A simple Italian pasta recipe using only 5 ingredients…

Pasta Pomodoro e Basilico

serves 4-5 people

Ingredients:

500 grams dried linguine pasta

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 small cloves peeled garlic

1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes

½ cup washed, fresh basil leaves

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt per gallon. The pasta water should be salty like the sea.

2. Wash the ripe cherry tomatoes under running water. Dry them and cut all of the tomatoes into halves.

3. Crush the garlic cloves with the heel of your hand. Add the extra virgin olive oil into a large saute pan over medium high heat. Simmer the garlic for 1 minute.

4. Now, add the dried linguine to the boiling salted water. Stir with tongs once the pasta is submerged in the water.

5. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan with garlic simmering in olive oil. Cook on medium to high heat. After 2 minutes, add a pinch of salt and toss or stir the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes until they are slightly stewed.

6. Place the washed, fresh picked basil leaves into the pan with tomatoes.

7. Taste to see if pasta is “al dente.” After 6 minutes of cooking, the pasta should be somewhat flexible and have a slight bite to it. Next, add the “al dente” pasta from the pot of water to the sauce using tongs. Allow some of the pasta water to come along with the pasta itself.

8. Mix and incorporate the tomatoes with the pasta using tongs. While mixing over medium heat, add some of the pasta water to almost thicken the sauce.

9. Taste to see if the pasta is cooked to your liking. Check for last minute seasoning and serve the pasta with tongs. Enjoy.

Pasta Pomodoro e Basilico

(serves 2 people)

Ingredients:

250 grams dried linguine pasta

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 small cloves peeled garlic

1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes

½ cup washed, fresh basil leaves

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt per gallon. The pasta water should be salty like the sea.

2. Wash the ripe cherry tomatoes under running water. Dry them and cut all of the tomatoes into halves.

3. Crush the garlic cloves with the heel of your hand. Add the extra virgin olive oil into a large saute pan over medium high heat. Simmer the garlic for 1 minute.

4. Now, add the dried linguine to the boiling salted water. Stir with tongs once the pasta is submerged in the water.

5. Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the pan with garlic simmering in olive oil. Cook on medium to high heat. After 2 minutes, add a pinch of salt and toss or stir the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes until they are slightly stewed.

6. Place the washed, fresh picked basil leaves into the pan with tomatoes.

7. Taste to see if pasta is “al dente.” After 6 minutes of cooking, the pasta should be somewhat flexible and have a slight bite to it. Next, add the “al dente” pasta from the pot of water to the sauce using tongs. Allow some of the pasta water to come along with the pasta itself.

8. Mix and incorporate the tomatoes with the pasta using tongs. While mixing over medium heat, add some of the pasta water to almost thicken the sauce.

9. Taste to see if the pasta is cooked to your liking. Check for last minute seasoning and serve the pasta with tongs. Enjoy.