Pasta Al Pomodoro

My latest obsession is watching old reruns of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on Netflix and on the Travel Channel.  I love the idea of traveling the world and learning about the way different cultures eat.  I caught an episode that I had never seen before...his trip to the Cali Desert. Among different trippy adventures, Bourdain decides to make a pasta dish for his friends- Pasta Al Pomodoro.  Ever since that episode, I've been craving that dish so I decided to make my own.

There are so many variations of pasta al pomodoro but mostly all consist of olive oil, basil, and most importantly "pomodoro", or tomatoes. It's a light and quick dish that isn't weighted down by tons of cheese or heavy cream...perfect for lunch.

The most important part of the dish is the tomatoes.  I was at the market and saw these gorgeous babies and couldn't resist!  I love using tomatoes that are still on the vine because I find they stay fresh so much longer and are richer in flavor than other varieties.

I also added a few other ingredients like garlic, red pepper flakes, and butter.  I'm always a fan of heating red pepper flakes in olive oil when making Italian dishes to add some extra spice. I wanted to make my sauce a little thicker in texture, so in true Bourdain-fashion I added some butter. Irish butter is my favorite....so not Italian, but I just love the taste.  I also like switching up pastas. This time I used a pasta made with Jerusalem artichokes and flax seeds.

Also, you might have noticed that my recipe's aren't super specific.  I'm not into exact measuremements while cooking except for when I'm baking.  I think it's more exciting to eyeball and estimate because you end up with variations that work for you. For example, I love heat in my dishes, so I would usually add a little more chili flakes in this dish...but for others, little to no pepper works for them. Play around with quantities and what you like. If you know you prefer an ingredient, like extra tomatoes, go ahead and add a few more tomatoes.  Experimentation is what makes cooking exciting!

The sous-chefs came over to help Mommy!

Ingredients
-1 package pasta (8oz), prepared al-dente per package instructions
-1/2-1 cup saved pasta water
-5-6 vine tomatoes
-6 cloves garlic, sliced
-1tbsp butter
-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-5-6 large leaves of basil, chiffonaded
-1/4 tsp red chili flakes
-salt and black pepper to taste
-shredded/grated parmesan cheese to serve (optional)

Directions
-Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add whole tomatoes into the water and boil until the skins start to peel off...about 30 seconds. (You can also score the skins of the tomatoes prior to boiling with a little X at the bottom of each tomato to make the skins peel off easier.)
-In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath for the tomatoes.

-Add boiled tomatoes into ice bath.

-Peel skins off the tomatoes and set the tomatoes aside.

-In large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
-Add garlic slices and saute for 1 minute. Be sure to keep stirring to prevent any browning of the garlic. 

-Add chili flakes to oil and heat and saute for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
-Add tomatoes to the pot along with reserved pasta water. (Start off with 1/2 cup of pasta water and then add the rest later if you find the sauce needs more liquid.)
-Try to break the tomatoes up with wooden spoon as you stir everything together. This will help the tomatoes release their juices faster.
-Add basil.

-Let the tomatoes everything simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes create a sauce-like texture, stirring occasionally.

-Add butter, salt, and black pepper, and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
-Add pasta to the sauce and stir until combined over heat for about another minute. Remove from heat.
-Plate pasta with parmesan cheese and extra basil if desired.

Serves 4-6