Fresh Tomato Pasta - Healthy Summer Recipe

It was just one (okay, maybe just six) little cherry tomato plants that went into the ground this spring and now I am paying for it. The little red buggers seem to multiply on the counter when I'm not looking and more sneak into the garden every night. I think I have finally got them all used up and then there are more. Is this just my counter? Anyways if you are living with a cherry tomato invasion there is hope. Make this delicious fresh tomato pasta. It's great for summer; not a lot of cooking. All you really have to do is boil the water for pasta and sauté some onion. No hot ovens involved,  I promise. You'll get juicy rich summer flavor and you won't have to foist cherry tomatoes off on your neighbors.

As many cherry tomatoes as you can handle (about 4 cups halved)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Whole wheat thin spaghetti pasta for two (6 oz)Step 1: Make the whole wheat thin spaghetti according to the package. You will be glad you used the thin spaghetti because it only needs 7 minutes to cook. That means you won't have to stand near a hot stove when it's hot outside.

Step 2: Meanwhile sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. This is a good idea because whole they tend to squirt juice when you bite into them. Squirting is not an admirable attribute in food, at least I don't think so. Maybe you do?  In which case don't bother with the cutting.  Mix the tomatoes in a bowl with the sautéed onion and basil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3: Drain and rinse the whole wheat spaghetti in cool water. Toss the noodles with a drizzle of olive oil to keep them from sticking to each other. Then serve the noodles with the tomato mixture on top, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and enjoy.  Serves two.

See what did I tell you? Summer flavor with minimal cooking.

It's tomato time here on my blog. This month I'll be looking at different ways to preserve and eat tomatoes. Check out my first post where there are lots of inspiring comments for how to enjoy tomatoes. I am also adding links to the tomato posts as they are published so you will be able to find them together. Check it out here: Tomato Recipes and Ideas.

This post was featured on Simple Lives Thursday, 8th Edition.