Angel Hair with Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

We all need a good dinner at the end of the day, but often times we don't have the time to pull something delicious together. You can have this ready in 15 minutes and it's super delicious.

Recipe:

kosher salt (some for the pasta pot and some for seasoning)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus extra for the pasta pot)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes from my garden)

10-15 fresh basil leaves, julienned (plus extra for serving)

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 lb dried angel hair pasta, also known as cappellini

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add two tablespoons of salt and a splash of oil to the pot. Meanwhile, heat your 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-low heat. Add your minced garlic to the oil and stir around and cook for about 30 seconds. Turn heat up to medium and add tomatoes (make sure the tomatoes are dry-- if they are wet the water will react with the oil and pop and explode everywhere), basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, the pepper, and two teaspoons salt. Reduce heat back to medium-low and gently stir everything until the seasonings are evenly distributed with the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften but don't break up. Remove from heat and set aside. Add your 1 lb of pasta to your pot of boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander and reserve some of the pasta water. Place the pasta in a large serving bowl, add the tomato/olive oil/herb mixture to the pasta. Add parmesan and toss well. Add some of the pasta water if it seems too dry. Serve immediately and garnish portions with julienned basil on top.

image by Briana

recipe adapted from one found in House Beautiful magazine from Ina Garten