a simple and light summertime pasta dish

Lately I've been craving angel hair pasta topped with a lightweight, fresh tomato sauce. For my birthday a couple weeks back, we went to Cafe Firenze {a new favorite} and I was beyond thrilled for days to satisfy my craving {as only a big preggo could be}. Imagine how my dear heart broke when, low and behold there was nothing remotely similar on the menu. Our waiter was incredible, however and "created" a dish for me. I loved how the chef kept the cherry tomatoes somewhat whole, allowing you to truly taste the sweetness they offer. 

The other day I had some farm~fresh cherry tomatoes and decided to whip this meal up inspired by the delicious dish I had on my birthday. It's so easy & simple and fresh & light, it really is the perfect pasta dish for summer evenings. In fact, I gobbled it up so well that we've had this dish 3 times since AND J used the leftover sauce on the pizzas he made last night. YUMMO!

~A Simple Rustic Cherry Tomato Sauce over Angel Hair Pasta~

Ingredients

- 2 pounds ripe cherry tomatoes

- extra-virgin olive oil for the pan

- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

- 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves {the second time I made it added the extra half, VERY yummy!}

- 1 teaspoon Oregano

- Pinch chili flakes {add this after cooking if, like me, you are cooking for a wee little one}
- 1 teaspoon sugar

- 1 pound dried angel hair pasta

- freshly grated Parmesan for the table

- 1/4 cup chiffonade basil, plus whole sprigs for garnish

Directions

1.) Cook pasta according to package directions {be careful not to overcook, angel hair can easily turn in to mush~ not very tasty}

2.) LIGHTLY pulse the cherry tomatoes in the food processor {like, only twice}. You want to break them up a bit but not completely liquefy them. One night I chopped them {the food processor was in the dishwasher} and the sauce turned out dry....not recommended. Pulsing them in the food processor releases the juices.

3.) Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add garlic and saute until just fragrant. Add thyme and oregano {and chili flakes if you can} and saute about 2 minutes {right when garlic is slightly golden}. Add tomatoes and their juices and the sugar. Stir well and cook about 15 minutes. 

4.) Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Add Parmesan and basil and serve.

enjoy!

xoxo,

B