recipe: tomato & basil pasta

So, in honor of this blog’s new look, I thought I would share with you this easy dinner recipe. It’s a mix between my friend Renee’s recipe and Olive Garden’s capellini pomodoro. A while back I posted a version of this dish (I think this new one is way better), back when raw tomatoes still gave me the heebee-jeebees. Alas, I think I’ve conquered the tomato! Well, almost – I think I will have conquered the tomato when I finally eat a BLT, complete with a thick tomato slice. My husband has acknowledged, though, that I have come a long way – and I really have! I feel like I’ve conquered the green vegetables . . . And now I’m working my way through the reds. Wish me luck, hehe.

Anyways, this dish is really easy to make and the ingredients are simple, nothing fancy here. This serves 2 very hungry people (like how we were last night) and I suppose it could be a bit healthier by not using as much butter and using whole wheat spaghetti instead of the traditional kind. But, you gotta do what you gotta do. Or, you gotta have some butter sometime 🙂

Tomato & Basil Pasta
Serves 2

Ingredients

• half a box of angel hair pasta
• 10 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• ½ stick butter
• 2 heaping tbsp minced garlic (or more, if you dare)
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt (table or kosher – either is fine)
• freshly grated parmesan cheese

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions. (When I cooked the angel hair spaghetti and drained it on a colander, the pasta stuck together so I drizzled a small bit of olive oil and used a fork to separate the strands. If you can cook angel hair pasta well, you don’t have to do what I did.) Drain and set aside.

2.  On medium-low heat, melt butter in a small pan. When butter has melted all the way, add garlic. (Next time I make this, I’m adding more garlic! Whooooaaa, I can’t believe I just said that. More garlic. Who am I?!) Cook butter and garlic for about 5 more minutes, making sure that it doesn’t burn in the pan.

3.  Placing the angel hair pasta in a large bowl, carefully drizzle butter & garlic mixture. Add the diced tomatoes and basil, and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with fresh parmesan cheese.

Ohmygosh, my mouth is salivating thinking about this dish. Since it IS very buttery, we won’t eat this too often, like, maybe not 3 x a week or anything like that. But maybe once a week? Accompanied by fish oil pills? Okay, sounds good.

On another note, I feel very proud of myself for having kept up with my running. I admit, it’s a bit disheartening not running with my old class – I really enjoyed everyone’s company and motivation! However, I’ve managed to get a couple of runs in during the week, and swimming once a week. “Swimming” I should say – as I use a kickboard to work my legs and a noodle (the foam kind, not the semolina kind) to work my arms. My co-worker Julie is a swimmer so I take notes from her when we swim. Boy, is it hard! Sometimes I have to stop in the middle of the lane to catch my breath. Totally different from running. I feel like such a weakling when it comes to swimming. Thankfully I feel much stronger in running. I have to repeat it to myself sometimes that “I can do this. I can do this.” It’s very easy to get discouraged, you know?

I’ve been trying run once or twice week at least a fast mile. So far, the fastest I have done is around an 8:30 min/mile pace. Not bad at all! Today after work, I was able to do the first mile in 8:32, the second mile in 9:36 and the third mile in 9:41 – a total of 3 miles in 27:48. I’m pleased with that, considering I felt tired and sooo didn’t even want to go running. I’m looking forward to a long run on Sunday with some friends so we’ll see what next week holds.

But wait! You didn’t think I was through, did you? I did mention a giveaway in my last post. Because last night’s dinner was topped off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese, I am going to give away a brand new microplane grater. Have you ever used one before? Whaaat? You’ve never heard of it before? Let’s stop right there. Make sure you enter this giveaway! Because a microplane grater will change your life. (Okay, maybe not CHANGE your life, but it’s so much better than using a box grater!)

I first heard of the microplane grater from my sister-in-law Sarah. She told me that grating cheese is easier to do with this grater. I’ve always used a box grater and would get frustrated that the cheese would get stuck or my fingers would get scraped or it was difficult to hold the grater properly. At any rate, I hardly used my box grater (I don’t even know where it is now) and would just purchase shredded cheese at the store. I also never used whole wedges of cheese. I thought only fancy people did that! Well, Sarah will be the first to tell you that she is NOT fancy but she does appreciate good cheese. She introduced me to using fresh cheese in my cooking and using the microplane grater to shred said cheese. Let me tell you – grating hard cheeses has never been easier! You can also use it as a zester. Oh I wish more people used a microplane grater.

Now that I’ve told you about my love for this kitchen tool, here’s the deal about the giveaway. You must do the following:

1) Leave a comment on this particular post.
2) Leave your name (and your email address & web/blog address if you have one).
3) Leave me a sentence (or two, or three, or more if you’re long-winded like me, hehe) answering this question: What is your favorite, easy, HEALTHY, go-to recipe that you MAKE for dinner?

That’s it! I’ll give everyone until Sunday 12 PM to leave their comment. I’ll pick a comment by random and will announce the winner later that day or by Monday at the latest. And just so you know, I am not being paid or sponsored by the makers of the microplane grater. I just love the grater so much and I want you to know of this love as well 🙂