Fresh Tomato & Basil Pasta

20180815_221013I have noticed time and again that the best combinations of flavors happen to be with foods that are in season together.  It’s not that other combos don’t work, they just don’t work as well.

20180815_215040(All links open a new page, so you won’t lose your spot when you look around!  Get information on gardening and cultural traditions, recipes, stories, and more!)

Tomatoes and basil have long been paired together, and for good reason.  They taste awesome with each other.  So it just makes sense to take advantage of the fact that they will be in your garden at the same time.  Even better is the fact that this particular pairing is also a quick meal to throw together.

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Fresh Tomato & Basil Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/2 lb. sliced pre-cooked chicken sausage (optional)
  • 3 1/2 to 4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or two 15 oz cans diced tomatoes)
  • 1 – 1 1/2 cups lightly packed coarsely chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • grated parmesan or romano cheese
  • cooked pasta

Directions

Put the olive oil in a stock pot on high heat on the stove.  Add the garlic, turn the heat down to medium, and saute until the garlic is just starting to sizzle.  Add the pine nuts and cook just a couple of minutes more.

20180901_214354Add the sliced sausage, if using, and cook until lightly browned (my pictures don’t show this because I forgot to put the sausage until later, it will be more flavorful browned).  Add the tomatoes and the basil and toss together until the tomatoes are heated through.

20180901_214418Add the cooked pasta to the pot and mix it all together.  Serve hot, and top with the grated cheese.  Enjoy!

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