Summer Spaghetti with Sweet Market Tomatoes

It seems like every other meal I make involves pasta these days, but with the abundance of in-season, ripe, juicy tomatoes at the market, I can't help buying pounds of the beautifully ugly, perfectly misshapen things every time I see them on a market table. And what goes better with tomatoes than spaghetti? Nothing that I've tasted, I can tell you that much. Tomato season is only happening for another month or so, and this time of year usually induces a certain tomato frenzy in me. And if you think this is bad, just wait 'til late September when, in a sudden panic, I buy as many sweet tomatoes as I can carry home and spend hours making indecent amounts of sauce to freeze for the winter.

This weekend, when I saw containers full of tiny yellow, orange, and red cherry tomatoes, piled together at the farmers' market like miniature sunsets, I had to pick them up and add them to my haul immediately. And then, of course, I made spaghetti that night, keeping the recipe as simple and clean as possible, so that the tomatoes' flavor was fully showcased. It's easy as can be--just a bit of garlic, olive oil, and the tomatoes, stirred together in a hot pan until the skins burst a bit. You can add some toasted bread crumbs and perhaps some red chili flakes for heat, but I think this 5-ingredient recipe is pretty perfect as is. xo

Summer Spaghetti with Sweet Market Tomatoes
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 pint sweet cherry tomatoes, multi-colored
10 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti

Directions:
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic slices and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened and slightly browned. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes are just beginning to burst. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to package directions until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the tomatoes. Toss over high heat for 1 minute, then divide evenly among 4 pasta bowls, sprinkle some extra basil on top, and serve immediately.