Chef notes
Summer can feel a little overwhelming when it comes to the sheer volume of in-season fruits and vegetables to try. With everything from blueberries and watermelon to zucchini and corn at their peak, it can feel like a race against the clock to enjoy them all. The good news is little needs to be done to savor the season, as the best summer recipes are also the simplest.
Take, for instance, this pasta, which highlights a beloved seasonal star: plump, juicy cherry tomatoes. With just five ingredients, plus a little salt and pepper, this is one of those satisfying meals that comes together in less than 30 minutes. Just boil a pot of water for pasta, sauté a few cloves of garlic and toss together the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil.
The cool, juicy tomatoes contrast nicely against the warm spaghetti, while the mozzarella adds a stretchy chew (and some protein to make it a complete one-bowl dinner). Ribbons of torn basil, another quintessential summer ingredient, bring it all together. The resulting dish is one that's filling yet light, comforting yet easy — save the jarred sauce for another day.
Get Ingredients: If you don’t have everything you need on hand, you can easily purchase all of the ingredients (just click the orange button below that says ‘Get Ingredients’). You can pick and choose exactly what ingredients you need based on what’s in your pantry and they’ll be on your doorstep before you know it.
Technique Tip: Don’t rinse the drained pasta! Leaving the noodles slightly wet will help the garlic and tomato juices adhere to the spaghetti.
Swap Option: Use linguine, fettuccine or any other long pasta in place of spaghetti. Angel hair, which cooks in minutes, is a speedy alternative. For even less prep work, use bocconcini, (aka bite-sized mozzarella balls) which don’t require any cutting or tearing.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn or cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- fresh basil, torn or thinly sliced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
1.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until al dente.
2.Meanwhile, in a medium sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, season to taste with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
3.Drain but don’t rinse the spaghetti, then add it to the tomato mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning and garnish with additional basil.
