowl with the other tomatoes and basil.  You can add cheese or chicken.  How about some fried onions?  Everything tastes better with a fried onion.  Saute some bell pepper?  Zucchini?  Squash?

Seriously, y’all.  Give this a try.  It’s simple.  It’s easy.  You can add or take out any of this.  Make it your own!  Double up the tomatoes if you like more stuff in your pasta.  You’re in the driver’s seat for this one.  ENJOY!!