by guest blogger Maya Rodale, writer of historical tales of true love and adventure
It's that time of year when tomatoes are in abundance and when you don't want to be standing over a hot stove any longer than necessary, which means superfast tomato-based recipes are required. Here's my latest favorite--which takes just 15 to 20 minutes, and most of that is just waiting for water to boil.
Here's what you need:
2-3 small tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1-2 cloves chopped garlic or 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 onion, chopped
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons butter
1 handful fresh basil
2-3 small handfuls whole wheat pasta
Directions:
1. Get the pasta water started. Chop everything and once the water is boiling, add the pasta.
2. A few minutes before the pasta is done cooking, heat the olive oil in high on your cast-iron skillet. When it's superhot, chuck in the tomatoes and let them sizzle for a minute before adding the garlic and onions.
3. Turn the heat down if you need, but you'll want it on high for the next step. The trick here is not to simmer it for too long so that it gets watery.
4. When the pasta is drained, add it to your skillet with the tomatoes. Add butter. Cook until the pasta is coated with delicious tomato goodness and starting to brown. Add the basil.
5. Serve immediately, perhaps with fresh ground pepper or Parmesan cheese.
Pro-tip: Since making pasta takes forever, make a large batch on the weekend and keep it in the fridge. Then you can make a fresh dish of this spaghetti in just 5 minutes! Yum!
Maya Rodale is the author of multiple historical romance novels, as well as the nonfiction book Dangerous Books for Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels, Explained. She has a Master's degree from New York University and lives in Manhattan with her darling dog and a rogue of her own.Her latest book is The Tattooed Duke. Learn more at mayarodale.com.
For more from Maria Rodale, go to www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com