When it comes to summer cooking, I find myself inspired to cook more simple dishes. Dishes that are inspired by what is vibrant in my garden! With the heat, less time is spent fussing in the kitchen & more time is spent enjoying the sunshine outdoors. While I love making a large batch of tomato sauce in the colder months, using a fresh cherry tomatoes based sauce is one of my favourite pasta-based dishes throughout the season.
There is something about a sun-ripened tomato. So naturally juicy & sweet, they are just perfect enjoyed on their own. This recipe will take you from a weeknight meal to a weekend of entertaining. It is fresh, colourful & uses only a handful of ingredients. Simple enough to make throughout the week, but elegant enough to prepare for guests.
For the sauce I use a homemade pistou, which is very similar to pesto. A mix of fresh herbs, garlic & olive oil, the main difference is that a pistou does not contain pine nuts. A fresh herb-based sauce that can be enjoyed mixed with pasta or spread over bread. While some traditional pistous do not include parmesan either, I think a little bit of parmesan adds the perfect hint of nuttiness. I recommend using a quality extra virgin olive oil (not regular olive oil), as it is the ingredient that binds the pistou sauce together. Regular olive oil does not offer the flavour that extra virgin olive oil offers.
(Above: Lacanche Cormatin Range in Delft Blue)
You can prepare the pistou in advance & enjoy it throughout the week. When ready to prepare this pasta dish just simply toss is all together & enjoy along side a glass of chilled white wine. Cheers!
[amd-yrecipe-recipe:48]
Leave a Reply