Name: Summer Garden Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 large beefsteak or homegrown tomatoes (chopped); 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt; 6 garlic cloves (chopped); 20 leaves basil (chiffonaded, reserve some for garnish); 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated, divided); Maldon salt (for serving); Pasta (I use gluten-free; angel hair would be lovely)

When summer tomatoes are at their peak, and super ripe and juicy, sometimes all that’s needed is a generous sprinkle of good-quality salt. But magic happens when you chop four ripe tomatoes, add the required salt, chopped garlic, basil, olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and red chile flakes. And then let all of these ingredients marinate for four hours.

Juicy Tomatoes Are The Key

As soon as you stir in freshly cooked and hot pasta and add a generous dose of cheesy Parmesan, this spectacular and simple summer garden pasta will make you wish it was the beginning of June and not the end of August.

Thanks to Ina Garten for the recipe that I adapted after I made this dish last summer (pictured below). The original recipe calls for cherry tomatoes, which aren’t always the juiciest–or the most flavorful. But I always try the recipe first and then make adjustments as needed. This summer, I used big and juicy beefsteak tomatoes and now it’s good enough to share with you.

Last year’s dish when I followed Ina’s recipe. But, this time, I used beefsteak tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes and the flavor and sauce are mind-blowingly delicious.

Let Simple Ingredients Shine

This five-ingredient (tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil and Parm), pasta sauce requires no-cooking and allows the fresh ingredients to shine. The trick is to use the best tomatoes you can find. In a big bowl, you’ll love how the salt slowly extracts the juice from the chopped tomatoes as they are left at room temperature for four hours.

During this time, the tomatoes melt with garlic and basil, and everything permeates the fruity olive oil. The freshly ground black pepper and red chile flakes add a thin veil of heat. As you wait for the four hours to pass, the pungent and beautiful aroma of Italy draws you back into the kitchen and tells everyone in the house a savory summer supper awaits.

This picture is also from the first time I made the recipe last summer. Replacing chopped beefsteak tomatoes for halved cherry tomatoes makes all the difference in the world.

Top with Parmesan and More Basil

When you are ready, add the hot pasta into the big bowl where the tomato concoction has become saucy and almost like a confit. The hot pasta soaks up the saucy olive oil and tomatoes. The Parmesan melts into the dish as you generously grate it over the top of the bowl. Gently toss everything together and the smell will remind you how good this is going to be. (Note: if you are a crusty bread lover and can eat gluten, be sure and get a baguette because the sauce that’s left in your pasta bowl will beg for sopping it up. Or drinking it. Your choice. But don’t let it go to waste.)

As we near Labor Day, it may be prudent to stock up on our favorite tomatoes so we can make this easy summer garden pasta dish a few more times before tomato season ends.

Buen provecho!