Pasta allo Scarpariello

Some of you have been requesting quick and easy dishes, and this one is as quick and simple as it gets. Another great thing about this dish, my all in food cost for it was $7, which fed 4 people. You can prepare a fresh pasta sauce in the time it takes to cook your spaghetti. From start to finish, this is truly a 15-minute dinner. I discovered this recipe on the Pasta Grammar's YouTube channel. Eva and Harper run one of my favorite food blogs.

Ingredients

3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled

20-30 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Salt

3-4 servings of pasta (about 12oz. or 340g)

4-6 fresh basil leaves, or to taste

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to taste

Directions

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. While it comes up to temp, begin preparing the sauce.

2. Heat the olive oil and whole garlic clove over medium heat in a large skillet. When the garlic begins to sizzle in the oil, remove and discard it. Add the halved cherry tomatoes.

3. At any point, when the pasta water comes to a boil, salt it generously and add the pasta. Cook as directed, but set a timer for 2-3 minutes less than the recommended “al dente” cook time.

4. As the cherry tomatoes cook in the pan, they will eventually soften completely and release all of their juices. You can gently mash them with a wooden spoon or fork to help them along. Season with salt to taste and tear in the fresh basil. Reduce the heat and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. As needed, continue to ladle in a little bit of hot pasta water to maintain

moisture in the pan while the pasta finishes cooking.

5. When the pasta is ready, use tongs or a slotted spoon (depending on the shape) to transfer it directly into the pan. Turn up the heat under the skillet and stir all together with the sauce for a few minutes, or until the pasta is al dente to your taste. Ladle in more pasta water as needed to keep the sauce moist.

6. Turn off the heat and grate a very generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top. Stir the cheese in thoroughly until it melts into the sauce. If necessary, add a little

bit more pasta water to help. Serve immediately, topped with some extra grated cheese (optional).