Pasta Party

So, I’ve written a good bit about all the tomatoes I’ve been given, grown, or otherwise acquired. Today’s post is another “what-the-hell-are-you-doing-with-all-of-these-tomatoes” post.

A bread knife makes cutting tomatoes easier...and cleaner - no tomato squirt.

I saw a variation of this that was simpler, tried it, liked it, and tweaked it to become this recipe. It’s super fast, really satisfying, and tweakable to no end, so feel free to play around with it.

It starts with tomatoes – I cut my garden Roma tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on their size and set them I aside.

I then prepped the rest of what I thought I’d try in this batch: Onion, garlic, chard, kale, pesto, Parmesan cheese, and a good olive oil. I say good olive oil because it’s the sauce for the pasta, so it should be something you like the flavor of. Although butter would probably work well enough, too.

Tomato, onion, garlic, kale, chard, and spaghetti. Nom.

Anyway, sauté the onion in your olive oil for a bit adding a pinch of pepper. I didn’t add salt to the sauce because the cheese is salty enough and I knew I would want a lot of cheese J

After the onions have started turning clear, add the chopped tomatoes and a spoonful of pesto – mine came from a batch I made a while back and stored in the freezer. (Basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, sun dried tomato, toasted cashews/walnuts/pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil) I also added some chopped Swiss chard and kale – this was the new addition to the recipe this time..just because I had some in the fridge that needed used.

After a couple minutes when the tomatoes have started to soften and lose their skins, add the garlic and cook the mixture for another minute or so. If the tomatoes are tender enough for you, pull the skillet off the heat and add a handful of Parmesan. You could also deglaze the bottom of the pan with some white wine before taking it off the heat and adding the cheese..that’s really good, too.

Drain your pasta (I used spaghetti because I had it on hand..Fettuccine would also work well) saving some of the salted pasta water to loosen the sauce. Pour your pasta into the sauce pan and cook together until everything is coated and cooked through. If you’re like me, you’ll probably want more cheese J

Kale and chard are both super nutritious..and the fresh tomatoes are packed with all kinds of goodness, too.

Like I said, this can be added to and subtracted from to no end. It’s a really good, quick lunch or dinner and is a great way to use up your garden tomatoes.

Oh…one other quick note.. The President was in town this morning J  

The Man has quite the entourage. DOZENS of cars..lots of Secret Service.

A couple local kids, President Obama, his tank/bus, and the Marion County Courthouse.