No Cook Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce
Recipe Blog Post
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
12 oz O&V Orecchiette pasta or a medium shell pasta *
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces
1¼ cups grated parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
7-10 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
2 pints cherry tomatoes (about 1½ lbs.), halved
½ cup O&V Basil EVOO *
1-2 tablespoons O&V Chopped Chili Peppers (Calabrian) *
1½ lightly packed cups chopped basil leaves, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper (more to taste)
Preparation
In a large bowl combine the garlic, tomatoes, Basil EVOO, chopped chili peppers, chopped basil leaves, salt and pepper. Using a potato masher or your clean hands, squish and smash the tomatoes with the other ingredients to release their juices and create small pieces.
Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour.
Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water until al dente. Drain (reserving one cup of pasta liquid), shake well to remove excess water trapped in shells, and return to the pot.
Immediately, add butter and parmesan cheese and mix well. If pasta seems dry, add a tablespoon at a time of the tomato mixture and keep stirring till cheese is melted and emulsified.
Add the remaining tomato mixture and combine. If needed, add a little reserved pasta liquid a splash at a time until the sauce is creamy and coats all the pasta nicely.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls with a garnish of more grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves. Add grilled chicken or salmon if desired.
Serves 4
Active time 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Notes
* The Basil EVOO adds a nice additional layer of fresh herby flavor and the Chopped Chili Peppers add nice punchy heat to the dish. You can use an Unflavored EVOO and add crushed red peppers but the flavors will change from this recipe.
You can also substitute the Chopped Chili Peppers with the Chopped Garlic in Chili Oil – just eliminate the chopped garlic if you do that.
All highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores
Categories: Entrée, Pasta, Vegetarian, Plant Based, No Cook Pasta Sauce, Cherry Tomatoes, Mediterranean Diet, Orecchiette Pasta, Calabrian Chopped Chili Peppers, Basil EVOO,
